John 21:15-19
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.
Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
In last week’s portion of scripture (John 21:1-14), we studied the love of Jesus and how it was expressed in deed and word to the seven disciples who went fishing. We saw this by what Jesus said and did on the shore of the lake that morning by going to the precise location on the lake where the disciples were fishing, also, by Jesus providing them with the miraculous catch of 153 large fish. Then finally, by inviting the disciples to have breakfast that he had prepared for them and serving them. All these were an act of Jesus’ love that each one of the disciples needed to experience at that particular moment in their life. We saw that this is no different with us because there are those moments in our relationship with Jesus when he comes to us and ministers to us by His words and actions at the precise time and location where we are at emotionally and physically.
In this next portion of scripture John 21:15-19, we see the love of Jesus focused specifically on Peter. Some Bible commentators suggest that on this occasion Jesus was reinstating or reestablishing Peter because he had denied Jesus three times as seen in, Luke 22:34, “Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” This could possibly be correct; however, we need to be careful when reading our Bibles and as in this particular account, not to assume or to inject meaning to the scripture that is not expressed by the writer.
As John states in John 21:14, “This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.” The forgiveness and or reinstating of Peter could have possibly happened in any of those two previous encounters.
As was stated in last week’s study, “One of the challenges that we confront when reading the Bible is, personal application, “how do I apply what I am reading to my life personally?”. Also, in keeping the context of what we studied in last week’s portion of scripture (John 21:1-14), we should always ask ourselves this question, what can I learn about the love of Jesus for me and my love for Him?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
When Jesus found us and called us to follow Him, many of us had our dreams of what we were going to do with our lives. We had our plans of how we were going to do it. Or it is possible that some of us might have already started on the road beginning to realize our dreams when we chose to follow Jesus which caused to completely change the course we were on.
This was no different with Peter when Jesus came to him, Peter was fishing when Jesus told Him the following. Matthew 4:18-20, “18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.”.
What did Jesus see in Peter that He knew Peter had in him that would one day make him a man of God He needed to be to lead Jesus’ church? What is it in us that Jesus sees and knows about us as a “new creation” in Him that we can potentially be someone who can be used for His purposes?
Jesus knew what kind of man Peter was, all his strong and favorable, weak and less desirable characteristics. However, Jesus knew who Peter would be as he was formed and changed by Jesus’ influence in his life and God’s word. Who is Jesus forming us to be in Him, to do what He has created us to do where He has called us to do it? “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10. “Good works are the result, not the cause, of salvation.” However, it is “God’s Spirit, working through a transformed heart, produces a good life.”
Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary, has a good explanation why did Jesus choose men like Peter who in some ways were not much different than many of us. “Now we can understand why Jesus had so many fishermen in the disciple band. Fishermen know how to work. They have courage and faith to go out “into the deep.” They have much patience and persistence, and they will not quit. They know how to cooperate with one another, and they are skilled in using the equipment and the boat. What examples for us to follow as we seek to “catch fish” for Jesus Christ!
In verses fifteen to seventeen we see the three times Jesus asks Peter three questions, ver. 15 “do you truly love me more than these?”; ver. 16, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”; ver. 17, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”. Peter confessed his love for Jesus by answering Jesus’ three questions, ver. 15, “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”; ver. 16, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”; ver. 17, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”. Jesus’ three questions and Peter’s answer gives us a clearer understanding of Jesus’ motives in His very personal and necessary conversation with the commissioning of Peter. Jesus knew because of His omniscience if Peter really loved Him or not. John does not tell us what the motive was of Jesus asking Peter the three repetitive questions. What is clear is what Jesus says in response to Peter’s answers, He commissions Peter for the ministry that He was calling him to do. “Feed my lambs.” “Take care of my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.”. What Jesus was commissioning Peter to do was the responsibility of the pastor pastoral care of sheep, His Church. As the Bible teaches us, Peter would spend the rest of his life shepherding the sheep and lambs of Jesus’ flock.
When Jesus first came to Peter, He was calling a fisherman to follow Him to be a fisher of men. Now Jesus is adding to Peter’s calling and responsibility for him to be a shepherd of Jesus’ sheep-the church. The responsibility of a shepherd is not only to lead sheep, but Jesus makes it clear that Peter’s newly added calling and responsibility as a shepherd is to feed and care for His flock. However, this can only be done faithfully and successfully if he loved Jesus. The feeding and care for Jesus’ lambs and sheep is based on the love for Jesus. “The most important thing the pastor can do is to love Jesus Christ. If he truly loves Jesus Christ the pastor will also love His sheep and tenderly care for them.” “A pastor who loves the flock will, serve it faithfully, no matter what the cost.” – Wiersbe
How does Jesus’ three comments to Peter apply to every Christian today? One of the most important ways, we demonstrate our love for Christ is by the way we love everyone of His flock, young and old. This not only Christ’s commandment but our responsibility and a great privilege. John 15:12-14, 12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
1 John 4:11-12, 11 “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
Peter did not know what difficult challenges and dangers he would be confronting by following and obeying Jesus’ command. However, Jesus did know that if Perter did not truly love Him he would not be willing to be formed into the man of God whom he need to be, to do what Jesus called him to do wherever Jesus would lead him. When we make the commitment to follow Jesus, it should never be on our terms. It should always be when, how and where Jesus wants for us. When we submit our lives to Jesus, it should always because of our unconditional love for Him.
The last words that Jesus tells Peter is in verse nineteen, He tells him, “Follow me!”. Following Jesus involves our faith or trust in Him expressed in our commitment to be who God created us to be in Him, in order to do what He has called us to do. Our love for Jesus is expressed through our sacrifice especially during challenging and difficult times. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus tells us what the cost of following Him will be. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
If we are going to follow Jesus, are we willing to give up our dreams, our plans, and our comfort for His purposes? Do we love Jesus so much that we are willing to take up our crosses and follow Him?
Pastor John
