Peter’s Threefold Affirmation of Christ

In the church of St. Peter Gallicantu in Jerusalem, there is an icon to the right of the altar that depicts a scene from the Gospel of John. Following the Resurrection, Jesus tells the disciples to meet him in Galilee. Peter goes up to Galilee with the others and starts fishing again. “Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus” (Jn 21:4). Remember the theme of waiting on God more than the watchman waits for dawn from Psalm 130 and Isaiah. Here we have Jesus appearing to the disciples at dawn.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any fish?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish” (Jn 21:5–6). There is no fish on one side of the boat, yet on the other side there are so many fish that they can’t even haul in the net. “That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea” (Jn 21:7). Peter had been in the water working the nets and so had removed his clothes to avoid getting them wet. Now he puts his clothes back on and immediately jumps into the water. “But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread” (Jn 21:8–9). We only find a charcoal fire mentioned twice in the gospels. We first encountered one in John 18:18, when Peter denied Jesus three times, and here we see it again. We’ll see there is a close relationship between these two occurrences. 

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (Jn 21:15–17)

Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him a third time whether he loved him. Why is this third time important, and why was Peter grieved? It’s because he suddenly understood the significance of Jesus’s third question. The last time that he was at a charcoal fire, Peter had denied Christ three times. Now, Christ asks him three times if he loves him. Jesus isn’t rubbing it in; rather, Jesus is giving him a chance to affirm his love—to undo his threefold denial. This is beautifully illustrated in the icon at St. Peter Gallicantu. The icon on the right, which depicts Peter’s threefold affirmation of love, brings to completion the icon on the left, which depicts Peter’s threefold denial. The center icon, Peter’s repentance as he weeps in the cave, makes possible his threefold affirmation. [Editor’s note: For Tim Gray’s discussion of these other two icons, see his discussion of them here.]

Again, it’s interesting to look at Peter’s hands. Whereas before, his hands were gesturing his threefold denial of Christ, now his hands are held out towards the Lord to receive the shepherd’s staff (“Feed my lambs,” “tend my sheep”). Peter accepts this mission to be the Church’s shepherd. As Jesus taught early in the Gospel of John, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. It’s not just about power and authority; it means responsibility and self-sacrificial love. By giving him the shepherd’s staff, the icon indicates that Peter’s denial did not negate his role in Jesus’s mission and plan. This is a beautiful way to bring the story together. It highlights the prominence of Peter and his witness to Jesus’s love, mercy, and forgiveness. We’ll see this theme of mercy and forgiveness continue in the Acts of the Apostles.