John 21:7 "That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!'..."

"That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off" (John 21:7).

Question:

In John 21 it seems that the disciples are beginning to "get it" and arrive at the moment of apostleship. The charcoal fire of Peter's denial of the Christ is now the charcoal fire of a welcoming breakfast. When they realize it is the Christ standing on the shore preparing their breakfast, Peter puts on his cloak and once again jumps out of the boat into the water to go to Jesus, as if he intended to walk upon the water. Why else put on his cloak? But, he sinks. What is the deeper message here?

Comment:

Where is it written that he sinks? I don't see that stated anywhere in this passage. You are referencing back to the story told in Matthew (14:30) of Jesus walking on the water and calling Peter to walk on the water to him, and the comparison is a good one. And the most important point in that story—which almost always gets overlooked—is that Peter does, in fact, walk on the water. "So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came to Jesus." Yes, he lets fear thoughts distract him from his focus on the Christ, and he sinks. But for a measurable moment of time he walked on the water! I like to think perhaps he had been practicing a lot between that moment and this, some three years later. And maybe this time he walks and makes it—it's only “about a hundred yards,” after all. As for his nakedness, men at that time removed their outer garments while at work. They weren't literally and completely “naked,” but according to the standards of the time they were certainly considered so, and they were not presentable in front of others. So he puts on his cloak out of modesty and propriety.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed