We’re at the last chapter of John’s gospel, and we want to know what it means to be ready to serve Jesus. If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ll know that you’re called to serve others. And you know that you do that because you serve Jesus. So in John 21 you’ll see what kind of people Jesus is prepared to use, and what it means to be ready to serve him.
This isn’t a guilt trip to get you to do more stuff. What I’m hoping you’ll be encouraged to do is to love Jesus more and more – enough that you’ll think he’s worth serving.
We’ll do it through three questions.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church in October 2026. You can find more in the series in our sermon index,
Is Christ your strength? (1-14)
David took us last time through John 20: Christ is risen!
Jesus appeared to Mary, then to 10 disciples (with Thomas missing), and then again to all 11. We know from the other gospels that he told them to go north to Galilee (~85 miles) and wait for him there.
So here we are on the shore of lake Galilee (Sea of Tiberias), and we come to the third appearance that John records for us.
Peter and 6 others had been out fishing overnight. Apparently that’s a good time to fish on that lake. Some people grumble that Peter & Co should have been doing something more ‘spiritual’ – but Jesus had told them to go to Galilee and wait, so it’s reasonable for them to make themselves useful.
But they had a rubbish night of it. So read John 21:4-5. “Friends” there is essentially something like “Lads”! It’s a lovely, friendly term.
What next? Read John 21:6-7.
John comes over as quick-witted and observant. Peter always comes over as action-oriented, impulsive! Neither is better than the other. It’s good to think like a man of action, and to act like a man of thought! They’re a team!
Eventually they all get ashore with their massive haul of fish.
(Some people look for symbolism in the number of 153, but really all it means is: A really big haul!)
Jesus has the BBQ going: Read John 21:12. Something like this happened when Jesus first called Peter back in Luke 5, about 3½ years earlier. But the disciples have seen much since. And they knew who was standing there. They knew it was the Lord.
But their meeting is strained, isn’t it? There’s an awkwardness. “None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord.”
Why say, “dared”?
- Firstly, it was obvious that it was the Lord. No-one wanted to look so stupid.
- But secondly, and much more forcefully, they were in awe. They had shared a companionable intimacy with Jesus for over 3 years, but this was something different. They’re delighted and troubled in equal measure that he has risen from the dead, and is standing there cooking them breakfast! They’re beginning truly to understand who he is – so much more even than they dared imagine before…
Now, read John 21:14.
The footnote in my Bible says that “appeared” there is literally translated “was revealed.” And so read John 21:1.
This BBQ on the beach is a 3-fold revelation about Jesus to them – and so to you.
- Firstly, simply that he lives! It’s a profound truth, but actually it’s something the disciples already knew.
- Secondly, he’s revealing that those who listen to his voice are abundantly blessed (“Lads… Cast the net on the right side of the boat”).
- Thirdly, and most important in this episode, look how Jesus continues to nourish and serve his people. The greatest servant-leader who ever lived, serves.
The Bible timing here is important: It’s after the resurrection, but before Pentecost. Jesus would spend weeks with them, teaching them things not written down for us to know. Then, after he ascended into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit of God into them – and into every new believer. If you’re a Christian, the Holy Spirit of God dwells in you permanently. And it is by the Spirit in you that you live in Christ and are in union with him.
The 3-fold revelation of Christ in that beach BBQ tells you something of who Jesus and how he relates to you today:
- Firstly, he still lives! All church growth and work is his work.
- Second, he still blesses those who listen to his voice (not necessarily with material things, but rather with himself).
- Third, he still nourishes and serves, strengthens and enables his people. Not with food, but with the Spirit.
Apart from Christ, those men couldn’t fish for fish, let alone people. That was a big lesson that morning. And this morning.
If your Christian service is grounded in your own strength, expect failure. Try casting from the right side.
Is Christ your strength? How might you know? Next:
Do you love him? (15-19)
We come next to a painful but beautiful conversation: Read John 21:15. By “…more than these” he means “Do you love me more than these people love me?”
Why ask a question like that?
Back in John 13:37, after Jesus had said that Peter couldn’t follow him, Peter said, “I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus then told him he’d deny even knowing Jesus 3 times that very night. Peter was all bravado, all big in his words. Then lost it. His denial became his shame, and he knew it.
So here’s Jesus, giving him opportunity to recover. Three times.
(If you were reading this in Greek, you’d see different words for “love” used by Jesus and Peter. If you’ve ever heard a sermon focussed on that, forget it. John uses different words throughout the book, so it’s shaky to base anything on that here.)
Three times, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. It’s excruciatingly painful for Peter because it’s so public. Everyone can see Jesus asking him three times.
So read John 21:17. All the earlier bravado and self-confidence is gone. All he can say is, “you know that I love you.” It’s a surrender to the knowledge and will of Christ – so humbling, so lovely.
