Page 128 - Fundamentals Ebook

I’m certain that in Peter’s heart he felt disqualified and said, “I will
never be a fisher of men. I’ll still love the Lord and I know I’m
going to heaven but as far as service, I’ve disqualified myself.” I
want you to notice how the Lord Jesus deals with Peter as he swims
to shore. At first, I thought it looked a little cruel, what Jesus did.
He begins to bring up things that Peter didn’t want to think about. I
already told you that the whole miracle with the fish was a refresher
course. The first time is in Luke 5:8, “But when Simon Peter saw
that, he fell down at Jesus; feet, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a
sinful man, O Lord!’” The first time God did that miracle, Peter
said, “Depart; I’m a sinful man.”

Listen to John 21:9, “And so when they got out upon the land, they
saw a charcoal fire already laid, and fish placed on it, and bread.”
When Peter got to shore, the first thing he saw was a charcoal fire.
I can’t prove it but I think his heart sunk when he saw a charcoal
fire. John 18:18, “Now the slaves and the officers were standing
there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were
warming themselves; and Peter also was with them, standing and
warming himself.”

There’s only two times in your New Testament that you read about
a charcoal fire. The last time Peter saw a charcoal fire he was
denying the Lord. Now he swims to shore and that memory comes
back of the charcoal fire. Jesus did that on purpose. I say, “Lord,
why are you doing that to that poor man?”

John 21:15, “So, when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to
Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’
He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.’ He said to
him, ‘Tend My lambs.’” Don’t read that “la, la, la”. Peter was
already suffering when he saw the charcoal fire and now Jesus
speaks to him for the first time and he calls him, “Simon”. That was
his name before he got saved. Jesus isn’t calling him “Peter”. He’s
calling him “Simon”. I think that was painful.