John: Grace Covered Cracks

John 21:15-25

From the moment John dipped his reed pen into ink and wrote the first word of his Gospel, he had this purpose in mind.

John 20:30-31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John carefully and purposefully chose certain episodes from Jesus’ life to help his readers see and believe that Jesus is God’s Son—the Anointed One, the Christ. When we believe in Jesus as the One sent from God, we have “life in his name.” Because of the Person of Jesus (fully God and fully man) and the Work of Jesus (his death, burial, and resurrection), we can have life—abundant life now (John 10:10) and life with him forever.

As John closes his book, he doubles down on his first-hand eyewitness account and the selectivity of what he included in his Gospel.

John 21:24-25
This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. 

John’s final comment is an obvious hyperbole, much like the way Solomon ends Ecclesiastes (see Eccl. 12:9–12). Here, the NET Bible makes a profound point. 

The statement in v. 25 serves as a final reminder that knowledge of Jesus, no matter how well-attested it may be, is still partial. Everything that Jesus did during his three and one-half years of earthly ministry is not known. This supports the major theme of the Fourth Gospel: Jesus is repeatedly identified as God, and although he may be truly known on the basis of his self-disclosure, he can never be known exhaustively. There is far more to know about Jesus than could ever be written down, or even known. On this appropriate note the Gospel of John ends.[1]

While John’s Gospel ends, our story with Jesus continues. One thing we will never fully know about Jesus is the extent of his love and grace.

There is nothing random about John concluding his Gospel with the restoration story of Peter. The outspoken disciple had been adamant about his love for Jesus—and that he would die with him if necessary, even if all the other disciples turned and ran.

But then, by that charcoal fire in the palace courtyard, the denials came. Peter spoke the final denial just as Jesus was being led through the courtyard to Caiaphas. Luke says,

Luke 22:61-62
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly. 

Can you imagine Peter’s emotion and regret? Unfortunately, we all can. We’ve all stood with Peter in that courtyard—denying the Lord through fear, doubt, and disobedience.

But with Jesus, there is always forgiveness and restoration.

John moves Peter—and us—from the charcoal fire in the courtyard to the charcoal fire on the shore. Jesus looked into Peter’s eyes again, this time with grace and forgiveness. Certainly, this meeting is critical in church history, as Peter would go on to lead the charge (see the Book of Acts).

And I believe there are two important lessons:

• All of us are imperfect and in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.
• God continues to use us—even with our imperfections and past failures.

The Japanese have a technique for repairing broken pottery. It’s called Kintsugi. Ever heard of it? The process is fascinating.

Fragments of broken pottery are carefully saved, cleaned, and glued back together. Where pieces are missing, clay is used to recreate the shape. Then, powdered gold (or silver) is applied over all the cracks, creating a distinct gold-vein pattern.

Rather than hiding the flaws, Kintsugi highlights them—making the imperfections a part of the object’s history and beauty.

That’s what Jesus does for us. He takes our history of sin and failure and, by his grace, allows us to bring honor and glory to him.

Wherever you’ve been, whatever you’ve done, Jesus meets you where you are—to forgive, restore, and cover your cracks with his grace.

What a Savior!

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on John 22:15. Reflect on God’s great grace.

Talking to God: Address your failure and sin. Ask God to meet you and restore you. 

Have Questions?
Be sure to send your questions to our team. We are happy to assist you as we study God's Word together. Please submit your question below, and we'll reply shortly. Let us know if you’d like to learn more about a relationship with Jesus or if you desire spiritual counsel. 

Know Jesus more intimately.
Love Jesus more passionately.
Follow Jesus wholeheartedly.