John 21 Verses 15-19

John 21:15 “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. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” 

Peter had previously made the claim that though all men forsake the Lord that he would never forsake the Lord.  In other words, he was saying he loved the Lord more than any man including all the other disciples.  Words are easy to utter, but when we are put to the test, we often have results that do not reflect the brave words that we said.  The Lord had told Peter that before the cock crowed twice, that Peter would deny him thrice.  But Peter vehemently denied it.  Then we see as the Lord had said, that Peter denied the Lord three times before the cock crowed twice.   

Now the time had come and the Lord is going to elicit a statement of love from Peter, but not just through brave words, but through action.  Love is an action verb and is demonstrated through action.   

“Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?”  Jesus reminds Peter of the bragging words he had made before.  “He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.”  Peter is again confirming his love to the Lord.  Certainly there is nothing wrong with confirming one's love to the Lord.  However, love should be demonstrated not simple spoken.  “He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”  The Lord is telling Peter rather than simply saying you love me, do something to show that you love me.  Feeding the very young disciples of the Lord is the way the Lord gave Peter to show his love for the Lord. 

“He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”  Moreover, the Lord showed Peter that he should show his love for the Lord by feeding the maturing disciples of the Lord. 

“He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”  Peter was grieved, no doubt, because he thought the Lord was calling in question his love for the Lord.  However, once again the Lord now for the third time is showing Peter that he should show his love not simply state his love for the Lord.  This third time the Lord told Peter to feed the mature disciples of Christ.  Now, Jesus had Peter to affirm his love for the Lord, whereas, before Peter had denied the Lord three times.   

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.”  This pretty well lays out Peter’s life in a very short summary.  When Peter was young he went where he pleased.  When Peter comes to the end of his way in old age, he will be stretch forth his hand and be crucified.  In the between the Lord tells Peter to “Follow me.”   

While we won’t all die a martyr’s death, yet we all have a beginning of life and an end of life.  In the meantime, we should be followers of the Lord.

John 21 Verses 20-25 

John 21:20 “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”   

The Lord took a lot of time with Peter and in instructing Peter.  Peter was going to be a leader amongst the disciples.  He had the zeal that God had given him and the courage that God had given him.  He also, like many of us, needed much instruction.  Peter began to be concerned about what the Lord would have John to do.  How often, has that been a problem for each of us.  Rather than concentrating on what the Lord would have each of us to do, we become concerned about what the Lord would have someone else to do.  The Lord’s response to Peter was basically to tell Peter that was none of his business.  He needed to concentrate on his own efforts to follow the Lord.  That is good for each of us today.  Rather than worry about what the Lord would have someone else to do, we should concentrate on ourselves being followers of the Lord. 

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”  If the world cannot contain the books about what Jesus did, then shouldn’t we give great care and effort to learn the things that are in the books that we have been given?