"...do you love me more than these?"

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 “Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”  So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat 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 love me more than these?”   “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”    [John 21:10-15]

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"...do you love me more than these?"

The Lord Jesus took care of their physical needs first. Then when they were warm and had eaten,  He turned to Peter and dealt with spiritual matters. Peter had publicly denied the Lord three times. Since then, he had repented and had been restored to fellowship with the Lord. In these verses, Peter’s restoration is publicly acknowledged by the Lord.

It has often been pointed out that two different words for love are used in these verses.  We might paraphrase as follows: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these other disciples love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I am fond of You.” Peter would no longer boast that he would never forsake the Lord, even if all the other disciples did. He had learned his lesson.

A practical way of demonstrating love for Christ is by feeding the young ones in His flock.

Just as Peter had denied the Lord thrice, so he was given three opportunities to confess Him.  Third time, Peter appealed to the fact that Jesus was God and therefore knew all things. He said the third time, “You know that I am fond of You.” And for the last time he was told that he could demonstrate this by feeding Christ’s sheep. In this passage, the underlying lesson is that love of Christ is the only acceptable motive for serving Him.

Dear friend, have you repented like Peter did, for denying Jesus Christ by your words or actions? Jesus is asking each of us the same question, “_________[Fill in your name here], do you love me more than these?”  Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”  You can also share the Word of God to a friend or a family member or a colleague, who is hungry for the Word of God.  You can send an email or share the Word on the facebook or talk to them personally.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” [Romans 10: 14].


 

Throw your net on the right side...

 ““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. " [John 21:3-6]

I will make you fishers of men,
Fishers of men, fishers of men.
I will make you fishers of men,
If you follow Me.