Do You Love Me? - Jesus

Readings for the Day
Jeremiah 45-47, Psalm 105, John 21

Verses for the Day
John 21:15-17
Peter
15 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.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 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 answered, "Feed my sheep!"

Thoughts for the Day
As the risen Jesus eats with the disciples, Peter is likely feeling very sheepish. He had denied Jesus three times and now Jesus is among them just as he said. First Jesus says, "Do you love me more than these?" Seemingly he is saying to Peter, "Do you love me more than your fishing trade. Do you love me more than the success of the catch I just gave you?" When Peter answers a second time that he loves him, Jesus answers "feed my sheep". He is telling Peter that his love for Jesus will be shown in shepherding Jesus' people.

A third time Jesus asks Peter if he "LOVES" Him? The Greek word for love here is "agape". It is the same love that Jesus showed when he went to the cross. It is a self sacrificial, self emptying love which puts the other person's interests above your own. This is the love of the Father Jesus showed the world in His incarnation. As Paul says, "Jesus emptied himself becoming a servant until his death on the cross".

Jesus is trying to teach Peter the type of attitude he will have to have in order to shepherd the new Christian community. Peter was the first to confess Jesus as Lord, and Jesus promised He would build His church upon Peter's confession. Though Peter confessed Jesus as Lord, God still had work to do in his life before he could be a leader. The pain and embarrassment of Peter's threefold denial, would be replaced by Jesus' threefold re-instatement of him as an apostolic Leader in the early church.

It is easy to deny Jesus today as well? Sometimes we deny Jesus with our lips. Sometimes we deny him with our lifestyle. Sometimes we deny him with lives of indifference and mediocrity. But as Jesus saw Peter's heart he knew he could still use him as his apostle to build the first church. Maybe you have denied Jesus recently. Do you love him? Do you love him more than these? (Read whatever in your life takes precedence over your walk with Christ).

The most important thing you can do as a result of your love for Jesus is love someone else with the same love He showed you. Jesus is always looking for shepherds who are willing to lay down their lives for others. Go feed HIS SHEEP!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more