João 21
James Montgomery Boice · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 21
Boice comments on the threefold question, one which obviously grieved Peter… Does it seem cruel to you that the Lord asked Peter three times in front of the others whether he loved Him, in clear reference to his earlier threefold denial? It seemed to be; it was certainly painful. Yet in the ultimate analysis it was not cruel. The truly cruel thing would have been to let the matter go on festering in Peter so that throughout his entire life both he and the others would think that he was somehow inferior and unworthy of office though he had undoubtedly repented of the sin with weeping, as the Bible tells us. The kind thing was the public restoration so that Peter and the others would henceforth know that Peter’s past was past and that the Lord had himself commissioned him to further service. That is why the Bible calls for public confession of sin. God does not wish to be cruel to us, though the experience of confession is painful. It is to end the matter so that we can pick up and go on with Jesus. (Boice, J. M. The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books) Brian Bell explains it this way… Peter had boasted of his love for Christ and had even contrasted it with that of the other men. “I will lay down my life for Your sake!” (Jn 13:37) “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” (Mt. 26:33) 1. There is more than a hint in these boastful statements that Peter believed that he loved the Lord more than did the other disciples. {as if to say, “I can see James/ John falling away; Thomas for sure; But not me! - I’m spiritually stronger & more devoted to you than they are. I can see their commitment won’t hold up, but mine will.”} 2. Beware of: spiritual self-confidence; self-righteous; believing you’re spiritually stronger or more devoted. Or because you’ve been on a missions trip; because you go door to door and evangelize; because you don’t own a TV set; because you drive a “humble mobile” Beware! (John 21:15-15 Three Lessons on the Beach) THE PURIFICATION OF LOVE John 21:15-25. J H Jowett LOVEST thou Me?” There was a day, only a little while back, when Simon Peter’s love was not yet purified, and it indulged itself in loud and empty boasts. True love never blusters and brawls. It is like a stream of water flowing silently underground, and secretly bathing the roots of things, and keeping their heads fresh, and cool, and sweet. The boast has now dropped out of the love! It is now ashamed of words! “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee!” Yes, true love expresses itself, not in clamorous boastfulness, but in quiet services. It ministers to the Lord’s sheep and the Lord’s lambs. It spends its strength on the mountains, “seeking that which is lost,” and it does this in the darkness, where there is no applauding crowd. The true lover does not ask for some dramatic scene where he can die for the beloved; he delights in obscure services, the feeding and tending of the sheep of the flock. But the love that does the humbler thing will be ready for the greater sacrifice whenever the day shall demand it. Some day the once boastful denier shall lay down his life for his Saviour, and through martyrdom he shall pass to his crown. Longman notes that… Sheep (See also several other Bible Dictionary discussions on Sheep) are the most frequently mentioned animal in the Bible, with nearly 400 references if we include references to flocks. Additionally, the figure of the shepherd receives approximately 100 references. This prominence grows out of two phenomena—the importance of sheep to the nomadic and agricultural life of the Hebrews, and the qualities of sheep and shepherds that made them particularly apt sources of metaphor for spiritual realities… A lamb is simply a young and therefore small sheep. Many of the nearly 200 biblical references to lambs are therefore synonymous with those for the broader category. Lambs are associated with gentleness, innocence and dependence… The helplessness of sheep helps to explain the actions and qualities of a good shepherd, who in the Bible is a case study in care and compassion. It was the task of a shepherd to lead sheep from nighttime protection in a sheepfold on safe paths to places of grazing and watering. After morning grazing and watering, sheep typically lie down for several hours at midday in a shady or cool place (Song 1:7), returning at night to the sheepfold, where the shepherd would attend to fevered or scratched sheep. To protect sheep against predators, shepherds would carry two pieces of equipment, the "rod and staff" of Psalm 23:4, one of them a club-like weapon and the other the familiar crook used for protection, rescue and placing across the backs of sheep to count them as they entered the sheepfold (a process known as “the rodding of the sheep”; see Lev 27:32). Psalm 23, built around a typical day in the life of a shepherd, is a virtual handbook of these shepherding practices… The metaphor of people as sheep draws in specific ways on the traits of sheep, which may be negative or positive. As sheep often do, the people are said to have gone astray, each one wandering in the direction he or she chooses (Is 53:6; 1 Pet 2:25). The passivity of sheep and their use in sacrifice make them metaphors of persecution and martyrdom (Ps 44:22; cf. Rom 8:36). In a typical flock of sheep there are domineering sheep who push the weaker sheep away from