Christ’s Charge to Peter

John 21:15-24

GOLDEN TEXT: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”—John 15:13

THE scene of today’s lesson is by the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). Here Jesus again manifested Himself to His disciples, but their recognition of Him was not because of His appearance but because there was that in His conduct which reminded them of their past experience with Him. When He first called them to be His disciples they had fished all night without results, but when, in compliance with His suggestion, they cast their net on the other side of the boat, the net was quickly filled with fish. Now the same thing had occurred; so they knew that the stranger on the shore must be Jesus.—John 21:1-14

John was the first to correctly interpret the significance of the experience, and he confided his conviction to Peter. Peter, the impulsive, could not wait for the ship to reach the nearby shore, but quickly wrapped his naked body in his fisherman’s coat and plunged into the sea and swam to the shore and to Jesus. The others came in the ship soon afterward, bringing the net full of fish with them. They found that Jesus had prepared a breakfast of bread and fish. It was after they partook of His hospitality that Jesus began the dialog with Peter which is narrated in today’s lesson.

The one question which Jesus asked Peter, and repeated twice with emphasis, was, “Lovest thou Me more than these?” Looking back over the incidents associated with the closing days of the Master’s earthly ministry and Peter’s relationship to them, we see a possibility that Peter may temporarily have harbored a slight resentment toward Jesus, and that these questions were designed to give him an opportunity to reaffirm his confidence and declare his love.

Peter could not be reconciled to the idea that Jesus should willingly give Himself up to die. When the Master indicated that this was what He intended to do, Peter remonstrated, saying “Far be this from Thee, Lord.” (Matt. 16:22) Jesus rebuked him for this, saying, “Get thee behind Me, Satan.” (Mark 8:33) When Jesus was arrested Peter was so determined that it was a tragic mistake that he undertook, by the use of the sword, to set his Master free. Again Jesus interfered. This must have been hard on Peter, and now that it was over and Jesus was raised from the dead, how did He feel about it? Could he now see that Jesus had made no mistake, and was he willing humbly to accept the Lord’s way by laying down his own life on behalf of the brethren and the world?

Jesus also enquired if Peter loved Him “more than these.” This may have been a gentle reminder of his past failure. Previously, when Jesus had told the disciples that they would all be offended because of Him, Peter boastingly replied, “Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matt. 26:33,35) What Jesus had said might be true of the others, but Peter was sure that he loved His Lord more than they did, and that he would be willing to die at His side.

Now Peter knew that he had failed even as did the others, and the Master’s question would be a gentle rebuke, calculated to remind this impetuous disciple of the impropriety of claiming superiority over his brethren. Now Peter knew that he had not displayed any more love for the Master in the hour of trial than the others had, but he knew also that he now loved his Lord more than ever and was glad for this opportunity to say so.

Twice the Master asked the same question, and again a third time, using the Greek word phileo for love, rather than agape. The latter denotes love as a principle, a considered determination to be unselfish—to give of time, strength, means and devotion. Phileo, on the other hand, denotes an affectionate love, a love of the heart. In responding to the Master, Peter used the Greek word phileo all three times.

Peter seemed happy to answer the same question twice, but when it was put to him the third time, with emphasis on whether he had a personal affection and devotion for his Lord, he was grieved. Whether his grief was simply based on the fact of his many recent failures because of which Jesus might be seeking more than an ordinary assurance of his present loyalty, or whether the third asking of the question reminded him all too vividly of the fact that he had denied the Lord three times, we may not know. In any event, Peter did not permit his grief to hinder him from once more, and for the third time, enthusiastically affirming his love—“Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

Peter’s belief that Jesus knew the answer to this question before it was asked, indicates he recognized that the questioning was for his own good, to give him an opportunity, following failure, to go on record as to his present heart condition. There is a lesson here for us in our dealing with the brethren. If we know that a brother has erred in the past, let us follow Jesus’ example of finding out where he stands now, rather than to dig into the past. We were all in the miry clay of sin at one time, but the grace of God has lifted us up and set our feet upon the Rock Christ Jesus.

Each time Peter affirmed his love for the Master, he was bidden to feed His lambs and sheep. Only a heart and life that is filled with love can properly feed the Lord’s little ones with the spiritual meat of the Word. Others may try, but their ministry will be cold and barren of spiritual results. Furthermore, only those who have been humbled by a sense of their own imperfections, and are thus properly appreciative of divine grace toward them, can be used of the Lord.

QUESTIONS:

Why did Jesus ask Peter the same question three times?

What is the difference between agape and phileo love?

What are the necessary qualifications of those whom the Lord uses in the service of the brethren?

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