April 10, 2016

All Scripture from 1984 NIV unless otherwise indicated.

Introduction:

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.  “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.  Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The 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.

Do You Love Me? How many times have you or I asked someone we loved that question? Sometimes when we ask, do you love me, we ask it from a position of insecurity. We ask because we have doubts or fears about another’s love for us and we just want to be reassured that they truly do love us. Sometimes we just need to hear those three little words, “I Love You.” And guys, what they really want to hear isn’t, me too or same to you.

In our passage today, Jesus asked Peter three different times the question, do you love me. In the English translation of this passage of Scripture, Jesus asked Peter three times, Peter, do you love me? Each time he asked it was couched in a little different terms. In verse 15 Jesus asked, “do you truly love ‘me more than these’?” In verse 16 Jesus asked, “do you truly love me?” and in verse 17 Jesus simply asked, “do you love me?”

And of course many preachers like to point out the obvious, that being that since Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus was reminding Peter of that fact by asking him “do you love me” three times.

You know, I kind of have a little problem with that theory. I get it, but I just don’t find it in Jesus to be mean to Peter, to rub it in his face if you will. And yes, it appears that Peter and the other disciples had in essence given up serving Christ and had gone back to being fishermen. But still, I see a different picture here than a simple reminder that Peter had failed Jesus.

In the English translation of this passage, Jesus asked Peter three times, and to varying degrees, do you love me? And Peter three times responded to Jesus, yes Lord, you know that I love you.

But in the actual Greek text the questions are different and the answers are different than the English. In verse 15, Jesus said to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you “truly love” me more than these?” First this word truly in the English is supposed to indicate us that the love Jesus was talking about was a stronger form of love than ordinary. In the Greek this word is Agape, which is the highest form of love. It is the kind of love that God has for mankind and that we are to have for God. In this verse Jesus also asked, do you love me more than these? These what? Although scholars differ on what Jesus was talking about, I believe Jesus was referring to the nets and the boats, tools of Peter’s former trade. You see, Peter and the other disciples had gone back to their former lives. Some believe that Jesus was pointing to the other disciples when he said, do you love me more than these, but I don’t believe that Jesus was wanting Peter to say, I love you more than I love James and John and the other disciples.  What Jesus was wanting to know from Peter was that he was committed to Christ and his ministry of being a fisher of men.

In verse 16, Jesus again asked Peter, “do you truly love me?” This time he didn’t qualify it by asking, “more than these”.  Here Jesus was simply wanting an affirmation from Peter that He loved him with agape love.

And then finally in verse 17, Jesus used a different word when he said to Peter, do you love me. In verse 17 Jesus asked, “Peter, do you (Philo) me?” The word Philo is the word from which we get Philadelphia, brotherly love and would better translated “like”.

What I believe that we see here was Jesus meeting Peter at the level of commitment that Peter had at that moment in his life. Although Jesus wanted full commitment from Peter, and the kind of love in return that he had for Peter, Jesus was willing to settle at the moment for the kind of love that Peter was able to give to him. You and I need to remember that. Jesus will meet us at the level of faith and commitment we are at right now, and then, as he did with his disciples, he will empower us to be more through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

When we look at the responses of Peter, we find that Peter was consistent with his response to Jesus, and that he only offered Jesus what he was able to give at the moment, which was brotherly love. In verse 15 Peter responded, yes Lord, you know that I like you, or that I love you like a brother. Again in verse 16 Peter responded, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you like a brother.” And then in verse 17 the scriptures tell us that Peter was hurt, I believe because the third time Jesus lowered his expectations and instead of using the word Agape, Jesus said, do you even like me, do you love me like a brother. Although it hurt him to admit it, Peter once again said, “Lord you know all things, you know that I love you like a brother.”

To put it in even simpler terms, it would go something like this.

Simon, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, I like you.

Simon, do you love me? Yes, Lord, I like you.

Simon, do you like me? Yes, Lord, I like you.

Now guys, how would your wife feel if when she asked you, do you love me you responded, yes, I like you. I might be hearing from some of you for some marriage counseling if you were to do something like that.

I feel a little bit sad for Peter. I’m sure the three questions brought back memories of his denials, but even more so, the change of words by Jesus must have cut pretty deep too. But I have to give Peter this, he was consistent. He didn’t offer more than he was able at the time. Of course we know that later, after he and the other disciples received the Holy Spirit that they were changed men and that they loved Christ with the kind of love that He had for them, with Agape love.

What about you this morning? Where are you in your relationship with the One who loved you with sacrificial love, with the greatest kind of love that you could ever be loved with, Agape love?

If Jesus were here this morning and took you aside, like he did Peter, and he were to ask you, do you truly love me (agape), how would you respond? Are you ready to respond to Jesus on his terms, or are you like Peter, not quite as committed to him as you would like to be?

Do you love me?