Do You Love Me

2024 SBBC

John 21:15-23

Do You Love Me?

Jesus appears again here to the disciples. Jesus told them to go and wait on Him in Galilee (Matt. 28:16), and we are not sure how long they have waited, days at least… but it doesn’t take Peter long to go back to what was familiar and to do what was familiar.

The Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee. It was common to fish at night so that you could sell the fish fresh the following morning.

Two Thoughts: 1. Peter is just occupying time while waiting for the Lord, maybe trying to make a few dollars. 2. Or, Peter is doing something wrong, returning to his old life and occupation.

We know: It is so hard to wait on anyone or anything for a long period of time, isn’t it? It’s hard to wait in line, wait for food, wait for service… it is a very difficult thing to wait and be still… and wait for God.

In our day, we live in the microwave, fast food, computer in hand, fast car, jet flying world… We want everything fast and now!

While they are waiting… what do they do? Simon says, “I am going fishing,” and the others said the same… and off they went into the night… and fished all night... for nothing.

Then Jesus shows up, giving them fishing instructions and with one command from the Lord and with one action of obedience… a multitude of fish were brought in.

153 large fish were counted and it is recorded by John. John also records the supernatural detail of the net not breaking.

Jesus has fixed breakfast (a lakeside barbecue) and they eat, and then after breakfast… Jesus and Peter take a walk. John followed behind some distance, and could hear the conversation.

What is going on here? Jesus is confronting and restoring Peter.

What had Peter done? Peter had denied Christ three times and had fled the scene because of a little girl pointing her finger at him… and in this very moment Peter could be guilty of loving fish more than Jesus...

Jesus asks: “Do you love Me more than these?” I believe Jesus is pointing to the fish.

Can you imagine facing Jesus today…? He has just died and was resurrected for you and you have claimed to never leave Him but to always obey and serve Him… and you have failed Christ miserably… like many of us do from time to time… and maybe even right now… we have denied Him in some way...

We go back to the old way time after time and deny Him with our words and actions...

And what if Christ was to speak to you this day, and ask you the question: “Do you love Me?” How would you answer Him?

Verse 15 – Peter didn’t have a middle or last name, or Jesus might have said “Peter Carter Branch…” But Jesus begins with: “Simon, son of Jonah…” Not Peter… not “little child, or My child.” But “Old Simon… son of John/Jonah...

This was about to get serious… That would have straightened Peter’s spine up for the rebuke. “Do you love Me more than these?”

1.Do you love me more than fish, more than your profession? 2. Do you love me more than these men love Me?

3. Do you love Me more than you love these men?

Wherever you land in interpretation… Jesus is getting to the heart of the matter very quickly.

“Where is your allegiance? Where is your loyalty? Where is your commitment now? I have called you to be a fisher of men. I have called you to My service and you have claimed to have given your heart to Me…

Simon… son of John (Jonah)… do you really love Me?”

Jesus used a word for love here (agapao), and this type of love is the highest love of the heart, mind and will of a person… it implies total commitment.

*Do you love me with all of your soul, mind and strength and are you committed to Me?

Peter answers back, I believe, in a humble, painful, broken kind of way… but he doesn’t use Jesus’ word for love. Peter says, “yes Lord, You know that I love (phileo) you..”

This word for love, (phileo), is a word that means “affection.” “Yes Lord, you know I have affection towards You.”

Church: Is that what Jesus asked? Did Jesus ask “Do you have affection for Me?” Or did Jesus ask, “Are you totally committed to Me?” The latter, right? There is a difference… (Ask your spouse if there is…)

Peter was acknowledging the reality of his love… it was less than what Jesus deserved… and Jesus turned to Him and said, “Feed My lambs.”

This wording is like farming language with livestock, feeding and pasturing the herd. “Feed,” or “Tend” is a word for continuous action… tend what?

My lambs are in need of tending; My people, believers in Me need tending. They are Mine and they are in need of great care. This is what I want you to do: Take care of My people, My children, My Church… Feed then the Word; teach them the truth; guide and guard them with Scripture, modeling Christ in word and deed...

