Luke 24:34 , saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
John 21:15 , So 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, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 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 all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.
In Luke 24 we have the two men whom Jesus met with on the road to Emmaus. After he revealed himself to them during breakfast he vanished from their sight. They immediately went back to Jerusalem to tell the apostles, who were hidden away, that Jesus was actually risen from the dead. When they began to give the report to the disciples they mentioned that Jesus had appeared to Peter, who was also called Simon. There’s nowhere in Scripture other than the report of these two men that Jesus, risen from the dead, appeared to Peter personally. Peter was obviously not in the room with the other disciples, maybe because in light of his failure, he was still too ashamed to be with them. Regardless of the reason that he wasn’t with them, somewhere alone, Jesus appeared to him. How do you think that encounter, and probable conversation, went between Peter and Jesus? If you hd been Peter what would you have wanted to talk about? I can’t prove this because there is no record of the conversation, but being human myself I believe that Peter’s first words to Jesus were words of sorrow and shame, in light of his denying Christ three times. Can you imagine the depth of apology and confession that flowed out of Peter’s heart; and can you imagine the depths of mercy and love, acceptance, and triumph that flowed from the heart of Jesus.
It is interesting to me that in the John 21 passage, Peters failure was never mentioned. All Jesus talked about to Peter was Peter’s future; not his past. He reminded Peter that their relationship was based on Jesus’s perfect love, not Peter’s, and He again and again Jesus called Peter to shepherding others. He reaffirmed Peter’s call to follow Him, and even told Peter that one day his death would bring glory to God.
Why didn’t Peter’s failure come up at all in this conversation. I believe that it was because when Jesus revealed himself to Peter on the first day of the resurrection, it was the last time they talked about Peter’s sin. It was never to be mentioned again. When we fail and we encounter him at the throne of grace and mercy, confronting our sin, and confessing our failure, it’s to never be talked about again. From that point all Jesus wants to talk about is our future. You see, Jesus knows that there is no future in our past, and there is no past and our future.