water and food, who tread the pasture down and foul the water. All of this enters Ezekiel’s picture of life in the religious community gone awry (Ezek 34:17-23)… Shepherds were thus providers, guides, protectors and constant companions of sheep. They were also figures of authority and leadership to the animals under their care. So close is the connection between shepherd and sheep that to this day Middle Eastern shepherds can divide flocks that have mingled at a well or during the night simply by calling their sheep, who follow their shepherd’s voice. Shepherds are inseparable from their flocks, and their work is demanding, solitary and sometimes dangerous (Gen 31:38-40; 1Sa 17:34, 35). Shepherds were aided by their sons or daughters (Ge 37:12; 1Sa 16:11) or hired help (Jn 10:12,13), again placing them in a position of authority and responsibility. (See Dictionary of Biblical Imagery) Alan Carr elaborates on Tend My lambs… Supply The Saints - Peter is told to feed "my lambs", v. 15, these are the "little ones." Then, he is told to feed "my sheep.", v. 16. These would be those who are more mature. The point is clear. Jesus expected Peter to communicate the mind of God to all ages. Herein lies a problem that is ever growing in our churches. We have men who communicate their opinions. Men who communicate the course of politics and society. Men who communicate the mind of the Convention or denomination. There are those who communicate the mind of their favorite preacher. However, if we are going to feed the lambs and the sheep, then we must open the Word of God and communicate the mind of God to His people. When they receive a steady diet of "thus saith the Lord." They will grow! Some might say, "That is the preacher's job! What does that have to do with me?" I would answer, "Everything!" The duty of the child of God in this matter cannot be over stated. After all, there are many of you who teach in the church. When you stand before that Sunday School class or that Disciple Training class, have a word from God! For the rest, hold up the hands of those who are standing forth and communicating truth to the flock of God. Pray for God's men and for those who teach in our churches. May I remind you this evening that it takes every member of the body functioning in its appointed place to get the job done for Jesus? Let's do our duty! (How to Change Your Church Forever) John Bennett Day by Day: Bible Commands FEED MY LAMBS … FEED MY SHEEP Peter, with his great physical strength, had dragged the huge catch of fish ashore. The Stranger, now recognised by all the fishermen as the Lord, invited them to join Him for breakfast around a fire of coals on the beach. There He served them a simple meal of fish and bread. Not too long before, Peter had sat at another charcoal fire. There he had thrice denied his Lord, 18:16–18, 25, 27. Now, beside this fire, the Lord was going to rehabilitate him completely and reinstate him to public ministry. Peter had already been privately restored to fellowship with Christ. Now, under close questioning by the Lord Jesus, Peter affirmed three times his sincere love for the Saviour, paralleling his threefold denial. In response to these reaffirmations of affection, the Lord gives Peter a new ministry. He is charged with shepherding the flock of Christ. The evangelist, Luke 5:10, is now also given the pastor’s task. The ‘chief Shepherd’, 1 Peter 5:4, delegates to Peter a ministry of tending the sheep and feeding the lambs. How grateful we all should be that for Peter and for us God is the God of the second chance. Shepherding God’s people is one of today’s great challenges. Christ still seeks men like Peter to serve as under-shepherds. These men will have a deep affection for the Lord and a real consciousness of their own inner weakness. They will be men who have learned to put no confidence in the flesh. Men like these will have known personally the restoring touch of the Good Shepherd Himself. Such men will be able to tend the straying sheep of Christ and to take care of His lambs as they take their early faltering steps. In his epistles, Peter, describing himself as a fellow elder with the elders among his readers, 1 Peter 5:1, carries out his commission from the ‘chief Shepherd’. He feeds us with sound teaching, exhorts us in everyday duties, encourages us to persevere in trial and protects us against false teaching. May God raise up men who will hear the call and accept the charge and challenge to shepherd the flock of God whatever the personal cost. Oswald Chambers - Service Of Passionate Devotion - 'Lovest thou Me? … Feed My sheep.' John 21:16 Jesus did not say - Make converts to your way of thinking, but look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Me. We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or a creed. "If any man come to Me and hate not… , he cannot be My disciple." (Lk 14:26) There is no argument and no compulsion, but simply - If you would be My disciple, you must be devoted to Me. A man touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says - "Now I see Who Jesus is," and that is the source of devotion. Today we have substituted creedal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many are devoted to causes and so few devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is a source of deep offence to the educated mind of today that does not want Him in any other way than as a Comrade. Our Lord's first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men; the