**And please understand this Church, that as a minister, these words from Christ echo in my soul. If you wonder why I don’t have 15 minute sermons… These words echo inside of me, over and over again… “Feed them, tend them, help them to understand, be patient with them… They are Mine.”

Verse 16 – Here comes the second time. Simon, son of Jonah… do you love (agapeo) Me? Jesus once again uses the word for total commitment.

What do we know? You cannot serve two masters, you will love the one and hate the other (Matt. 6:24).

Have you counted the cost and have you found your treasure in Me? Am I your Treasure? Am I your everything? Do you love Me like this? Have you forsaken all for Me?

Has following Jesus become your all in all, your life?

And Peter replies using his same wording: “You know I have affection for you Jesus.”

That was not what Jesus was asking… but you know the weight is getting heavy as they are walking along… and Jesus says “Tend,” or Shepherd My sheep…” which expresses the full scope of responsibility that Peter would give to the flock of God.

*Do you love Me? Do you love Me?...

Is this conversation over? … Well, Jesus is still not finished with Peter yet…

Three times Peter denied and here we see a third time Jesus would ask the question to Peter… But, understand the changing in wording…

This time Jesus uses Peter’s word for love… (phileo)

Verse 17 – “Do you love me Simon?” And here, Jesus uses Peter’s word for love and confronts even Peter’s affection for Jesus… “Simon, do you really have affection for Me? Do you really have affection in your heart for Me? Do you really care for Me at all?”

“You say that you have even this kind of love, affection, but do you really?”

Now, Peter is very grieved here. Why? Three times of questioning is one thing, but now, the love that Peter claimed he had for Jesus was even questioned.

He didn’t have total commitment love, but did he have any affection at all for his Savior and Lord?

And Peter’s heart just broke… “Yes, you know that I have affection for You, You know all things.”

Peter knew that he had failed Jesus. Peter knew that he had not loved Jesus with the commitment that Jesus deserved.

Jesus heard and saw this… and Peter’s restoration was complete after this third time.

Jesus knew that if Peter was to play the crucial role in the early church that He had chosen him for, he would need to be restored.

Peter needed to examine Himself and truly repent. Peter needed to get real with Jesus and confess that his love was lacking…

And that is not all…

And get this: Peter needed to also understand that although he had forsaken Christ, Christ had not forsaken him. Peter needed to be restored to Christ and to be forgiven, strengthened, and stirred back up for service.

And I believe… we need take this walk with Jesus from time to time. We must face the reality of our coldness and our lack of commitment… confess it… so that we can be healed.

We may need to take a walk with Christ today and have a talk.

We may need to hear the Savior asking the questions today: “Do you love Me? Do you love Me with all your heart, soul, and mind? Are you committed to Me or are you committed to something or someone else…?”

“Are you distracted so that you will not walk with Me and obey Me, and serve My people? Do you have two Masters? Does your profession compete with Christ?”

“Do you have any affection for Me at all?”

*We need this talk, because this talk leads to repentance, restoration, rededication and renewal.

Someone in here today, or has been among us at some point may be living where Peter is… and it is true, you have sinned against God; you have forsaken Jesus and have disobeyed Him repeatedly, denied Him at times through your actions…

Peter needed to understand that although he had forsaken Christ, Christ had not forsaken him… and maybe for some folks in here… you need to have the talk with Christ, but you need to realize that Christ has not forsaken you…

He died for your sins… and nothing can separate you from His love. You have a risen Savior, a risen love, a risen hope and Lord over your life… and He calls out to His people today to submit their lives to Him today and follow Him… Because He is worthy.

Will you come back to Him?

It is not a time to point fingers and compare yourselves to others… “Well, what about this person of that person… What about their loyalty and commitment… What about them?”

Jesus will say to you, “You must follow Me. Focus on Me, not them. Focus on abiding in My love… Not worrying about someone else.”

This is a personal walk, a personal, talk, and a personal relationship with the Lord.

Come to Christ today. Have a walk and a talk, and answer the question: “Do you love Me?”