When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
6 sermons cite this verse
… begin to have a conversation and they're talking and jesus look i just want to show you look at John 21 verse 15. It says, after breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? And look what he says. He says, yes, Lord. Peter replied, you know I love you. He said, all right, then feed my lambs, Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question. Simon, son of John, I want you to remember what Jesus is calling him. Jesus is calling him Simon. Remember what Simon means, wavering one. So he's not talking to who he was going to be. He's talking to his old nature right now. Jesus is intentionally calling him a wavering one. Look at it. He says, Jesus, verse 16, do you love me? He said, yes, Lord. Peter said, you know I love you. Then take care of my sheep, Jesus said. And then a little time went by and Jesus just looking at him intently. …
… This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 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. 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. He said to him a 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. 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. …
… but I want to point something out in John 21 verses 15 through 17. It's a famous account after Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus says this. He says, it says, so when they came or they had eaten breakfast after a good meal, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? Now I want to pause there for just a moment. In the English, this doesn't, this is not helpful for us, but in the Greek language, Jesus says, do you love, do you agapeo, agape love? Do you love me more than these? And so Peter answered and said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. You might be like, oh, great. Good job, Peter. No, that word love is phileo. It means a great affection for. Jesus says, I have great, Peter says, I have great affection for you. Verse 16, he said to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you agapeo me? Peter said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I phileo you. Now, in verse 17, there's a change. Jesus said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you phileo me? Now, it says Peter was grieved because he said a third time, do you phileo me? Now, reading it in English, you might think, oh, Peter's grieved because there's been a repetition of the same question. I actually think the grief comes because Jesus changed the form of love. …
… When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? And these could refer to any number of things, but the point is, do you love me? And Peter said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And then Jesus asks him the same question a second time. And then a third time. Not a coincidence in light of three denials. And by the third time, Peter gets the point. He's grieved because he said to him the third time. And he says, Lord, you know everything. and there is so much in that statement, including so much that applies to you and me. He knows everything. He knows all the things you wish you had never said or thought or desired or done and the things you most wish had never been said or thought about you or done to you, which all affect our sense of identity. In a world where we look to ourselves and or others to define us, sometimes we define ourselves based on what others say about us or think about us or desire for us or do to us. …
My subject is love steps in. And I am in John 21, verses 15 through 18. I am reading from the New King James Version. And my text says, so when they had eaten, let me give you context. Jesus has been crucified, resurrected, and now he is walking the earth. And as he's walking the earth for 40 days, he does a number of things. Some of them we know, some of them we don't. But in this particular moment, he goes out by the sea while his disciples are fishing. And there's one disciple in particular, Peter, who was out on the boat fishing. Now, for those of you who may still be learning different aspects of the Bible and the story, Peter was like, Peter, I liked Peter as a disciple because he was a gangster, I'll be honest. Peter had a cutting spirit on him and though I've been delivered every now and then I remind myself I've been delivered from the cutting spirit I don't know if that's been anybody else's okay y'all churchy now y'all sitting over here by the deacons and ministers y'all don't want to admit y'all had a cutting spirit a cussing spirit a cutting spirit but God I trust in God he didn't fail me delivered me but we know Peter did because when it was time to to take Jesus Peter cut off one of the soldiers ears it just sometimes that spirit just jump up on you you saved but you forget you saved and he didn't consult with God he let that cutting spirit …
… 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. 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. 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 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 and then John says in this parenthesis this he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. …