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Weekly Message | June 28th, 2009
Passage: John 21:15-17
Key Verse(s): 17
Today, Shepherd Jason delivered a short testimony. Before I left for Budapest, Hungary, I promised to spend time with him to work on this difficult passage. I did not have adequate time with him to be very helpful. He will deliver a full message in two weeks. I appreciate his willingness to meditate the word of God to honor Christ and build up this body of Christ.
John’s Gospel is God’s dialogues with sinners. God, the Eternal Word, became flesh and communicated with us. The whole book is full of Jesus’ crucial conversations with sinners like us. Jesus’ first miraculous sign (2), Nicodemus (3), Samaritan woman (4), an invalid (5), the five thousand (6), Jesus’ brothers (7), a condemned woman (8), a blind man (9), etc. Every single chapter is filled with Jesus’ conversations with people. The conclusion of this book is Jesus’ crucial conversation with Peter.
It is fascinating to read Jesus’ beautiful conversation with Peter. There is power in crucial conversations with people. People would like to know what they should live for, where to go, and what to do with themselves. It is truly humbling that God can use our conversations to touch, change, and transform lives. Today, let’s observe this wonderful conversation with Jesus. May Christ Jesus be with you as you consider your own life.
First, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (15a, 16a, 17a). Look at verse 15. Jesus and seven of his disciples ate together on the beach. While they were eating, they engaged in light and casual conversation. So this was a wonderful breakfast together with Jesus. Usually, Peter was quite talkative. But this time he was quiet. After they had finished eating, Jesus addressed Peter, “Simon son of John…” Simon was Peter’s old name. Simon meant “pebble,” a light, unstable, and insignificant thing. The very first time Jesus met Simon, he gave him a new name, Peter (rock). Since then, Jesus had called him Peter. Now Jesus called him by his old name, “Simon, son of John.” Here, Peter stood before Christ as a mere man, a sinner.
Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” Jesus’ first question was this: “Do you truly love me more than these?” The original word for “these” (tuton) refers to people or things. Once Peter compared himself to the other disciples and said emphatically, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” (Mk 14:29) However, at the moment of testing, he failed by denying Jesus three times: “I don’t know the man!” (Mt 26:74-75) So Jesus might be asking, “Do you love me more than the other disciples, as you had said?” Or Jesus might have asked whether he loved him more than anything else in this world.
In verses 15-17, two different Greek verbs are used for “Love”: agapao and phileo. Agapao means to love deeply or to truly love, the word used for God’s love by which he sent his one and only Son into the world and allowed him to be crucified for sinful people. (Jn 3:16; Lk 10:27) Phileo love is to be fond of (a love of lesser degree than agapao) as between dear friends or teachers and students. The first two times when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you truly love me?”, he used agapao. When the Lord inquired the third time, “Do you love me?”, he used the lesser word, phileo. Because Jesus knew that it was not possible for Peter to love him with agapao love.
Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” because Jesus loved Peter. A divorced couple no longer asks such question to each other. Tobias asks his wife in Fiddler On The Roof, “Do you love me?” He was confirming his love for her. When Jesus asked this question, “Do you love me?”, Jesus let Peter know that he still loved him. Jesus loved Peter with agape love (Jn 3:16). The evidences of this love were abundant. Jesus offered beautiful life together with him. Jesus was Peter’s Teacher. Jesus was Peter’s Trainer. Jesus was Peter’s Lord through his sacrificial death and resurrection. On the cross Jesus became Peter’s atoning sacrifice. Jesus became the Lamb of God who bore his sins. (Lev 16:21)
When Jesus asked Peter the second time, “Do you truly love (agapao) me?”, Peter did not say, “Yes, I truly love you.” He repeated the words, “You know that I love you.” The third time Peter again replied: “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (phileo) you.” Peter knew that Jesus had first loved him. (1Jn 4:19) Peter could not love Jesus with the agape kind of love. Yet, he was willing to love Jesus with his best. Peter’s heart was open. His heart was captivated by the redeeming love of God. Peter was sure about the love of God in Jesus. Later, he said, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1Pe 2:24) Peter believed that Jesus truly died for his sins.