saving of men was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a door-mat. The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of the life is its unobtrusiveness. It is like a corn of wheat, which falls into the ground and dies, but presently it will spring up and alter the whole landscape (John 12:24). (Oswald Chambers - Service Of Passionate Devotion) APPLICATION QUESTIONS Note: These application points are not in order (they don't necessarily go from verse 15 to verse 25). Some of the points of application overlap. • Peter was grieved by the Lord's third question - Have you ever felt grief and pain like Peter felt, a pain directed by the Lord to the very core of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? • How does Jesus speak to our heart today? The Word of God ("reproof, correction," etc) • The probable meaning of what Jesus meant by “more than these” is discussed below. We could apply this question by personalizing it and asking “Who (what) do I love more than Jesus?” • One lesson which our Lord teaches us here by His own example is, that we ought to take great pains in rebuking a friend for his fault (referring to Peter's denial). (Broadus) • Jesus' piercing questions to Peter's surely are applicable to each of us today -- Jesus might ask this same question of each of us. Simply put, do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you love Him? How do you know? Jesus said "if you love (agapao) Me, you will (not "might") keep My commandments" (Jn 14:15) Those who claim assurance yet have no desire to go on in obedience to the command of Christ are still dead in their sins. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose (emphanizo = manifest openly, allowing Himself to be intimately known and understood) Myself to him." (Jn 14:21 cp Jn 14:23, 24, Jn 15:10) • Have you like Peter "failed to stand by your Lord" at some moment of crisis? Perhaps you think you have sinned against Him so horribly that He would never forgive you. Are you in need of restoration of fellowship with Jesus? Then Peter's story in John 21 is your story. Observe the Master's restoring touch in this section. Note especially the absence of harsh censure (Words like "I told you so!", "How could you do that to Me Peter?", etc). • Beware of spiritual self-confidence; self-righteous; believing you’re spiritually stronger or more devoted. Or because you’ve been on a missions trip; because you go door to door and evangelize; because you don’t own a TV set; because you drive a “humble mobile” Beware! (Brian Bell) • Before we are sent for service, the Lord Jesus wants to ask us one question "Do you love Me?" When we can answer this question affirmatively without hesitation or equivocation, we are ready to hear His call to service. • Are you motivated by love for Christ? What will keep you serving the Lord when the going gets tough? Although you may be sensitive to the needs of others, that alone isn’t enough. Nor should we be driven by a need that we have—a desire to be appreciated or loved by others. Our needs are deep, and only God can satisfy them. The more we try to satisfy them with anything else—even God’s work—the more dissatisfied we will become. In short, even love for God’s people, His sheep, won’t keep us going, because "sheep" can often be unlovable and insufferable and we may come to resent them. Oswald Chambers wrote “If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and brokenhearted,… but if our motive is to love of Christ, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellowmen.” (Cp Paul's great motive for service - 2Co 5:14-note ) • Do you have John's way of viewing your Christian life? John 21:20 gives us one of the deepest truths of Christian life, one of the great secrets of Christian peace, an essential quality of faith: that our hope does not rest in our love for Christ--but in His love for us. People are often discouraged when they find in themselves so little that is good and beautiful. They cannot see that they love Christ any more this year, than they did last. They do not find in themselves the beautiful fruits of the Spirit which they wish they could find. But there is another way to look at our lives, which gives us more hope. It is John's way--not our love for Christ--but Christ's love for us! (J. R. Miller) • We too like the early disciples are to be fishers of men - Are you engaged in winsome evangelism with friends, family, co-workers? If some have become believers (little lambs), are you seeking to shepherd them - feeding, guiding, protecting, as they take their first steps on yet slightly wobbly spiritual legs? While doubtless this charge speaks primarily to pastors, there is surely personal application for all followers of Christ, because Jesus' last command was to make disciples (learners) (Mt 28:18, 19, 20). Are you heeding our Chief Shepherd's call? • Does your spiritual service proceed from your love and devotion to Christ? Love of Christ should always be the primary motivation for our service. Or are you placing service to Christ ahead of love to Christ? (See Oswald Chambers Devotional) • Aren't we all a lot like Peter in Jn 21:21 asking "What about this man?" It is so easy to let our relationship with the Lord be overly influenced by the behavior and experiences of others. But we must not be concerned with what God has planned for anyone else. Through the conflicting voices that surround us, we must keep hearing the Savior’s clear