Peter: “Do you love me”

We have been in a series that we have look at Jesus’ interactions with His disciples after His resurrection before He ascended to the right Hand of the Father

Today we will be looking at what does obedience really look like in your relationship with Jesus? What is your heart with your obedience to God?

Pray

Our primary passage today will be John 21:1-19 and we are going to be walking through a good chunk of Scripture so I hope you are ready

(Read it all and make the following points)

John 21:1–3 ESV

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

v. 3a – these are professionals.

v. 3b – not catching anything in a whole night is not what professionals do. This would be frustrating.

This is like you going getting a college degree in whatever major you are in, and not being able to perform as an engineer with an engineering degree (the softwares stop working, your product falls apart, etc)

Reminiscent of Luke 5:1-11 where these experienced fisherman had a rough night with no catches, but even here at the word of Jesus Simon Peter listens and trusts.

John 21:4–7 ESV

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.

v. 5 – ESV says “Children”, CSB “Friends”. Those connect because in this uncertain time in their life, Jesus’ goal was comfort.

v. 7a – still funny that John refers to himself this way (disciple whom Jesus loved), and encouraging that he recognized Jesus.

v. 7b – John recognizes, states it out loud, and then Peter responds. There is power in pointing out the obvious things that God does around you. Don’t lose sight of the amazing, because he becomes normal to you, and not share it with others.

John 21:8–21 ESV

The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 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 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.” (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.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

At this point we need to review what got us here and Peter’s response.

In John 18:15-18 we see the first denial

John 18:15–18 “Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.”

Then in v.25-27 we see the second and third denial

John 18:25–27 “Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.”

Side note: It is kind of John, who often elevates himself as the one Jesus loved and faster than others to the tomb to not destroy Peter here.

There is redemption when Jesus is in the picture

Because Luke puts it differently.

Luke 22:60–62 “But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.”

How do we get from a 3-fold denial of knowledge of Jesus, to jumping out of a boat and swimming 100 yards to beat others there first.? (could make the joke about getting John back after what happened in John 20:4 where he got beat to the tomb

On Monday Jesus commissioned the disciples (from a place of victory, not defeat) (John 20:19-21) but we don’t’ see an apology, we don’t see Jesus offering forgiveness to Peter for what he did.

John 20:19–21 ESV

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

We have to assume that the 3 years that Peter spent with Jesus led him to a natural understanding that he could run back to him no matter what. The lifestyle that Jesus modeled allowed that response. Jesus loved in a different way and Peter knew it was safe. But, Jesus also couldn’t allow this to happen and then not challenge him to change.

At the back half of passage today, John 21: 15-19 we saw that…

Jesus is resurrected, he preforms another fishing miracle, they eat some breakfast, then the questions come.

Do you love me more than these….

Do you Love me….

Why.

Go back to John 13:36-38. This is the night of the betrayal and here is the conversation (read)

John 13:36–38 ESV

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Jesus says to Peter here…I know some things that you don’t know.

We see 4 of them.

1. You will deny me 3 times tonight

2. You don’t currently love me like you should.

3. Because you don’t love me like you should, you cannot follow me completely (right now)

4. You will follow me later.

This is Jesus displaying the sovereign characteristic of God. I know what is going to happen. I know when you sit and when you lie down. Nothing that is going to happen tonight will surprise me. I know your sin and I know your redemption. I know what your future looks like.

Again Luke makes this more clear

Luke 22:31–32 ““Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.””

Jesus prays for him and Jesus knew the answer. Peter will fail, but satan will not win. And his failure wasn’t like that of Judas, because Jesus knew that if Peter would just LOVE Him then he could completely follow Him.

This is why these questions come. Do you love me more than these? Do you love me more than all of this? Do you love me?

If you do…then you will follow my commands (John 14:15)

If you do…then you will keep my word (John 14:23)

What Jesus is saying to Peter in this welcome back party is incredible advise for you as you jump into this new season. Loving Jesus produces obedience to Jesus, not the other way around. It is not…being obedient makes you love Jesus more, and nor will your obedience make Him love you more. (He doesn’t want your resentful, bitter, or begrudging obedience, if that is what your relationship with Jesus looks like you are missing the greatest blessing of salvation in this lifetime… YOU GET JESUS)

Where you falter on loving Jesus is where your obedience will be shaky

But with that, even when you love Jesus in areas that are tough to reconcile, He will often call you into obedience where you don’t know the outcome (it’s not safe/comfortable always)

Love Jesus… and His desires begin to SLOWLY become yours

If you love then you will desire to feed sheep, you will desire to serve, you will desire to honor…to love…to encourage.

But the hardest thing…the greatest battle…is to love Jesus. If you do that…the other things that he is calling you to will come easier. The greatest of these is Love (1 Corinthians 13:13 “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” )

Matthew 22:34–40 ESV

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

If time, what does loving God rightly look like for you in this season??

Pray

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