Last week the news of Michael Jackson’s sudden death shocked the world. People from all over the world paid their respect for his talent and his music. He loved children. He made many friends all over the world. Details of his life are unknown. I read about newspaper articles on his death and his life. Was he a happy soul?
Love is the essential aspect of life. We all want to hear the affirming words of love from those whom we know—our parents, our friends, and our Lord. What we want to hear is more than we are loved. What we what to hear is that we are capable to love those whom we know we should love—our parents, friends, and our Lord. Peter heard this affirming word of Christ in the form of his question to him, “Do you love me?” Our soul is not satisfied by merely hearing that someone—even God—loves us. Rather, we want to have this chance to express, “Yes, I love you again.” It is this affirmation of our capacity to love that revives us. Christ loves us, although we might have disappointed and even rejected him. Therefore, we are able and willing to love him again.
Second, “Feed my sheep” (15c, 16c, 17c). Each time after Peter’s confession of love, Jesus repeated the same command three times: “Feed my lambs”, “Take care of my sheep” and “Feed my sheep.” “Feed my sheep” is not a question but a command. Strangely, Peter was silent about this command. Perhaps Peter was not sure how he could do that. To feed Jesus’ sheep is a privilege. Those who regard this command as a burden do not know Jesus’ love. “To feed” is to supply basic needs. Feeding Jesus’ sheep is fundamentally different from feeding real sheep. Lambs may grow into sheep. However, sheep never become a shepherd. Sheep are always sheep. People are different. People may have a period of being a sheep. Yet, we all grow up. A young man becomes a father. A young woman grows up to be a mother who takes care of her children. A young Christian takes responsibility to obey Christ and his commands.
“Feed my sheep” is for the sake of Christ. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd of all sheep. All of his servants are under his authority. The great sacrifice and labor of shepherds is all directed to helping people belong to Jesus. Some people regard this conversation as a particular one between Jesus and Peter. They narrowly interpret this as a command for ordained, full-time pastors. This is a matter of interpreting an important principle of the Bible. In John 3, we read about Jesus’ teaching to Nicodemus. Jesus said to him, “You must be born again.” Is this only for Nicodemus? No, it is for all Christians. Nicodemus received this word as a representative of all people. When Jesus declared to the Samaritan woman, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (Jn 4:21), it was not only to the Samarian woman, but also to all of us.
Not everyone may feed sheep in the same way as Jesus or Peter did. Very few are called to feed sheep with professional pastoral calling. However, we all can obey Jesus’ command to feed Jesus’ sheep in our own world with the capacity that God provides. This life is not about challenging impossible things all the time. This life is about possible things all the time. In doing so, seemingly impossible things become possible. Because Jesus loves us, we love him. Because we love him, we take action to do his will. Our action is to take care of his people within the sphere of our influence. If we do not run away from this world, this world naturally comes to us—along with those who need Jesus’ care. Welcome them. Feed them. Take care of them. This is the ministry that Christ entrusts to us.
Third, follow me (18-25). Look at verse 18: “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” This is Jesus’ prophecy about Peter’s life. Jesus divided Peter’s life into two periods: “when you were younger” and “when you are old”. Peter met Christ in his early youth—probably when he was less than 30 years of age. Even after meeting Christ, he did not suddenly become a mature man. Like Apostle Paul, he reasoned like a child, he talked like a little child, he acted like a child. When he grew up, he put away childish ways (1Co 13:11).
Jesus predicted that someday in his future Peter would stretch out his hands. In time Peter became a powerful servant of God. His preaching had the power to impact thousands of lives. Eventually, he could live and die for the glory of God. Later in his life, Roman soldiers arrested him. He was sentenced to death for treason against the Emperor. According to church tradition, Peter asked to be crucified upside down. He said, “I am not worthy to die just as Christ did.” Jesus calls his disciples. A life of calling is to stretch out one’s hands. It is to surrender to God in this life and in death. In a sense, in the first half of our lives, we live as we please. It is characterized with human freedom we enjoy. In the second half of this life we live as God-given circumstances lead us.