command: “You follow Me.” Are you fixing your eyes on Jesus or on His work in and through other saints? The former focus will assure a race well done, while the latter focus often leads to frustration, envy, jealousy and failure to finish your (own, not someone else's) race. • Take a moment to express your love to Jesus by playing (and singing) the beautiful old Maranatha chorus I Love You Lord • Lesson from Jn 21:21, 22 - Resentment comes from looking at others. Contentment comes from looking to Jesus. • What is the word for the church from Jn 21:15-17? Love Christ! We, as a church, must move beyond the phileo love that says, "I am fond of you, I live you like a brother", and must come to the place where we love the Lord with a genuine agape love. That is, we need a self-sacrificing, self-denying, unconditional, unchanging, unending love for Christ that pervades every area of our lives. When we come to this point, Mt 22:39 will pose no problems for us. Then we will be in a place to demonstrate to the lost world around us that Jesus is all that He claims to be - John 13:35 (Alan Carr) • When you read the Words of Jesus and hear Him asking "Do you love Me?" how do you answer? 'Jesus, I admire You. Jesus, I think you are fascinating. Jesus, I have a great respect for You'? Or can you say with Peter, 'Lord, you know what is in my heart, You know that I love You'? • Many can identify with Peter over their own sense of spiritual faltering and falling. How many have made good confessions, committed to firm resolutions of faithfulness, then have fallen into sin, spiritual coldness, and barrenness? How often have we done the very thing we said that we would not do in terms of spiritual commitment? The encouragement for all of us in this passage is that there is mercy with the Lord! He alone can restore the fallen to usefulness… The most striking element of this whole scene is that we see Jesus Christ pursuing the fallen. You make think "He would never pursue me." Then you don't understand the loving heart of Jesus to continually seek those who deny Him with their thoughts, words and actions… people just like Peter! (Phil Newton - The Fallen Restored) • To follow (akoloutheo Jn 21:19, 20) is intimately linked to the life and ministry of Jesus. Indeed, He is the only One we should follow. Who are you following? A pastor, a sports hero, a famous writer, a successful relative, etc? May God grant us wisdom and grace that by His Spirit we may follow Jesus all the days of our life and unto a death that glorifies His Holy Name. Amen • Have you heard and heeded Jesus' command "Follow Me?" Do you understand what it means to follow Jesus? Jesus' call to follow Him is in essence His call to be His disciple. (Study the verb "follow" in the Gospels - Mt 4:19, Mk 1:17, Mt 8:19, 20, 21, Mt 9:9, Lk 5:27, 28, Mt 10:37, 38, 39; Mt 16:24, 25, 26; Mk 8:34, 35, 36, 37, 38; Mt 19:21, 22, 23, 24; Lk 9:23, 24, 25, 26; Lk 9:59, 60, 61, 62; Lk 18:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27; Jn 10:4, 5, 27; Jn 12:26 • "Follow Me" are not the last words of Jesus before His ascension (see Acts 1:7, 8) but they are Jesus' last words in the Gospel of John (Jn 21:22). It is interesting that Jesus issued the same command (Follow Me) at the beginning of this Gospel (Jn 1:43). Clearly Jesus wants us to remember that being a Christian is not just believing in Him in an abstract sense, but that it constitutes believing in the Person of Jesus to the point that we turn our back on all else and choose to follow Him all the days of our life! Illustration of Jesus Restoring Peter to Useful Service - There was a certain man who had been faithful in worshiping with other believers for many years. Then he became lax and stopped coming to the services. The pastor was burdened for his spiritual welfare, so one day he called in his home. The man invited him in and offered him a chair by the fire. The Pastor mentioned to the man how much missed seeing him in the worship services. The man replied that he was saved and saw no need to go to church. He felt that he could worship just fine at home. For several long moments they sat in silence and watched the burning embers. Then, taking the tongs, the pastor removed a hot coal and laid it by itself on the hearthstone. As it began to cool, its red glow soon faded. The man, who had been expecting a verbal rebuke, quickly caught the message. He was at church for the next service! Its tough being out of the Lord’s will, but it is possible to make things right again! Illustration of Restoring the Fire (As Jesus Was Doing with Peter) - A pastor decided to visit a member who had stopped attending services. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail." Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday." - Jesus is ready to rekindle Peters ember! James Butler LOVE John 21:15 Sermon Starters “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” (John 21:15). Our text records part of a conversation that took place between Christ and Peter shortly after the resurrection. Christ had just worked a miracle fish catch and after Peter and his fellow-fisherman had dined with Christ over some fish and bread, Christ asked Peter this all important question as to whether Peter loved the Lord or not. We note three important matters in this question which instructs us all in our devotion to the Lord. FIRST—THE EMPHASIS ON LOVE “Lovest thou me?” This question is asked Peter two more times, so in this passage of Scripture is a question about love three times. This shows the emphasis of Christ upon the matter of loving Him. It is important to love Him. The Apostle Paul said that if any man did not love Christ he would be cursed (1 Corinthians 16:22). Loving Christ is the difference between dwelling in eternal heaven or eternal hell. Loving Christ also has much to do with our service as we will note later. Our love for Christ is extremely important, so important that the church at Ephesus was strongly indicted for leaving their “first love” (Revelation 2:4). Diminishing love for Christ caused the church to go bad. Lack of love for Christ will lead to serious backsliding. SECOND—THE EARNESTNESS OF LOVE “Lovest thou me more than these?” This is the question that asks how much did Peter loved the Lord. “These” can refer to two things. • It can refer to people. Peter was quite outspoken at times about performing better than the other disciples. He had boasted the night before the crucifixion that his loyalty would be stronger than any of the other disciples, in fact than anyone else (Matthew 26:33). But after Peter’s threefold denial of the Lord he was no longer ready to brag that his love for Christ was more than others (“these” his fellow disciples) loved Christ. • It can refer to possessions. Peter life’s experiences were in fishing. He would love a good catch of fish. Christ gave him the greatest catch he had ever gotten. Did Peter love his possessions more than Christ. We often fail here and love the gifts more than the Giver. THIRD—THE EVIDENCE OF LOVE “Feed my lambs”. If you love the Lord you will show it by your service. Love will promote fervent and faithful service for Christ. Apostle Paul said “The love of Christ constraineth [compels] us” (2 Corinthians 5:14) in regards to his service. Poor service says there is a lack of love for Christ. Love is more than mere words; it is also deeds. “If ye love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15) is another indicator of true love for the Savior. - Sermon Starters Pour It Out! - The first youth group I attended was led by a woman who loved every one of us. She prayed for us by name every day. She tracked us down if we started to miss meetings. She advised us when our behavior became inappropriate and confronted us when we sinned. She was our advocate and confidante, and more than once she spoke up for us at church business meetings. To me, she put into practice the principle taught in John 21:15-17. Three times the Lord asked Peter if he loved Him, and three times Peter answered that he did. Then Jesus said, “Feed My sheep.” This suggests that as we are filled with love for Christ, that love will pour out to others. It will be demonstrated in acts of compassion. It does little good to tell the Savior we love Him if we never show any love for His sheep. It means little to say we have a burden for Christian prisoners, for example, if we never have any contact with them. Love demands a loving deed When you see someone in need; Don't just say you love him true, Prove it by the deeds you do. —Anon. They truly love who show their love. Turkish Delight - In C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch needed to know only one thing about Edmund to get him to betray his siblings. By asking a few simple questions, the witch learned that Edmund’s weakness was his love for a candy called Turkish Delight. The piece she gave to Edmund was more delicious than anything he had ever tasted. Soon Edmund could think only about “trying to shovel down as much Turkish Delight as he could, and the more he ate the more he wanted.” Each of us has a vulnerability like Edmund’s that Satan is eager to exploit. It may be something addictive like drugs or alcohol, or it may be something seemingly harmless and perhaps even good like food, friendship, or work. After His resurrection, Jesus asked Peter this personal and probing question: “Do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15). Many have speculated as to what Jesus meant by the word “these,” but it’s probably better that we don’t know. It allows each of us to personalize the question and ask ourselves, “What do I love more than Jesus?” God takes delight in us— how can we help but delight in Him? And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (Acts 1:15). Remorse deprives many Christians of the joy that should be theirs. A man in his middle years has withdrawn from the people in his church because he feels so bad about his past infidelity—a sin that broke up his home. An elderly woman needs counseling from time to time because she can't forget an affair she had more than fifty years ago. A young woman sees a psychiatrist because she can't forgive herself for having had an abortion. Each of these people is now a Christian, but each is paralyzed at times by remorse over the past. If anyone ever had good reason for allowing the memory of a grievous sin to put him on the shelf, it was Peter. He had been such a coward. He had fled Gethsemane at Christ's arrest, and then denied three times that he knew the Lord Jesus. Later, he felt so bad that he wept bitterly. Yet he did not allow his remorse over past failures to make him ineffective in his service for Christ. He accepted the Lord's forgiveness, and he received new hope from Jesus' commission, "Feed my sheep." In Acts 1:15 we find him back in his role as the leader of the disciples. By taking Jesus' words of forgiveness to heart and by forgiving