"Do You Love Me?"
John 21
1. "Do you love me?"
At our age, this is one of the tantalising questions that we like to ask. "She looked at me! Does she love me?" "He messaged me immediately when I sent him a message on MSN. Does he love me?"
a. More than romance
However, after going out a while, especially for people who are married, "do you love me" means something more. Love has to be expressed by action.
In the church at UNSW, one of the things the ex-senior pastor had to do was to make sure that married couples under his care were doing well. One of the questions he used to go around asking them was "do you love your spouse?" Joshua's (our pastor) wife Karen, was once asked this question. She replied that yeah, she was looking after the kids and helping out with the house. She was asked again, "do you love your spouse?" a second time, and she replied the same. She was subsequently asked the third time, which made her totally clueless as to what her pastor was getting at. It was only when she discussed it with Joshua at home later that she realised that the senior pastor was asking whether their sexual relationship was going well.
b. "Feed my sheep"
However, this is clearly not what Jesus means here. There are many questions to ask from reading this passage. What's the connection between loving Jesus and feeding His sheep? How do these verses continue from what happened before about fishing? (John 21:1-12) and what is said later, about who's going to die how and when? (John 21:18-23)
c. John 21
Chapter 20 seems to be a good way to end the book. John 20:30-31 reads:
"And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Chapter 21 seems to be a weak conclusion. Why have Chapter 21 at all?
"And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Chapter 21 seems to be a weak conclusion. Why have Chapter 21 at all?
2. Closure
Chapter 21 functions as a closure to the themes that have been brought up in the book.
a. Peter
It is a closure first of all, for Peter. Jesus asking "do you love me" 3 times wasn't just to frustrate Peter. What had Peter said before?
"Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” " (John 13:36-37)
Jesus was predicting His death (John 13:36). Peter replied by saying that He would lay His life down for Him. But later, Peter denies Jesus 3 times, as recorded in John 18.
"Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” " (John 13:36-37)
Jesus was predicting His death (John 13:36). Peter replied by saying that He would lay His life down for Him. But later, Peter denies Jesus 3 times, as recorded in John 18.
However, just as Peter denies Jesus 3 times, Jesus makes Peter reaffirm His love 3 times (John 21). In front of the other disciples, Jesus is telling Peter especially not to worry about the past denials. It is time to restart and take His name into the world, just as Jesus had commanded the disciples to do earlier (John 20:21-22).
However, after hearing that command, instead of embarking on that mission, Peter heads back to fishing (John 21:1-2). Peter isn't doing fishing as a hobby. He is going back to his old vocation (John 21:3).
They were going to earn a living from fishing. There is nothing wrong with fishing in order to earn money. Later, Jesus takes their fish to eat. There is nothing inherently wrong with fishing.
They were going to earn a living from fishing. There is nothing wrong with fishing in order to earn money. Later, Jesus takes their fish to eat. There is nothing inherently wrong with fishing.
However, Jesus determined that this is not what Peter was to do with the rest of his life. So Jesus tells Peter, for the rest of his life, he is to feed the sheep.
b. Feed my sheep
The idea of 'sheep' is previously mentioned in John 10.
The idea of 'sheep' is previously mentioned in John 10.
John 10:1-6 - Jesus is talking about the Jewish leaders of the day.
John 10:7-10 - Jesus is the door of the sheep. Jesus is the One through whom you can find pasture (salvation).
John 10:16 Jesus is not just referring to the people of Israel. He will bring "other sheep I have which are not of this fold" also, and they will listen to Jesus' voice. Jesus is the shepherd.
The sheep Jesus is talking about are the elect, people God the Father has chosen to save and given to Jesus the Son. There is the idea of predestination idea here.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand." (John 10:27-29).
Jesus speaks His voice and calls the elect home.
The sheep Jesus is talking about are the elect, people God the Father has chosen to save and given to Jesus the Son. There is the idea of predestination idea here.
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand." (John 10:27-29).
Jesus speaks His voice and calls the elect home.
Later on, Jesus the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) tells Peter if you love Me, then speak My voice, tell My gospel, and call the elect to me. This is what 'feeding the sheep' entails.
Jesus has come back so that they will feed Jesus' sheep. Peter was to preach the gospel, rather than just to find food for his stomach.
Jesus has come back so that they will feed Jesus' sheep. Peter was to preach the gospel, rather than just to find food for his stomach.
c. Glory of God
After Jesus tells Peter to feed His sheep, the next few verses (John 10:18-19) are a logical flow of the argument - when he was young, Peter could dress and walk where he wished. When he grew old, he would no longer have control of his life. Specifically, someone would stretch out his hands and carry him where he didn't want to go. He would preach the gospel, and he would suffer and die on the cross for the sake of the gospel.
