It seems like everything that’sworthwhile in life is this way. You sign on when you hear a glowing report.Then you face reality when you face some unexpected challenges. But if you workthrough the challenges and stay the course, you find out that the end is farbetter than the glowing report you heard at the beginning.

It seems like everything that’s worthwhile in life is this way.

The Marine Corps is this way. Arecruiter gives you the spiel and makes you feel important. Then you arrive atbootcamp and a drill instructor makes you feel like a nobody. But four yearslater (or more), you receive an honorable discharge, the pride of having servedyour country, and the opportunity to get a college degree of your choice.

College is this way. Your academicadviser or school recruiter shows you colorful pamphlets, you watch promovideos online, and family and friends give glowing reports of the schools theyadmire, so you apply. Then you arrive at school and discover the day-to-daygrind of classes, homework, projects, tests, and whatever work you must do topay your bills. But four years later (or more), the band plays Pomp andCircumstance as you receive your diploma.

Marriage is this way. You meet the husband or wife of your dreams and exchange your vows “for better or for worse.” But after the honeymoon, you discover that you married another imperfect sinner like yourself, with bad habits, idiosyncrasies, and more. But many years later, after many decisions to love and respect, to apologize and forgive, to communicate and cherish, you look back over decades of challenge and enjoy the satisfaction of experiencing true love (with maybe some children and grandchildren, too).

At the beginning of John’s gospel,Jesus said, “Follow me” (John 1:43). Twelve men heard these words and followed him.It was exciting at first to hear Jesus teach and to see him perform miracles.But then he began to talk about his plans to die on the cross, and the Jewishleaders began to oppose him. Things got so bad (or so it seemed), that one ofthe twelve deserted Jesus altogether and betrayed him to die.

As Jesus endured the unjust trialsthe night before his crucifixion, all the disciples but two had slipped intohiding. John (who wrote this gospel) and Peter were the only two who remainedby Jesus that night (John 18:15-16).

Of the two, Peter had been the mostvocal in his commitment to follow Jesus. When Jesus had washed their feet, “Peter said to Him, ‘You shallnever wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have nopart with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, notmy feet only, but also my hands and my head!’” (John 13:9). Can you hear thecourage and determination in his voice?

That same night, Jesus and Peter hada very important conversation. “Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, where are Yougoing?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but youshall follow Me afterward.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow Younow? I will lay down my life for Your sake.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Will you laydown your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall notcrow till you have denied Me three times’” (John 13:36-38). Peter wanted to followJesus to the end, even if it meant dying for him. But Jesus knew Peter betterthan he knew himself and he knew that he would fail to do what he promised.

Peter tried to make things work out,to prove his loyalty. When the officers and soldiers came to arrest Jesus,Peter defended him with a sword (John 18:10). Yet later that same night, Peterwould do as Jesus predicted. By a charcoal fire in the darkness of night, inhearing distance of Jesus’s trial, Peter denied his allegiance to Jesus threetimes. First, he denied the Lord to a young girl (John 18:17-18). Then hedenied him twice more to some men standing around the charcoal fire (John18:24-27). Then just as Jesus predicted, a rooster crowed nearby (John 18:27).

This disappointing story reminds us of our own decisions to follow Jesus today. We believe on Jesus as our God and Savior and receive eternal life from him. Then we step forward for baptism and resolve to follow him all the days of our lives. We even make some big decisions to do something for him after a convicting sermon here and there. But sooner or later reality sets in and we discover that the strength of our resolve is no match for the challenges that come with following Jesus.

Like Peter, we make big commitmentsfor God that eventually end in failure. Like the disciples at the end of John’sgospel, that’s when we slip away. We lift our foot off the gas pedal and pushon the brakes. We slow down or walk away from Jesus for a while, not because wedoubt the Lord, but because we doubt ourselves. We doubt our ability to follow himthe way that he desires. We don’t want to let him down again.

When Jesus appeared to the discipleson the shore, after he had risen from the dead, he taught them two veryimportant lessons. These lessons would prepare them to follow him in thefuture, after he returned to heaven. First, he taught them that when theyfollow him as Lord, he will meet their daily needs by providing through andpresiding over their work (John 21:1-14). Second, he taught them that despitetheir failure, he would still use them in significant ways. The Lord lifts faithful followers fromthe ashes of past failure.

The Lord lifts faithful followers from the ashes of past failure.