himself, he put the past under the blood of Christ. Christians should seek to erase from their memory the sins God has erased from their record. Truth that Transforms - Truth is truth even if it doesn’t seem to affect our lives directly. But the truth that God gives us in the Bible not only opens heaven’s door for us, it also changes our lives. Ron Sider, a leading evangelical advocate for the poor, tells about a conversation he had with German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg. As they were discussing the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the theologian emphatically declared, “The evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: It is a very unusual event, and second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live.” That’s a challenging statement. If we really believe Jesus rose again, that belief mandates a change of life. Peter’s life was turned upside-down after he saw the resurrected Christ. Once an impetuous fisherman-disciple who denied even knowing Christ after His arrest, he became a bold witness for Him (John 18:17,25,27; Acts 2:14-36). We want to do great things, O Lord, To glorify Your name; When You transform us by Your power, We’ll never be the same. —Sper The power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power at work in you. (Eph 1:18,19) Lovest Thou Me' Hark, my soul! it is the Lord; ‘Tis thy Saviour, hear His word; Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee, “Say, poor sinner, lovest thou me' “I deliver’d thee when bound, And when bleeding, heal’d thy wound; Sought thee wandering, set thee right, Turn’d thy darkness into light. “Can a woman’s tender care Cease towards the child she bare' Yes, she may forgetful be, Yet will I remember thee. “Mine is an unchanging love, Higher than the heights above. Deeper than the depths beneath, Free and faithful, strong as death. “Thou shalt see my glory soon, When the work of grace is done; Partner of my throne shalt be;— Say, poor sinner, lovest thou me?” Lord, it is my chief complaint, That my love is weak and faint; Yet I love Thee and adore,— Oh! for grace to love Thee more! ---Olney Hymns, by William Cowper John 21:16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” second: John 18:17,25 Mt 26:72 My sheep: Jn 10:11-16,26,27 Ps 95:7 100:3 Zec 13:7 Mt 25:32 Lk 15:3-7 19:10 Ac 20:28 Heb 13:20 1Pe 2:25 John 21 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love (agapao) Me?” - Now Jesus drops the comparison "more than these" but otherwise the question is identical to the first. Jesus is asking "Do you love with an unconditional commitment, "higher" kind of love?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love (phileo) You.” Peter again responds with the weaker type of love using phileo and not agapao which Jesus had used. He said to him, “Shepherd (poimaino) My sheep.” Note that the verb changes from bosko as in Jn 21:15, 17 (which emphasizes the feeding aspect of shepherding) to poimaino. It is notable that some writers feel the change is significant, while others do not. W E Vine writes that "In John 21:15, 16, 17, the Lord, addressing Peter, first uses bosko (Jn 21:15) then poimaino (Jn 21:16), and then returns to bosko (Jn 21:17). These are not simply interchangeable (nor are other variations in His remarks); a study of the above notes will show this. Nor, again, is there a progression of ideas. The lesson to be learnt, as Trench points out (Syn. Sec.xxv), is that, in the spiritual care of God’s children, the “feeding” of the flock from the Word of God is the constant and regular necessity; it is to have the foremost place. The tending (which includes this) consists of other acts, of discipline, authority, restoration, material assistance of individuals, but they are incidental in comparison with the “feeding.” (Collected Writings) John
João 21
Boice comments on "Follow Me"…These… last words of Christ may be difficult to obey (ED: THEY ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO OBEY AND ONLY POSSIBLE AS WE LEARN TO DEPEND ON THE HOLY SPIRIT TO OBEY). But they are not difficult to interpret if for no other reason than that Jesus himself supplies the interpretation in other places. The key passage is Luke 9:23, 24, 25+ (and the parallel, Mark 8:34, 35, 36, 37+). ( The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary) G Campbell Morgan…"Follow Me." That is to say: When I first named My cross you shunned it; you must come back to it, but "follow Me." You saw Me go to it; you lost hope. You have seen Me alive again. "Follow Me." The man who comes to the cross with Me comes to resurrection with Me (ED: BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT COMES TO DIE TO SELF!). The man who comes along the pathway of suffering in fellowship for the doing of My work comes to the hour of absolute and assured victory with Me. The Lord challenges us still to follow Him to the cross, but to follow Him to the cross is to follow Him to resurrection and to triumph (cp Php 3:10, 11-note). (G. Campbell
João 21:15-25
