July 20, 2025 - John 21:15-17 - "Lovest Thou Me?"

John 21:15-17

"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. 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. 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."

Here on the shore of Galilee, we witness the risen LORD Jesus tenderly restoring His fallen servant, Peter. This is not merely an emotional conversation, but a sovereign act of grace—a drawing again to Himself of one for whom He had fully paid the debt of sin. Though Peter had denied the LORD with cursing and fear (Matthew 26:72), Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep, now gently reaffirms His calling with a threefold question: “Lovest thou me?” It is not Peter’s love that secures him, but Christ’s unfailing love that sought and restored him. This passage beautifully reveals the triumph of God’s sovereign grace in Christ over human failure and sin. In His mercy, Christ reclaims and restores His elect, broken, humbled, yet forever beloved.

Consider how the LORD Jesus Christ in this encounter is the Shepherd who restores souls and calls His own lovingly and irresistibly to Himself, not by merit, but by grace.

"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" When our LORD asked Peter if he loved Him, He used the strongest word for ‘love’ [agape]. Our LORD Jesus asked Peter if he loved HIM with the same everlasting love, that God the Father has always loved His Son, and His elect in Him from eternity, John 17:23.

"He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs." Although in our English translation it appears that Peter answered using the same word “love,” the original Greek reveals a different word—phileo—which refers to the love between friends. Rightly so, Peter could not bring himself to claim that he loved the LORD Jesus with a higher, self-sacrificing love above that of the other disciples, nor with the eternal love with which God in Christ had loved him. Though Christ is indeed worthy of such love—and commands it of His own (Matthew 22:37)—Peter, humbled by his recent failure, could not make such a claim.

Yet the LORD did not rebuke Peter for his hesitancy. Instead, He gently instructed him, “Feed my lambs.” In doing so, the Lord was tenderly leading Peter to acknowledge his own weakness and insufficiency in love for Christ as he ought—especially in light of having denied Him just days earlier on the eve of the crucifixion, despite his bold claim that he never would.

This explains the reason our LORD asked the question the way He did, ‘lovest thou me MORE THAN THESE?’ Matthew 26:34- “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” How true are the words for any of us, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall,” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

"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." Our LORD asked Peter the same question a second time, with the only difference being, ‘Feed my sheep’ (rather than ‘lambs,’ as previously asked). Sheep here is a reference to all those that the Father had given Christ from eternity (John 10:27-28) for whom Peter, with all of his weakness would be called upon to nourish through the preaching and teaching of the Gospel, as evidenced throughout the book of Acts. These were to be both the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and his other sheep among the Gentiles, whom the Father had given him, and for whom He paid the price, (John 10:14-16).

"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."  Here a third time our LORD repeats the question, only this time uses the word that Peter used, phileo, that of a friend. He asks, ‘Peter, do you love me even with the love of a friend?’ Christ called Himself the Friend of sinners, and therefore draws out of Peter that confession of loving HIM, as the Friend of sinners. By asking three times, He is doubtless causing Peter to remember the number of times that Peter had denied Him (Luke 22:60-61). However, our LORD does not do this to scold Peter but tenderly remind him that except for our LORD keeping him, or any of His own, none would stand, (Luke 22:32). Even as after Peter had denied the LORD three times, and the LORD looked on him and Peter wept bitterly, (Luke 22:62). So here, Peter was grieved (greatly sorrowful) (John 21:17). 

Such was the preparation of the heart of Peter by our LORD for the ministry of preaching and overseeing Christ’s sheep.  He was to feed the LORD’s sheep, by the LORD’s strength, by the LORD’S Word alone, and by His grace alone, The matter of preaching the Gospel is not taught in a school but by the Spirit. It’s not of men but unto the glory of God alone.