We learn in John 21:14, “This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.”  On this third occasion of visiting His disciples after His resurrection, the Lord spoke much to Peter.  As many know, before His crucifixion, Peter denied the Lord three times.  (Read Matthew 26:69-75).  We also know that the Lord appeared to Peter privately after His resurrection (Luke 24:33-34, 1 Corinthians 15:3-5).  It is here that we properly assume the Lord restored Peter in a private setting.  The Lord had told Peter that he would be restored after denying Him.  We read the words of the Lord to Peter in Luke 22:32, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” (NKJV). 

In this portion before us in John 21, we see Peter’s public restoration to the Lord.  Peter had denied the Lord three times, so three times the Lord asked Peter if he loved Him.  We won’t look into the details of this passage, but we see Peter humbled before the Lord saying in verse 17, “And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”  What a wonderful savior we have that He would forgive and restore Peter and put him back into the ministry with the privilege of feeding God’s sheep.  That loving savior will also forgive and restore all His dear saved ones when we humbly confess our sins to Him.  1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Not only did the Lord allow Peter to honor Him in his life, He also allowed Peter to honor Him in his death.  We read the Lord’s words to Peter in John 21:18-19, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” 

The Lord begins by reminding Peter of how, when he was a younger man, he was able to dress himself and go where he wanted to go under his own power.  Yet, the day would come when he would be an old man and someone else would lead him to a place that he would rather not go.  This does assure Peter that he would live to be an old man, but in his old age, he would be killed for the Lord’s sake.  Peter’s death would be a death of violence.  He was to become a martyr of the Christian faith.  His death would “glorify God.”  How unique it was that at one point Peter denied the Lord to save his own life.  In his old age, he would give his own life for the glory of the Lord. 

Years later, Peter realized his time was short and wrote, “Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.” (2 Peter 1:14).  I detect no fear in those words.  I hear the voice of a man who had bowed himself to the will of God and was willing to die a death according as the Lord had told him.  Throughout history, the Lord has allowed some to die a martyr’s death to honor Him.  Although the Bible does not tell us how the Apostle Peter died, there is tradition that tells us that Peter likely died by crucifixion during the reign of Nero in about AD 64.  It is said that Peter did not feel worthy to die the same death as his savior, so he asked to be crucified upside down. 

Peter’s death stands as a testimony to faith and courage. He glorified God in both his life and death, encouraging Christ’s followers to “stand firm” in the grace of God as we read in I Peter 5:12, “…I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!” (NASB)  (CC)  (595.2)