Boice comments on "Follow Me"… These… last words of Christ may be difficult to obey, as we will see. But they are not difficult to interpret if for no other reason than that Jesus himself supplies the interpretation in other places. The key passage is Luke 9:23, 24, 25 (and the parallel, Mark 8:34, 35, 36, 37). (Boice, J. M. The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books) G Campbell Morgan… "Follow Me." That is to say: When I first named My cross you shunned it; you must come back to it, but "follow Me." You saw Me go to it; you lost hope. You have seen Me alive again. "Follow Me." The man who comes to the cross with Me comes to resurrection with Me. The man who comes along the pathway of suffering in fellowship for the doing of My work comes to the hour of absolute and assured victory with Me. The Lord challenges us still to follow Him to the cross, but to follow Him to the cross is to follow Him to resurrection and to triumph (cp Php 3:10, 11-note). (G. Campbell
João 21:15-25
Boice comments on the threefold question, one which obviously grieved Peter… Does it seem cruel to you that the Lord asked Peter three times in front of the others whether he loved Him, in clear reference to his earlier threefold denial? It seemed to be; it was certainly painful. Yet in the ultimate analysis it was not cruel. The truly cruel thing would have been to let the matter go on festering in Peter so that throughout his entire life both he and the others would think that he was somehow inferior and unworthy of office though he had undoubtedly repented of the sin with weeping, as the Bible tells us. The kind thing was the public restoration so that Peter and the others would henceforth know that Peter’s past was past and that the Lord had himself commissioned him to further service. That is why the Bible calls for public confession of sin. God does not wish to be cruel to us, though the experience of confession is painful. It is to end the matter so that we can pick up and go on with Jesus. (Boice, J. M. The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books) Love (25)(agapao - see related study of noun agape) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35, 15:9, 17:23, 24). Agapao is a verb which by its nature calls for action. Agapao is the purest, noblest form of love, which is volitionally driven, not motivated by superficial appearance, emotional attraction, or sentimental relationship. In short, agapao is the highest love of one's will and a love that implies total commitment (cp Paul's "definition" in 1Cor 13:4-8). Peter fully aware of his recent failure (denial), refused to claim this high quality of love. Peter was now a broken man, humbled by his denial after boasting so strongly that he would never deny His Lord. And so he uses phileo (see below), the less lofty term for love. He was willing to say he had at least that quality of love and he even appealed to Jesus' omniscience ("You know that I love You") to support his affirmation of love (phileo type). Vine writes that "Love can be known only from the actions it prompts. God’s love is seen in the gift of His Son, 1John 4:9, 10. But obviously this is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects, Ro 5:8 (note). It was an exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself, cp. Deuteronomy 7:7, 8. Love had its perfect expression among men in the Lord Jesus Christ, 2Co 5:14-note; Ep 2:4 (note); Ep 3:19 (note); Ep 5:2 (note); Christian love is the fruit of His Spirit in the Christian, Galatians 5:22 (note). Christian love has God for its primary object, and expresses itself first of all in implicit obedience to His commandments, John 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10; 1Jn 2:5; 5:3; 2Jn 6. Self-will, that is, self-pleasing, is the negation of love to God. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson) Vine goes on to offer a cogent explanation of why the two verbs agapao and phileo are used in this context "As to the change of verb in Peter’s reply to the Lord’s question (See preceding table), “Lovest thou Me?” Christ uses agapao in His first two questions; Peter uses phileo in all three answers. Phileo expresses a natural affection, and in this Peter is perfectly sure of himself and is keenly desirous of stating his affection, particularly after his denials. This the Lord fully appreciates; but He is thinking of the practical manifestations and effects as well, as is evident from His commands. And the verb agapao combines the two meanings: it expresses a real affection, but likewise raises it to the thought of an active and devoted exercise of it on behalf of others. Accordingly He first says “Feed My lambs” (showing that the love is the expression of mind in action). So again, when Peter adheres to phileo, Christ replies, “Tend My sheep.” Shepherd work (all that is involved in tending sheep) must exhibit the love. The commands show how fully reinstated Peter was. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson) While not all see a clear significance in the change of verbs for "love", John MacArthur feels the change is significant… The word Jesus used for love is agapao, the highest love of the will, love that implies total commitment (cf. 1Co 13:4–8). Peter, painfully aware of his disobedience and failure, felt too guilty to claim that type of love. The brash pronouncements were a thing of the past; broken and humbled and fully aware that his action precluded him from a believable claim to the highest love, Peter answered by using the word phileo, a less lofty term that signifies affection. He also appealed to Jesus’ omniscience, reminding Him, “You know that I love You.” Accepting Peter’s humble acknowledgement that his love was less than he had claimed and Christ deserved, Jesus still recommissioned him, graciously saying to him, “Tend My lambs.” Thomas Watson relates our love of Jesus to our service for Jesus