Jesus Restores Peter

“I am simply Simon, son of my father John”, Peter thinks to himself. And Jesus starts by connecting with Peter exactly where he is just then.

There is a little bit of strangeness in the dialogue here between Jesus and Peter that unfortunately we miss due to the translation. Jesus repeatedly is asking Simon "Do you agape – love me?”. Agapao (Aga Pa O).

That is the deepest love, the most profound kind of love, it is the love of God, it is the type of love that it's full of hope and joy and potential and eternity and connection and commitment and depth of meaning.

But Peter keeps answering, you know that I phileo – love you. Phileo means brotherly love, friend-love. General affection, sentimentality.

Agape love is chiefly of the heart. Phileo love is chiefly of the head.

So you have this back-and-forth, where Jesus is asking one thing, and Peter is answering another thing.

That is perhaps one reason why this conversation goes on as long as it does, why Peter is asked three times rather than once.The sting of that moment when that rooster crowed was very much in his mind.

Of course, Peter had denied Jesus three times after vowing that he would lay down his life for him.

So these three opportunities for Peter to affirm his love for Jesus are emotionally intense and very tangible ways for Peter to overwrite his previous failings.

So strong are his feelings of failure, so imprinted on his mind and heart is the moment when he realizes that he denies Jesus, Peter needs this from Jesus.

Peter needs this awkward, uncomfortable conversation in order to leave behind the deep shame he feels.

And also, very importantly, Jesus is giving Peter a chance to step up and deny his previous his previous denials of Jesus.

Jesus is giving him the choice and the opportunity to replace his three times uttered "no!" with fresh and new yeses to Jesus, fresh and new affirmations that despite all that has happened up to this point, despite his denial of Jesus, his heart is truly for Jesus.

And of course Jesus is saying to Peter that he needs to take care of the sheep of the great Shepherd.

16 Again 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.”

17 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.

So there you have it. Peter is restored. Peter's denials of Jesus are overwritten and replaced by his affirmations of his love for Jesus.

And Jesus is also here repeatedly calling Peter to a deeper love for God that he has ever known.

It's not enough to love God sentimentally, it's not enough to be a fan of Jesus. Brotherly affection that goes no deeper than brotherly affection is no longer enough.

Jesus is calling Peter to serve Him with his whole heart, to love him with heart, soul, mind and strength.

And then in another, very sobering act of restoring Peter, Jesus says these words to him, anticipating what will happen to Peter because he will indeed faithfully live out his calling by the grace of God: