GSM 2019

I’m an odd person.

I look at things differently.

I take that “peculiar person” ()thing maybe one step too far.

When I study Scripture, I like to go back to the original language.

I often find insight when looking up words and phrases as they were originally written.

Like the story I want to discuss with you today.

I’m sure we’re all familiar with the story of Jesus asking Peter three times “do you love me”.

I’ve heard different sermons on this topic, usually focusing on how Peter had denied Jesus three times, so Jesus had to restore him three times.

But what happens when we look at the original language in Scripture?

John 21:15 NKJV

So when they had eaten 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 love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

To fully understand this, we need to back up a couple of steps.

Scripture was not written in English, it was written in Hebrew and Greek.

Jesus didn’t speak Greek,

Jesus could speak Greek, but most of the people around Him wouldn’t have understood what He was saying.

Jesus primarily spoke in Aramaic, and probably some Hebrew.

So while Jesus probably spoke this in Aramaic, it was written down in Greek.

Why is this important?

Aramaic and Hebrew, like English, have a single word for love which means different things based on context.

You understand that if I say “I love my wife, my dog and pizza” that I mean three different types of love.

At least I HOPE you understand that.

Greek, on the other hand has different words for different types of love.

It also means that while Jesus and Peter were using the same word for love, John, probably prompted by the Holy Spirit, gave us the context by using the appropriate Greek words.

When Jesus asks Peter “do you love me”, the word translated “love” is “agapas”, the verb form of “agape”.

Agape love is true love, selfless love, love that will sacrifice for what is best for the object of your love.

Whenever you read about God’s love in the New Testament, the word in the original language is alway “agape”.

When Peter replied, “you know that I love you”, the Greek words in Scripture is “phileo”.

Phileo, which is usually called “brotherly love”, means to treat affectionately or kindly.

So in effect, Jesus asked Peter if he truly loved Him, and Peter replied you’re my friend.

How many of us, as teenagers, had that one person we were head over heals in love with only to be told they wanted to be friends?

It a stab in the heart, you’re in love and they only want to treat you kindly.

Most of us would have been heartbroken, but Jesus just asked Peter again.

Jesus didn’t react

John 21:16 NKJV

He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

Again Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, agapes Him, and Peter replies that he phileo’s Him.

John 21:17 NKJV

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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 all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Matthew 22:35–39 NKJV

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’