So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15–17
What do you think might have been going through Peter’s mind when he met the Lord on this spring day on the shores of Galilee? This event probably transpired very near to the place where Peter had first met Jesus and where Jesus had assisted Peter on another fishing trip. When He urged the dejected fishermen to cast their nets, they drew in so many fish that their boats began to sink (Luke 5:4–7). When Peter saw it, “he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” (v 8). Fast forward a few years, and you see a similar scene (John 21). This time they didn’t know it was Jesus right away (v 4), but when He told them to cast their net and they could not even draw it back in, John told Peter, “It is the Lord!” (v 7). This was the third time Jesus had appeared to them since His resurrection (v 14; 20:19–29), but this appearance seems to have had a greater effect, particularly upon Peter. As his mind wandered back to the day he had declared his unworthiness to the Lord, undoubtedly he considered himself even less worthy now, having abandoned Him and denied Him three times on the night of his arrest. Three years ago Jesus had tapped this sinful fisherman to become a herald of the kingdom of heaven, and now He came face-to-face with the Messiah again, this time as a failed deserter who had returned to his former occupation (v 3).
Let’s look at the exchange between Jesus and Peter more closely. Jesus asks, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” (v 15). Before His arrest, when Jesus said that all would be made to stumble, Peter vowed, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble” (Matthew 26:33). Now Jesus reminds Peter of his claim to love Him more than any of the other disciples, and He asks if Peter would still affirm that statement. Peter responds, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You” (John 21:15). One subtle difference ought to be noticed: whereas Jesus used the word agapao, Peter uses fileo, which connotes a fondness from association more than a deep love from the heart. Jesus then repeats His question (still using agapao), but this time without the qualifying expression “more than these” (v 16). Instead of asking Peter to compare his love to that of the others, He is asking in essence, “Do you even love Me at all?” Once again Peter says that he does, but again with the less intimate word fileo (v 16). When Jesus asks Peter the third time, He changes the question yet again, this time using fileo (as Peter had), challenging even this level of affection (v 17). “Peter was grieved” when the Lord put this question to him, no doubt remembering each of the three times that he had denied Him. Jesus then hints to Peter what he can expect to suffer for Him (vv 18–19), giving him the assurance that He still has use for him. It will not do to love Jesus as we would love a piece of art. Jesus demands that we love Him more than anything or anyone else.
Is there anything or anyone you love more than Jesus? We need to love Him more than any other master (Matthew 6:24), more than the praises of men (John 12:42–43), more than earthly relations (Matthew 10:34–38), and more than self (Matthew 10:39). We should love Jesus because of where He came from (John 8:42; 16:27), because of His great love for us (John 15:9), because of His forgiveness (Luke 7:47), and because of the sacrifices He has made for our sake (Philippians 2:5–8).
No one can ever love you more than Jesus. How much do you love Him? Enough to die for Him? Enough to live for Him? There is no love like the love of Christ for us, and He should have no competition in our lives for the fullest measure of our love and devotion.