John 21:15
“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’.”
There’s probably years’ worth of teachings in what transpires between Jesus and Peter in this latter part of this chapter of John. Theologians have taught, pastors have preached, and in some cases people have debated, but clearly the movement of this chapter has been toward Jesus’ restoration of Peter.
Much can be made of Jesus asking Peter three times if he loved him; which would correspond to Peter’s three denials of Jesus; equally as much can be made of Jesus’ admonition to Peter to care for his sheep. And for all intents and purposes Jesus could be saying these same things to the other disciples; all except for maybe John, because all had abandoned Jesus at his arrest. Peter was unique in that his denials of Jesus sprang from his proud and braggadocios claim that he would never deny Jesus.
In the three instances in which Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, the exchange from Peter is that he loves him with brotherly love, while Jesus is driving toward agape love—sacrificial love; the love the Father has for the Son.
But it is Jesus’ first question that plants itself in my mind and is absolutely relative to my life today, in regards to my relationship with Jesus. Jesus’ first question is “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” I notice the question isn’t “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” There is deep significance to what Jesus says when he includes the phrase “more than these.”
One has to ask the question “what are THESE?” What are the THESE that Jesus is referring to? I think it’s fairly clear what the THESE are; it’s the fish that Peter had just caught.
Jesus is asking Peter “do you love me more than these fish.” Clearly Peter and the disciples were fishing when Jesus steps onto the beach and calls out to them. Up to that point they hadn’t caught any fish. Jesus tells them to let their nets out on the right side of the boat, and when they do they have a huge catch, so much so that it probably should have ripped the nets.
Jesus already had breakfast cooking on his little beach Hibachi; fresh fish and bread were waiting for Peter and the disciples. But Jesus does something really interesting; he tells Peter and the disciples to bring some of the fish they’d just caught. There really wasn’t a need for the fish; Jesus already had fish prepared for them. Immediately, Peter springs into action (just as he had been the first to say he would never deny Jesus) and hauls the entire net of 153 fish onto the beach where Jesus is standing.
There are so many similarities in what happens here with what happened when Peter proclaimed that he would never deny Jesus, that is shear genius on Jesus’ part to expose them.
Jesus is exposing Peter’s heart and what’s important to him when he asks “do you love me more than these.” After Jesus’ death, after his resurrection, after having seen Jesus twice come through the door (or wall) where the disciples were meeting, Peter is back out fishing—and he’s not fishing for men, but fish. It’s additionally interesting that Peter and the disciples caught no fish prior to Jesus telling them where to drop their nets.
Jesus’ call on Peter’s life is the same call that he places on my life and every believers’ life; become fishers of men. My struggle is that I find lots of things, good things, to busy myself with that aren’t about fishing for men; in actuality it’s my version of Peter’s fishing for fish. Peter was just doing what he had always done, and that’s what I do far too often also. That’s what many of us modern day disciples of Jesus do also. We all do good and necessary stuff; but to the neglect of the best stuff; fishing for men—the souls of men.
Jesus is looking at the 153 fish that Peter has just brought ashore. Somewhere somebody had to have counted how many fish were in that net to know that there were 153 fish. The surprising thing to Peter and the disciples is that the net didn’t break with so many fish in it. I mean…that’s a fisherman’s dream—a catch like that. Fish meant livelihood, fish meant income, fish meant security, fish meant success and catching fish today meant they could probably go back out and fish tomorrow.
All the while Jesus wants to know from Peter; do you love me more than these fish. “If you do Peter, then feed my lambs.”
“He said to him 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, ‘Tend my sheep.’” (v16)
Now Jesus simply asks Peter “do you love me.” Not “do you love me more than these fish,” but, “do YOU love ME.” Jesus wants to know if Peter loves him with agape love; the sacrificial love that the Father has for the Son. Peter is correct when he says “yes, Lord; you know…” Jesus knew exactly what was in Peter’s heart; he knew the kind of love Peter had for him. I don’t know if Peter uses brotherly love to describe his love for Jesus partly because the other disciples are around, or simply because Peter isn’t ready to sacrificially love Jesus. Either way, Jesus’ response is “tend my sheep.”
When Jesus uses the words “lamb” and “sheep” he is obviously referring to people; and people is what Jesus had called Peter to be a fisher of.
In all our lives, as disciples of Jesus, we can get so busy at making a living that we forget what and who we’re living for; I know that I do that. Even as a pastor I get so caught up in the day-to-day maintenance of the church and the direction it’s headed, that I neglect to feed the lambs and care for the sheep and fish for men. I know that it’s equally as easy to do for those disciples who work long and hard days in the office, or in the factory, or in the shop, or on the phones or serving customers. Then, the question becomes “who are my lambs, and who are my sheep, and do I recognize there are fish flopping around me everyday every place I go?”
“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.” (v17)
I don’t think it was Jesus’ intent to rub Peter’s nose in the fact that Peter had denied Jesus three times, by asking him three times if Peter loved him. I think Jesus was simply helping Peter locate his own heart, his own passion and his own level of commitment to Jesus. I think that’s what Jesus does with me regularly too. Jesus will bring people and circumstances and events into my life that causes me to take a step back and evaluate what’s important in my life. Can some THING like preparing for Gallery Hop wait, while I tend to one of Jesus’ lambs or sheep or a fish flopping on the ground gasping for breath? What’s my priority? What’s important? What really matters in light of eternity?
We’re not told specifically what Peter’s grief is over when asked three times by Jesus; “do you love me.” We can speculate; we can speculate that Jesus has finally broken through to Peter’s hard heart; we can speculate that Peter is ashamed of his denial and the force of it all hits him for the first time; we can speculate that Peter’s pretty embarrassed about all of this in front of the other disciples; we can speculate that Peter might have been wondering if Jesus was going to continue this line of questioning beyond three times.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ 19(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’” (v18-19)
When Jesus makes these comments, something has happened. Jesus knows that Peter has reached a point of commitment; his life for the gospel. Jesus describes how Peter will be led when he is older; he will be led to his death as a martyr for Christ. Peter has died to loving fishing for fish and finally understands Jesus’ call upon his life is to fish for men. Peter is humbled over his denial and this restoration process that Jesus has taken him through. Throughout the book of Acts and in the other Epistles Peter’s impetuous spirit and attitude seems to have disappeared. We get an indication that Peter struggles with pride at some point still (but then so does Paul with John Mark).
Lastly, Jesus ends his conversation with Peter by reminding him of their first meeting; “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” (Matthew 4:18-19)
Jesus simply says to Peter, “follow me.”
I keep hearing that same thing from Jesus too.