Whenwe first believe on Christ, we easily slip into self-confidence, believing thatwe are ready to go, prepared for anything, charging full speed ahead to followJesus. Then failure comes our way. Failure comes to everyone who follows Jesus.The grip of fear, the pull of temptation, and the shackles of doubt prevent youfrom following Jesus as you should.

But whenyou fail – as many of us have done – you must respond in the right way. Don’tlet your failure persuade you to stop following Jesus. Instead, let Jesus teachyou the truth about yourself.

When you fail – as many of us have done – you must respond in the right way.

Ifyou learn from your failures, you will discover the joy of being restored toservice. What’s more, your failure will prepare you to serve God anew with amore mature and Christlike perspective. You will move on from grandiose,self-confident commitments and embrace realistic, God-dependent goals instead. That’swhat happened for Peter, and that can happen for you as well. Today, let’sconsider four ways that Jesus changes us through past failure and equips us forfuture success in the Christian life.

Following Jesus requires love before courage.

Whenyou study the life of Peter in the four gospels, you see a man who wasoverflowing with confidence. When Jesus called Peter to follow him the firsttime, he immediately left his boat and nets behind to follow him (Matt4:18-20). When he saw Jesus walking on water, he said, “Lord, if it is You,command me to come to You on the water,” and he walked on water (Matthew14:28). He impulsively tried to kill the servant of the high priest in theGarden of Gethsemane (John 18:10). Yet despite these courageous actions, Peterwas not truly prepared to follow Jesus.

Courageis an important quality to have. That’s why God told Joshua, “Be strong and ofgood courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed” (Josh 1:9). But followingJesus requires more than courage. It requires another quality that God needs towork into our lives from the inside out. This quality is love.

Following Jesus requires more than courage. It requires love.

As Jesussat by the charcoal fire with Peter that morning (or perhaps as he walked alongthe shore after breakfast), he asked him a very important question. Now by theway, the charcoal fire in John 21:9 is the same word as the charcoal fire inJohn 18:18. These are the only two places where this word appears in John’sgospel and it serves and important purpose. The first time, it marks the timethat Peter denied the Lord three times. The second time, it marks the time thatJesus asked Peter an important question three times.

Justas Peter had failed, Jesus intended to restore him to full allegiance andservice. To do this, he asked Peter a probing question. “Do you love me?” Inreply, Peter said, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you” (John 21:15). Jesusasked him the same question again, “Do you love me?” and again Peter answeredhim, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love You” (John 21:16).

Then,just as Peter had denied the Lord three times, Jesus asked Peter the samequestion a third time, this time with a little more emphasis (just as Peter hadcursed in his denial with a little more emphasis), “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Tothis third question, Peter answered with the feelings of pain and the emotionof sorrow, saying, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You” (John21:17).

Peter’sthird answer showed a different sort of response than he would have given inthe past. In the past, he would have spoken boldly and courageously, “Yes,Lord, I love you with all of my heart! Here’s what I can do for you!” just as agroom might pronounce his love for his bride on their wedding day. But thistime he does not appeal to himself at all. He appeals to the complete knowledgeof Jesus in a sober, self-reflective way, as a husband might say to his wifeafter years of marriage together.

WhenPeter had confidently declared his loyalty to Christ in John 13:36-38, Jesusdid not accept his commitment. He predicted his failure instead. But here inJohn 21:15-23, Jesus made no such predictions. He accepted his loving loyaltyand predicted that his faithful service would last until the end of his life(John 21:18-19).

Doyou love Jesus? Do you really love him? If you say yes, are you saying it withthe self-confident courage of Peter before the cross? Or are you saying it withthe self-reflective, realistic perspective of Peter after he had failed?

Following Jesus requires service before leadership.

InMatthew 16:19, Jesus had promised to give Peter the “keys to the kingdom.” Thismeant that God would use him to lead the way in opening the doors of the gospelto the Jews, the Samaritans (half-Jews), and the Gentiles (non-Jews). Throughthe ministry of Peter, God would extend the good news of the victory of Jesusand the coming kingdom of God to the whole world.

However,before Peter could carry out this leadership responsibility, he needed to learna very important lesson. We find this lesson in the way that Jesus answeredPeter three times here in the conversation by the seaside. Every time Petersaid “I love you” to Jesus, Jesus accepted his answer. We know this becauseevery time he gave him an assignment. “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15). “Tend mysheep” (John 21:16). “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17).