Peter was curious about his friend John. So he said, “Lord, what about him?” We all do this. We wonder if God ever treats us unfairly in comparison to our friends. The first murder by Cain occurred because of an uncontrolled spirit of “What about him?” Cain was angry when he saw God accepted only Abel and his offering. He eventually killed his brother Abel. (Gen. 4:1-10) On the other hand, humble souls live their lives. We all have our own paths. This life does not become more meaningful as we compare ourselves with others. Rather, this life matters as we focus on our own walk with God.
Look at verse 22: “Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’” Jesus corrected him forcefully. “Peter, what are you talking about? Would you like to fight me if I let John remain until I return?” Jesus’ answer is very simple: “John is John and you are you.” Jesus said, “Peter, keep focusing your own life with me.” This is the way we live.
Look at verse 24: “Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’" Probably, Peter did not hear Jesus very well. So he said to the other disciples, “Well, Jesus told me that John would not die until Jesus returns.” This rumor spread fast and many believed it. In fact, John did live the longest. Yet, that did not mean that John lived longer than he deserved. Jesus simply had a different plan for John.
John was quite modest. He was a happy soul. He did not have much to say about himself. He said, “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” John wrote this gospel. John shared his love relationship with Christ. Jesus did not ask John a very personal question, “Do you love me?’ Jesus did not command him, “Feed my sheep.” Jesus did not personally predict John’s future. He did not say, “Follow me.” However, it did not matter to John. John was always sure of Jesus’ love for him. John certainly accepted that Jesus spoke to him as well. John was pleased to write down what he observed. He was happy to testify to the grace of God that was revealed to Peter. John included all the followers of Christ including himself in Jesus’ conversation with Peter.
Here is the conclusion of the matter according to John’s Gospel. Christ loves us. We love him in return. We will never be satisfied when we only want to receive love—even the love of God. Because we love Jesus, we take care of Jesus’ sheep. In this life, we have some real work to do—beyond all the other things there are to do. We take care of Jesus’ sheep. In a sense, our life goes through this circle. Loving Christ is in the spiritual and invisible realm. Feeding his sheep is in the real and tangible sphere. Following Christ is both in spiritual and physical life.
People come and go. Positions in this world do not last. In this world even the most exciting things have their limit. If you would experience such glory, fame and honor, then seek and get them if you will. It is O.K. to go wherever we want to go and try things that may satisfy our sense of freedom. However, at some point, all the work and activities in this world burden our souls and exhaust our spirits. There is no real ultimate meaning in work itself, no matter what it is. Human relationships are important but they have their limit, too.
Then, what is it that lasts? Christ says, “Follow me”. We follow Christ and therefore we find life in him. We love Jesus and therefore follow him. We love Jesus and therefore we feed his sheep and work for him. But our work for Christ is not the end of all. Feeding sheep is for Christ and his kingdom. But we must make Christ as the center of our work and relationships. Our chief end is to be with Christ and enjoy him forever.
These days we pray for Great Lakes Region Summer Bible Conference. We also pray for our Renovation and Expansion Project. Vision is great. Our purpose might be right. As we get into details, the devil is there. We might get frustrated and aggravated by some unpleasant details. But work is work. Building is building. Conference is conference. We do all this in the context of following Christ. Therefore, it is important to keep focusing on him.
We follow him and feed his sheep and ultimately join him. In this world people search in vain for some better direction, purpose, and focus. The real life is this: Love Christ. Feed Jesus’ sheep. But as of first importance, follow Christ. Do not lose sight of this Christ that we follow. Focus on Christ and follow him. This is the end of the matter. This is the timeless message of John’s Gospel for us—even today.
June 28, 2009; Dr. Paul Hong; Toledo, UBF.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
