I. In the touching incident related in this chapter, the first thing which strikes us is the grace of the Lord Jesus. Penitent as Peter was, it was needful to set him right with his brother apostles, whom he had first of all wronged by his forwardness, and next scandalised by his fall; and how admirably this is accomplished by the question: "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these?" a question to which Peter replied so humbly, as to show that he claimed no pre-eminence even in affection; but so earnestly, that fellow-servants could not refuse the avowal which sufficed for the Master. So, in correcting any fault, in pointing it out, in trying to cure it, nay, in forgiving it, there is need for holy skill and tenderness.
II. A second lesson is the Saviour's wisdom in the selection of His agency. In that same apostolic band there was another to whom we might have expected that the Lord would have said, rather than to Peter, "Feed My lambs, feed My sheep." Yet, although John is the disciple whom the brethren love and whom the Saviour loved, in the work of planting the Church, and first preaching the Gospel, he was not put forward like that other who made so many false steps, and who had been repeatedly rebuked for his rashness.
III. When their Master's need was at the sorest, none of the disciples acted out and out the part of the noblest and most self-devoting friendship; but there were two whose fall is most conspicious, the one having betrayed Him, the other having, with oaths and execrations, repudiated all connection with Him. Both fell, but the one fell to rise no more; the other was not only recovered, but fully reinstated in the confidence of his brethren and in the favour of his Lord. What made the difference? It arose from this: there never was a time when Judas really loved his Master; Peter did. The mere professor of religion may fall and never be recovered. But if you can answer to the demand of Christ, "Yea Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee," His longsuffering mercy will not only pardon, but cure you; your diseases will be healed, your soul will be restored in the paths of righteousness, and you will be upheld by the Lord whom you follow.
J. Hamilton, Works,vol. i., p. 241.
References: John 21:1. J. Vaughan, Sermons,13th series, p. 149. John 21:1; John 21:2. C. Stanford, From Calvary to Olivet,p. 235.