Jesusassigned to Peter the responsibility of serving future believers like ashepherd cares for sheep. He would do this by finding them in the world,teaching them the Word of God, praying for them, and patiently preparing themfor service, just a Jesus had done with him.

Jesus assigned to Peter the responsibility of serving future believers like a shepherd cares for sheep.

But here’s an important detail to observe. Each time Jesus mentioned the assignment, he used similar words, but rearranging them in different ways. To understand the significance of what Jesus is saying, look at the way these sentences appear in Greek.

• βοσκε τα αρνια μου (v. 15)
• ποιμαινε τα προβατα μου (v. 16)
• βοσκε τα προβατα μου (v. 17)

Thefirst thing you notice is how he mixes and matches the words feed and tendand the words lamps and sheep. But the second thing you notice isthe word that appears at the end all three times. The word μου (mou) means “of me” or “my,” andthis seems to be the emphasis every time.

Jesusdid not say “feed your lambs” or “tend your sheep.” He said,“feed my lambs,” and, “tend my sheep.” He does not call us totake charge of our own people. He calls us to take care of his own people forhim, the people he gave his life to save.

He does not call us to take charge of our own people. He calls us to take care of his own people for him.

Comparethis with what Jesus taught in John 10:27. “My sheep hear My voice, andI know them, and they follow Me.” When you look for new believers in theworld and you serve one another as believers in the church, it is importantthat you lead them with the words of God to follow the will of God. No pastorcan rightly say “my church” of the congregation he pastors. No believer canrightly say “my convert” or “my disciple” of the person he or she is teachingto obey the Lord. Every believer is a sheep who belongs to Jesus.

Servingpeople this way requires humility rather than pride. It requires the humilityof Christ in us instead of the confidence that exudes from a corporate CEO orthe swagger that exudes from the star receiver of an NFL football team. Ittakes failure to teach this humility sometimes.

It takes failure to teach humility sometimes.

InJohn 13, Peter had refused to wash the feet of the other disciples and ofJesus, which resulted in Jesus washing their feet instead. The kind ofChristian service that Jesus requires is the kind that leads his way, accordingto his way, following his word and not our own.

Areyou looking for ways to “be in charge?” Are you confused by the popular viewsof corporate CEO-type leadership models and building a personal following toyour ideas and agenda? Or are you committed to finding sheep and serving sheepfor Jesus? Are you committed to helping them hear his voice by learning whathis words say more clearly?

Following Jesus requires devotion before comparison.

Biblestudents debate the intended meaning of “more than these” (John 21:15). Somesuggest a reference to the other disciples, as though Jesus is asking Peter ifhe loves him more than he loves his fellow disciples. Others suggest that he isasking Peter whether he loves him more than he loves fishing, fish, and hisfishing equipment.

Thebest answer, though, seems to be a third option. By “more than these,” Jesus isprobably asking Peter whether he loves him more than the other disciples lovehim. As you know, Peter asserted his determination to follow Jesus even to thepoint of death, as though other disciples were not as determined. “Simon Petersaid to Him, ‘Lord, where are You going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am goingyou cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.’ Peter said toHim, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake’”(John 13:36-37).

Anotherexample of this feeling of superiority in comparison to the other disciplesappears in Matthew’s gospel. “Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all aremade to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble’” (Matt 26:33).Oh really? Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. “Jesus said to him,‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you willdeny Me three times’” (Matt 26:34). But Peter was so confident that he “said toHim, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’” (Matt 26:35).Ironically, all the other disciples said the same thing.

LikePeter, we also fail at following Jesus when we gauge (or measure) our loyaltyto Jesus by comparing ourselves to other believers we know. Whether we want toadmit it or not, we do this a lot in our hearts, whether we have the courage tospeak our thoughts out loud or not. We encourage ourselves by finding otherbelievers who are also following Jesus and by feeling as though we are moreserious than them about following Jesus. This is a subtle and dangerous trapthat will lead you to spiritual failure.

We fail at following Jesus when we gauge (or measure) our loyalty to him by comparing ourselves to other believers we know.

Perhapsyou are a longtime believer and member of your church. Does that make you abetter follower of Jesus than a new believer or a new member of the church? Iknow you’ll answer “no.” But do you feel that way for real?

Perhapsyou give more money. Perhaps you show up on time when others are late. Perhapsyou attend more church services and events. Perhaps you serve in more ways andin ways that are more sacrificial. Do you quietly, subtly feel superior toother believers for any of these reasons?