writing… Love makes all our services acceptable, it is the musk that perfumes them. It is not so much duty, as love to duty, God delights in; therefore serving and loving God are put together. Isa 56: 6. It is better to love Him than to serve Him; obedience without love, is like wine without the spirit. O then, be persuaded to love God with all your heart and might. It is nothing but your love that God desires. The Lord might have demanded your children to be offered in sacrifice; he might have bid you cut and lance yourselves, or lie in hell awhile; but he only desires your love, he would only have this flower. Is it a hard request, to love God? Was ever any debt easier paid than this? Is it any labour for the wife to love her husband? Love is delightful. Love must by definition be sweet -- Bernard. What is there in our love that God should desire it? Why should a king desire the love of a woman that is in debt and diseased? God does not need our love. There are angels enough in heaven to adore and love Him. What is God the better for our love? It adds not the least cubit to His essential blessedness. He does not need our love, and yet He seeks it. Why does He desire us to give Him our heart? Pr 23:26. Not that He needs our heart, but that He may make it better… Our love to God is a sign of His love to us. We love him because he first loved us.' 1John 4: 19. By nature we have no love to God; we have hearts of stone. Ezek 36: 26. And how can any love be in hearts of stone? Our loving Him is from his loving us. If the glass burn, it is because the sun has shone on it; so if our hearts burn in love, it is a sign the Sun of Righteousness has shone upon us. (Thomas Watson - The Ten Commandments 2. Introduction Love) Phil Newton comments on why Jesus would ask Peter something about which He knew the answer… The question to Peter and to any of us who struggle with our relationship to Christ is meant to bring us to the place of recognizing the reality of the divine love placed within us through the new birth (Ro 5:5). This kind of love is unnatural to the sinner. It is a gift of grace born by the Holy Spirit within us. So, when our Lord asks, "Do you love Me?" He is pointedly asking whether there is the reality of the new birth in your life. But we also see this question humbling us. We can only imagine the depth of humility cast upon Peter when he was questioned by Christ. Is that not what we need when in pride we have gone our own way and rebelled against the will of Christ? Do we not need to be humbled and broken in conviction concerning our own sinfulness? Jesus' question is meant to clear away the rubbish in our lives, to get down to the rock bottom of our affections. Do you love Jesus Christ? The question examines us in our motives. It searches the true intentions of our hearts. Charles H.
João 21:15-25
Boice comments that there is joy in the awareness of Christ's omniscience… First, God knows the worst about us and loves us anyway. If God did not know all things, we might fear that someday something evil in us would spring up to startle God and turn His affection from us. He would say, “Oh, look at that horrible sin! I didn’t know that was there. How terrible! That changes everything. I won’t have anything to do with that person anymore.” If God were not omniscient, that might well happen. But God knows all things. He knows the worst about us and loves us anyway. The Bible teaches that it was “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro 5:8-note - Ed: It is interesting that "demonstrates" is present tense = God continually demonstrates this quality of love for sinners even after they are saved!). Second, since God knows all things He also knows the best about us, though others do not. The disciples might have been startled by Peter’s defection. They might have said, “If Peter is capable of denying Jesus like that, who knows what other sins are lurking within him. He might even be a false disciple.” But Jesus knew better. He knew Peter’s heart and love. It is not surprising in view of this knowledge that Peter appeals to Him. Never say, “I can do it, Lord. I know I can. I know my heart.” Say rather, “Lord, you know what is there. You put it there. You know what love I have for you. Take it and make it into something that will abound to Your glory.” (Boice, J. M. The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books) Take a moment to express your love to Jesus in song. Play the beautiful old Maranatha chorus I Love You Lord Shepherd My sheep - Note that the verb changes from bosko as in Jn 21:15, 17 (which emphasizes the feeding aspect of shepherding) to poimaino. It is notable that some writers feel the change is significant, while others do not. W E Vine writes that… In John 21:15, 16, 17, the Lord, addressing Peter, first uses bosko (Jn 21:15) then poimaino (Jn 21:16), and then returns to bosko (Jn 21:17). These are not simply interchangeable (nor are other variations in His remarks); a study of the above notes will show this. Nor, again, is there a progression of ideas. The lesson to be learnt, as Trench points out (Syn. Sec.xxv), is that, in the spiritual care of God’s children, the “feeding” of the flock from the Word of God is the constant and regular necessity; it is to have the foremost place. The tending (which includes this) consists of other acts, of discipline, authority, restoration, material assistance of individuals, but they are incidental in comparison with the “feeding.”