The Question to Peter, “Do You Love Me?”

We are meditating on the last chapter of the Gospel of John, an epilogue by the apostle John, to show us what happened after Peter's failure: his threefold denial of knowing Christ. John wants us to understand that even though Peter failed under pressure, the Lord completely restored him. This gives many of us hope amid our failures—that we, too, can be used by God even after falling into sin. Here’s the passage of Scripture we are examining:

¹⁵When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” ¹⁷The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep (John 21:15-17).

Jesus lovingly asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” Most Bible scholars suggest two different meanings for what "these" refers to. The Lord might have been talking about the other disciples, with whom He shared such close fellowship, or He could have been referring to the nets, boats, and fish where Peter had spent most of his life earning a living. Maybe Peter was questioning whether his three denials disqualified him from serving God. However, with the Lord, brokenness is part of the training. The Lord didn't give sharp criticism to Peter; instead, he asked him the one question that matters: "Do you love me?"

There are many things Peter might have expected Jesus to say to him, but I don't think he expected to be asked about his love for Christ. When Jesus asked Peter the first time, He asked whether he loved Christ with agapic love. Peter responded that he loved Christ with an affectionate love, avoiding the self-sacrificial Greek word agapē. He was no longer self-confident and admitted that, alongside the tender agape love of the Lord, his love was insufficient to be called agape love. For each of the three denials, the Lord asked Peter three times about his love for Him: “Do you love Me?” This love must be at the core of all ministry for Christ.

The most meaningful thing people can say about someone at their funeral is that they loved the Lord. Andrew Kuyper said, "Even the heart of God thirsts after love." In this writer’s view, this kind of love is the central message of the Bible: God's desire to have a loving relationship with His bride, true believers in Christ. Someone who lacks love for God has never truly grasped what happened at the cross of Christ, the only appropriate response being to love in return. A mature believer understands what it cost the Lord to redeem him from Satan’s slavery of sin.

Peter's restoration was complete, and the rest of the disciples had witnessed it. This reinstatement was necessary because the Lord called Peter to feed and care for His flock, and he would need the respect, fellowship, and support of the other disciples. Jesus set the stage by building a charcoal fire, similar to the one where Peter denied His Lord. There were three confessions of love to answer for the three denials, followed by three commissions from the Lord.

We need to understand that Christ's love for Peter was just as strong as before his denial. We are not loved any less because of our failures. The key is to keep Christ's love as our focus and to return to the Lord each time. We should bounce back from sin and failure into the grace of the Lord Jesus and His calling for our lives. Peter responded to God's calling for his life and was powerfully used by God, eventually being martyred for his faith.

Prayer: Father, we remember the great man of God that Peter became through his trials and how much You used him despite his shortcomings. Would You continue to work in each of us and shape us like clay, so that we may be more like You and accomplish the things You have prepared for us? Keith Thomas

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Taken from the Bible study in the Gospel of John 42. Jesus Reinstates Peter

You may also enjoy watching the YouTube video, "Why Did Jesus Have to Die?"