At the end of John 20, the gospel seems to be drawing to a close. Jesus’ tomb was empty. The risen Christ had already appeared to Mary Magdalene and twice to the group of disciples, once without Thomas and once with him. The last verse of the chapter says, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31). These words make a fitting conclusion to John’s account.

But Wait, There’s More!

In the same vein as this popular catch phrase, there’s more to John’s gospel. After the concluding words of John 20, there’s a whole chapter more!

In John 21, Jesus again appears to the disciples. This time, he builds a fire on the beach, grills some fish and bread, and invites them to breakfast. He has a private conversation with Peter—the disciple who had earlier denied knowing Jesus. After Jesus’ arrest, and while he was being questioned by the high priest, Peter had stood warming himself around the fire in the high priest’s courtyard. Three times he was asked about Jesus, and three times Peter denied knowing him (John 18:15–27).

Then in John 21, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Filled with remorse, Peter assures Jesus three times: “yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (v. 15), “yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (v.16), “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you” (v. 17).

More Grace

In the Greek text, both the fire in the high priest’s courtyard and the fire that Jesus builds on the beach are described as anthrakia, literally “a heap of burning coals.” While the word “fire” appears many times in English translations of the New Testament, the underlying Greek word is not the same in each case. In all of the New Testament, anthrakia appears only twice, tying together the courtyard scene of Peter’s denial and the beach scene of his recommitment.

Many scholars understand John 21 as an epilogue to the rest of the gospel, a commentary on the gospel as a whole, perhaps added by a later author. The chapter begins with “Afterward” (v. 1), and that’s the word that caught my attention as I read the passage in my practice of lectio divina last week. It’s a word that connects the chapter with all that’s come before it, a word to smooth the transition from the gospel to the epilogue. But why would God direct my attention there?

More Afterward

That’s when I realized that Afterward wasn’t just to move readers from one chapter to the next. While Peter had denied Jesus three times, the epilogue and the Afterward tell us, but wait, there’s more! Afterward, Peter went on to reaffirm his love and loyalty for Jesus three times. Afterward, Jesus forgave him three times, and trusted Peter three times: “Feed my lambs” (v. 15), “Take care of my sheep” (v. 16), “Feed my sheep” (v. 17). Peter was more than his moments of weakness, more than his fear and denial. His story did not end there. Afterward, Jesus made sure that Peter knew that.

I’m glad that John’s gospel doesn’t end with chapter 20, for in chapter 21, we see that Peter had an afterward! I’m glad that my attention was drawn there. For us, too, whatever our past has been, whatever we have done or not done—wait, there’s more! By the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, there is an afterward for us too. While we have life and breath, our stories on this earth are not yet done. Wait, there’s more!