Perhapsyou are a second or third generation Christian or you have benefitted from someform of Christian education as a child or teenager. Do any of these experiencesmake you a better follower of Jesus than those who have no Christianbackground?

Peterknew what Jesus was asking him. That’s why he answered, “Yes, Lord; you knowthat I love You” (John 21:15). Notice that his answer simply affirmed his lovefor Jesus, but he didn’t add “more than these.” He no longer envisioned himselfas superior in his commitment over other disciples. That’s why his third answerappealed to the intimate knowledge of Jesus about the true condition of hisheart. “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You” (John 21:17). Hemade no fanciful claims. No bold commitments. No pompous comparisons with otherdisciples.

LikePeter, Paul also learned this mindset. Though he regularly faced the temptationto compare his ministry to the ministries of other men, he said this: “For wedare not class[ify] ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commendthemselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparingthemselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor 10:12).

Haveyou reached this place in your life? I know that you know that you’re nobetter than any other disciple. But do you believe this fact so firmlyand completely that you actually view your life, your Christian service, andyour place in your church this way – for real?

Throughhis threefold denial of Christ, Peter discovered the truth about himself. Hewas not so much better than the others had he had believed. But through thethreefold question from Jesus, he affirmed the straightforward, realistic natureof his love. It was real, but it was not better or more real than anotherdisciple’s love – and this kind of love is all that Jesus requires. Honest,humble, realistic, self-reflective love.

Following Jesus may require severe suffering.

Noticethat in all three instances, Jesus accepted Peter’s affirmation of love forhim. It didn’t take three questions for Peter to prove his love to Jesus. Eachtime that Peter affirmed his love, Jesus accepted his words by giving anassignment.

Butat the end of these three questions, Jesus gave some extra-special yetextra-sobering words of affirmation and acceptance. He said, “Most assuredly, Isay to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where youwished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another willgird you and carry you where you do not wish” (John 21:18).

Thiswas not a reference to the day when Peter would become feeble and handicappedby old age, as some might suppose. John tells us what Jesus meant. “This Hespoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spokenthis, He said to him, ‘Follow Me’” (John 21:19).

Historicalrecords and tradition indicate that Peter eventually died by crucifixion, justas Christ had done. In this way, he literally “followed” Jesus all the way tothe cross. The very thing he feared most became his destiny. Some traditionsclaim that Peter requested to be crucified upside down out of respect forChrist, who was crucified right side up; but this tradition is far fromcertain. We do know, however, that he was crucified.

Considerthis – following this touching conversation of restoration between Peter andChrist on the shores of Galilee, Peter would go on to serve him (to “feed hissheep”) for three decades (thirty years) with the shadow of his futurecrucifixion hanging over him!

Peter would go on to serve Jesus for thirty years with the shadow of his future crucifixion hanging over him.

Rememberwhen Peter “said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’”(Matt 26:35)? Well now it was true, kind of. Peter would deny the Lord.He had been wrong about that, but he had not been wrong about the other thinghe said. He would die for the Lord, exactly the way that Jesus died. Sohere on the shores of Galilee, Peter picked up his cross and followed Jesuswith the love, humility, and devotion of a true follower of Jesus Christ. Areyou prepared to do the same?

Ironically,Peter asked the Lord a question here. He asked whether John would face asimilar end (John 21:20-21). Would he too die on a cross for following Christ?Jesus answered this question by reminding Peter that whether John would sufferin the same way or to the same degree was entirely irrelevant (John 21:22).

Notevery believer will suffer to this degree or in this way as Peter, but thatmakes them no better or no worse than another. We do not measure our spiritualsuccess by how much we suffer. We simply accept the fact that we may suffer alot, or we may suffer a little. Every believer suffers. “Yes, and all whodesire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution,” Paul says (2 Tim3:12). But not every believer suffers to the same degree.

Every believer suffers, but not every believer suffers to the same degree.

Areyou prepared to suffer for Jesus regardless of whether other believers sufferas you do? Are you ready to take up your cross and follow Jesus today?

LikePeter, where are you at on the spectrum of growth as a follower of Jesus?

• Have you believed on Jesus as your God andSavior?
• Are you self-confident, eager to be in charge,comparing yourself to others?
• Have you been transformed, humbled, andrestored to genuine, realistic love after failure of some kind?

Whereveryou are, I encourage you to take the next step. Hear the words of theresurrected Jesus saying, “Follow me” and “feed my sheep.” What is the next stepfor you in your journey of faith with Jesus?