But as Jesus responds each time by giving him instructions, what you’re seeing is the tender, gracious care of your Saviour. He’s the same with you as he was with Peter. Your sin is brought into the light between you and him. That’s always painful, always uncomfortable. But he died to take the punishment of that very sin. He stands ready to restore you, to build you up.
He gave himself to make you blameless and holy in the sight of the Father, and he will deal with you as firmly as your hard heart demands, and as gently as your brokenness needs.
How can Peter demonstrate his love? How can you? By obedience to Jesus commands.
For Peter, those commands were “Feed my lambs… Shepherd my sheep… Feed my sheep.” Notice how Jesus refers to his people? We’re all his sheep under his overall care, our Good Shepherd. I know sometimes this might be referred to as “Darren Jones’s church” but it isn’t that and never can be!
Church leaders are to feed and shepherd Christ’s people: What a responsibility! They’re to feed you with the word of God, to shepherd your ways with truth, to protect you from wolves and thieves, to lead you into peaceful places. And a church leader’s shepherding is to be from a heart of love for Christ, not in duty to a role or to Christianity.
Notice that Peter wasn’t called to be a pastor, but to pastor. Leaders aren’t called to roles as such, but to service. And, obviously, Jesus is the supreme example of a servant leader in his care for you.
In v18-19, Jesus goes on to warn Peter that he will one day face crucifixion himself. Is that so that Peter can escape that? No.
Read John 21:18-19. Peter’s ultimate service for Jesus would be the obedience to Jesus’ commands based on Peter’s love for Jesus. It’s hard to follow Jesus to hard places if you have no love for him.
Are you ready to serve Jesus? No matter what dark places that may lead you to? Ask yourself this: Do you love him?
You can admire him, thank him, praise him, even worship him – and still not really love him. And not (if I can put it this way) ‘God in general’ but rather personally, as Father, Son, Spirit. Do you have deepening communion, love, intimacy with him? You won’t if you don’t spend time with him. Simple.
Are you ready to serve Jesus? Obedience to God flows out of love for him.
Why should you love him?
- “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
- If you don’t love Christ, could it be that you don’t know that he came to be punished for your every personal sin?
- Have you never turned from your sin, turned to him for forgiveness – and had all your every sin wiped away?
- If you haven’t, do it today! Live in Christ from this moment!
- And if you have, but feel your heart colder than it should be towards him, know that he still loves you and is ready to restore you: Go back to him, spend time with him. Then:
Will you serve him? (20-25)
Peter’s been told about his future: Service, with a grim end. So he sees his friend, John. Read John 21:21.
The reply Jesus gives is short but helpful for us all. Read John 21:22. Essentially, “I’ve told you what I require of you, so do that.”
We compare ourselves to others all the time, not least in our Christian lives and experience. But to some people Christ gives 10 talents, to some 5, and to others just 1. Don’t compare yourself against the talents Jesus has given others: Use the talents he has given you for his work.
The apostle Paul was being compared with other people more impressive than he was. Those other people looked down on Paul! His reply (2 Corinthians 10:13): “We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us.” If you could ask Jesus, “What about so-and-so?” the answer would be as it was to Peter: “What is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
We’re all to bear fruit as Christ works through us in the way he’s chosen. Will you step up to do all that he intends for you? Or are you going to leave everything to others? “So-and-so is much more able than me” – in other words, “They have 10 talents; I only have 1, so I won’t use it.”
Jesus delights in your service because you are a son or daughter of God – a brother or sister of Christ – and he will yield his fruit in the earth through you. Even you.
It’s frankly astonishing that Jesus should use any of us. We’re all weak, all limited, all failures. But he cherishes us.
The more you think about him, the more amazing it becomes…
Read John 21:24-25. Is that John being a bit over-the-top? Surely there’s a limit to what even Jesus achieved in 3½ years? But read John 1:1-3. This Jesus is God our Creator.
So let’s take v25 seriously for a moment, for our Creator.
- The Earth is part of our solar system, revolving around the Sun. Imagine one normal sized book describing everything Jesus did in Creation. Impossible, but imagine.
- The Sun is just one of the stars in the Milky Way (we’re in the suburbs of our Galaxy).
- There are (maybe) 400 billion other Suns / stars in the Milky Way, so let’s have one book for each.
- A single-story library for 400 billion books would take up all of Greater London (filling most of the M25).
- But the Milky Way isn’t the only Galaxy. There are 400 billion galaxies (it’s estimated).
- So to write down all that Jesus has done we need 400 billion libraries the size of Greater London.
- You’d need ~1 million planet Earths for all the books (and 420,000 lightyears of shelving!).
- Read John 21:25.
The verse is literally true in ways beyond understanding.
And it is that Jesus who is not ashamed to call you his brother or sister. It’s that Jesus who died for you, cares for you, walks with you, prays for you, delights in you, forgives you, restores you. You have union with him, in all his spectacular glory!
Are you ready to serve Jesus? Imagine the absolute folly of refusing him.
Is he your strength? Do you love him? Will you serve him?