Do You Love Him?

In John chapter 21, we find some of Jesus’ last words before He ascended to be with His Father in heaven. Jesus was preparing to confer His ministry to Peter; and according to Warren Wiersbe, we see in this passage a threefold commission that was given to him.(1) Jesus wanted to instill within Peter four keys to practice that would help him to serve the Lord more effectively; and three of the four keys are found within this threefold commission. The four keys that I’m going to be sharing with you tonight are some things that we should all be doing in service to Jesus and the kingdom.

Give Your Life to Jesus (v. 15a)

15a So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

The first key that Jesus left with Simon Peter was that he needed to completely give his life to Him. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him more than “these.” What could Jesus have meant by “these?” William Barclay says that the word “these” could have been either a reference to Simon’s fishing boat and nets, or to the other disciples sitting around him.(2) We are going to look at the word “these” through both suggested meanings, and see if we can find a spiritual application.

Concerning Peter’s fishing boat and nets, Jesus could have said, “Simon, do you love Me more than these things? Are you prepared to give them all up, to abandon all hope of a successful career, to give up a steady job and a reasonable comfort in order to give yourself forever to My people and to My work?”(3) This is a question that each of us should ask ourselves this evening. Have we truly given up our own ambitions and desires for Jesus’ goal of furthering the kingdom? Have we committed ourselves to rescuing from eternal death those who don’t know Jesus as Lord?

Jesus said in Luke 14:33, “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Paul understood this truth, and that’s why he proclaimed in Philippians 3:7, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” Each and every believer has the responsibility of being a witness for Jesus Christ; and we must be willing to forsake the entire world, if need be, in order to accomplish this task. Take the time to think about whether you have failed to forsake anything that Jesus has pressed upon your heart? If you recall something that you have not completely surrendered to Him, then give it to Him now.

Concerning the disciples surrounding Peter, Jesus could have said, “Simon, do you love Me more than your fellow disciples do?” It may be that Jesus wanted Peter to look back to the night when he said in reference to the other disciples, “Though they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away” (Matthew 26:33).(4) If Jesus were referring to how Peter said that he would never deny Him, then Jesus was asking Peter to reflect back on the day of his commitment to Christ.

What was the day of your commitment to Christ? Was it the day of your salvation? You probably remember how you felt on that day. You might recall feeling an immense weight being lifted off you and a calm assuring peace that eternal life was yours; and in your heart you boldly said, “Lord, how can I ever turn back to my former ways, after having received such amazing grace and forgiveness!” Did you make any such bold statement when you accepted Christ as your Savior, and you now realize that you have fallen away from Jesus?

If so, then I want to assure you that you’re are not alone. Peter fell away too. After having said that he would never fall away nor forsake Jesus, he denied Him three times in order to save his own life. Right here, though, Jesus was giving Peter a chance to recommit his life to Him. He wanted to give him a chance to hold the responsibility of being the leader of the New Testament church. Jesus wants to give you a chance to live in His power and serve Him. Will you recommit your life to Him this evening?

Feed His Lambs (v. 15b)

15b He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

The second key that Jesus wants us to remember is to feed His lambs. When Peter told Jesus that he loved Him, he was saying that he accepted Jesus’ commission to be used by God. He was recommitting his life to Christ. What Jesus likely said to him was, “I’m leaving you now to go and be with My Father, and I’m placing you in charge. In order for you to serve Me effectively you must feed My lambs.” In order for us to serve Jesus and show that we love Him, then we too must feed His lambs. So, what does it mean to feed His lambs?