When we ended our message last week the disciples had brought the boat and the catch of fish to shore. They then had breakfast with Jesus. After the meal, Jesus turned to Peter and asked a very serious question. A question directed specifically to Peter, but which was not limited to him. It was a question the others would need to answer as well. It is a question about love. As with all of Jesus questions it is also instructional. This question to Peter about his love helps us understand and define true love as a commitment rather than an emotion. 

Jesus uses a play on words in both his question or rather questions and His commands to Peter. Three times He asks about Peter’s love for Him. First in verse 15 John wrote, 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." (NAS) 

The word Jesus uses here is the Greek word agapeo. I’m sure we have talked about this before but agape is a higher more gallant form of love. Vincent’s Word Studies says it is a more noble, more dignified term for love. You have probably heard it referred to as God’s love or selfless love. Robertson says that agapeo is the intelligent choice. It is a reasoning, discriminating love. In The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament the very last sentence in the section on this type of love describes it as a love that does not desire, but gives. 

This is the word used to describe love in 1 Cor 13 where Paul wrote, “Love is patient, love is kind, {and} is not jealous; love does not brag {and} is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong {suffered,} does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. . .” (1 Cor 13:4-8 NAS) 

Jesus said, do you agapeo me more than these? What “these” are is not clear to us from the text. Some have speculated the Lord was asking Peter if he loved him more than the other apostles did? Others think Jesus was referring to the fishing boat and net and Jesus question was whether Peter loved Jesus more than he loved other things, in this case fishing. 

It would appear to me the latter would be the more likely question. Although the question is asked of Peter, and Peter is always quick to take a stand as he did in Matt 26, I don’t believe Jesus at this point is concerned with Peter’s perception of whether his love was greater than that of others. 

I don’t believe the Lord’s question to us would be about our love in relation to others.  I don’t believe He asks RD do you love me more than Mike does or visa versa, Mike do you love me more than RD because I don’t think we can judge the extent of our love compared to the love of someone else. 

We see a number of times throughout Scripture the truth we are not judged on the basis of someone else. When we stand before God to give account we will have no room to say well Lord I loved you more than so & so. But I do believe the Lord is interested in the extent of our own love and commitment to Him. I believe that is what He was concerned with at that point in Peter’s life. 

When questioned about the greatest commandment recorded in Matt 22 and Mk 12 Jesus answered by quoting from Deut 6:5 "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (NAS) I think then the legitimate question would be do you love me more than anything else. I believe that’s the real question Jesus asked Peter that morning, and the question He asks us as well. 

Peter’s response was yes, but he used a different word for love. He used the world phileo. Here Vincent says, the word represents a warmer, more instinctive sentiment, more closely allied to feeling, and implying more passion. ( Vincent's Word Studies of the New Testament) 

Perhaps Peter remembered his earlier words to Jesus recorded in Matt 26:33 {"Even} though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." Maybe he also remembered the crowing of the rooster that morning before the crucifixion. Whatever his reason his answer appears to hold back from a direct response to the question. The Lord says Peter do you love me completely above all else and Peter says Lord you know I have a great affection for you. 

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Peter, He says to him Tend my lambs. According to usage it is better to understand by the "lambs" young disciples, whether in age or Christian standing. (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary) I believe we understand here Jesus saying to Peter you have a nurturing responsibility towards new believers. You must teach and train them in the ways of the Lord, you must watch out for them, guide them along just as a shepherd would with young sheep in his flock.

Jesus then repeats His question. Peter do you agape me? He doesn’t mention more than these this time. Peter again says Yes, Lord you know I have great affection for you. The Lord says, Shepherd My sheep. 

The word Shepherd here is intentionally changed from one signifying simply to `feed' in verse 15 to one denoting the abiding exercise of the pastoral vocation. According to the late Albert Barnes, “It means, as a good shepherd provides for the wants of his flock, so the pastor in the church is to furnish food for the soul, or so to exhibit truth that the faith of believers may be strengthened and their hope confirmed.” In the first case there is a reference specifically to young believers, in the second to the church as a whole, young, old, mature immature alike. 

Jesus then posed the question a third time. "Simon, {son} of John, do you love me?" This time the question is a bit different, this time Jesus uses Peter’s word phileo. Jesus is not changing the meaning of what He asks, but He was saying to Peter do you really have a deep abiding affection for me? 

John wrote, Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" The word grieved generally means to have great sorrow, but Thayer’s Greek Dictionary points out it also means to have a pang of conscience. Peter's conscience is pricked because Jesus challenged his use of phileo, and no doubt this third question has vividly reminded him of the three denials in the early morning by the fire in Jerusalem. (Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament) 

Peter said to Him," Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." This is the third time Peter has appealed to the Lord’s omniscience. You know all things Lord, why would you ask such a question. 

I’m reminded of God’s call to Adam in the Garden of Eden in Gen 3:9 when He called out to him, “where are you”? God didn’t call to Adam because He needed to know where he was. The question was asked that Adam might take stock of where he was, not his location, but his relation. The question was asked for Adam’s benefit not God’s. 

The same is true with Jesus’ question to Peter. Peter’s correct Jesus did know all things. He knew the extent of Peter’s love for Him. The question is meant for Peter’s edification, for his own self-examination of the extent of his commitment to Jesus. He was not looking for false bravado, or prideful assumptions. In other words Jesus wasn’t just looking for someone who could talk the talk. He knew Peter could do that. 

Too often we see that kind of faith, that kind of love. Christians, or people who claim to be Christian who can certainly talk the talk, even in or maybe especially in public places. Quoting from Isa 29:13 Jesus condemned this kind of commitment, He said these people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from me, and their reverence for me consists of tradition learned {by rote,}. You can say “praise the Lord,” “hallelujah, ” and “amen;” you can know lots of Bible verses and have a sense of indignation at all the right places and for all the right reasons but the question remains, do you love Jesus, do you agapeo the Lord? 

That’s the question Jesus asked of Peter and the question he asks of us and all believers. Do you have a committed love, a giving love, a selfless love for Me – A love that seeks to serve Me. Do you love me with all of your heart and all of your soul and all of your mind and strength? Like Peter we say Lord you know I love you. His response is yes, I know how much you really love me, do you? 

He said to Peter the third time," tend My sheep.” This speaks particularly to the pastoral role in the church, but it also addresses the overall function of the church as individuals as well. Combining the word tend from His first command and sheep from the second Jesus changes the tense of the verb to indicate an ongoing or continual feeding.  

We are all, as believers, given the ongoing ministry of the church. We are all given the task of making disciples, of tending or feeding and nourishing younger believers as well as a continual ministry to the more mature and the elderly. We are all called to be stewards of God in the church. Paul wrote to the Ephesian church Eph 4:11-12 And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; (NAS). 

The body is more effective and more efficient when all its parts are working towards the same end. The church is more effective, and more efficient when all of its members are working towards the same goal, and for the same purpose – the edification of the body and the glory of God. This morning Jesus asks each of us, do you love me? He then says go, do the work of the church for the building up of the body of Christ and the glory of God. It is a task we are each called to. 

Do you love Him, will you allow Him to take your life and use it for His glory?

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