Tradition has it that Peter is hung on a cross upside down, just as Jesus said he would follow Him 'not now, but later' (John 12:36-37).
John 21:19 - Peter's death would glorify God. Like 'sheep', the theme of 'glory' gets picked up again. We see it first in John 1:14.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
What does God's glory (Jesus), being full of grace and truth, refer specifically to? John 12:27-33 continues the theme of glory. Jesus prays,
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
Jesus had set His mind to go to the cross. That is where He would glorify God. That is where God's grace and truth (His generosity and faithfulness to His word) lies.
The glory of John's gospel is about saving people, as he tells people about the gospel (John 20:30-31). John 21 is a closure for the theme of glory.
d. Revelation to Disciples
It is also a closure for the other 10 disciples. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to the disciples after His resurrection (John 21:14). The first was in a room without Thomas (John 20:19-23). The second was in the same room with Thomas (John 20:26-27).
The disciples are very important. John the writer doesn't count the appearance to Mary Magdelene. The way Jesus reveals Himself is bodily. They could even think it was some other person (John 21:4). Jesus actually eats the fish (though not specifically mentioned here in John 21:12, crf Luke 24:42).
John 21:4-13 - The miracle of the large catch of 153 fish is one of the very few miracles that Jesus does after He rises from the dead. Jesus does the miracle not just to prove His identity. The main significance of the miracle is to a reminder of Luke 5, when the exact same incident occurred when the disciples were first called to follow Jesus:
"So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:1-11)
It happened in the same lake of Galilee. It was the same place. This is deja vu. Jesus is calling them again, to restart their mission to preach the gospel. It was to the 11 disciples, not only to Peter.
John 21:4-13 - The miracle of the large catch of 153 fish is one of the very few miracles that Jesus does after He rises from the dead. Jesus does the miracle not just to prove His identity. The main significance of the miracle is to a reminder of Luke 5, when the exact same incident occurred when the disciples were first called to follow Jesus:
"So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:1-11)
It happened in the same lake of Galilee. It was the same place. This is deja vu. Jesus is calling them again, to restart their mission to preach the gospel. It was to the 11 disciples, not only to Peter.
e. Testimony
Peter is walking with Jesus on the beach. Having heard how he was going to die, he now turns around and sees John, following behind. He asks about John (John 21:20-21).
John 21:22 - John didn't die a martyr's death. John was exiled to the island of Patmos because of the gospel (Rev 1:9). That was His task, but he wasn't killed for that, unlike Peter.
It relates to another theme in John's gospel that is closed: testimony. Throughout John, Jesus talks about testifying (John 3:11, 5:31, 5:39, 8:14, 15:26). The Scriptures testify about Jesus (John 5:39). The apostles were to testify of Jesus. If the apostles didn't bear witness, it wouldn't have gone past the region. If they didn't write it down, it wouldn't have gone past their generation. In John 21:24-25, 3 times the word 'written' appears, and 2 times 'testimony'. These verses speak especially of John's eyewitness testimony. John 21:24-25 emphasizes that this is the TRUE testimony (building on John 20:30-31). Chapter 21 is a closure for the theme of testimony.
3. Jesus Ascended
Jesus came back from the dead, but he only stayed on earth 40 days after that. He ascended. John's gospel doesn't describe the ascension, but there is a hint of it in John 20:17. Jesus is not just God in heaven. He is God-Man in heaven.
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9).
We haven't seen Jesus, but yet we love Him. Is it possible to love someone without seeing the person? Isn't it like internet dating? Isn't that risky? Is it right? Is it sensible?
Yes it is possible to love someone without seeing the person, and it can be right and sensible. We know Jesus because it has been written for us by eyewitness' testimonies.
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9).
We haven't seen Jesus, but yet we love Him. Is it possible to love someone without seeing the person? Isn't it like internet dating? Isn't that risky? Is it right? Is it sensible?
Yes it is possible to love someone without seeing the person, and it can be right and sensible. We know Jesus because it has been written for us by eyewitness' testimonies.
4. Loving Jesus
a. For the Disciples
3 times Jesus asks, 'do you love me?'
For the disciples back then, it was to go and feed Jesus' sheep. They were in the moment of history when BC became AD. It was the moment when Jesus resurrected. They loved Jesus by preaching the gospel, writing it down, and being ready to suffer for it. We must not underestimate the value of the written record of the Bible. It is the only sure way that we know Jesus.
God promises no sure miracle that He would appear and show Himself to us. .
Why do we need a miracle to show that God loves us? Jesus has died on the cross for us. It has been written in the Bible for us (John 20:30-31).
b. For us
First and foremost, Jesus is addressing Peter directly. We have to be careful not to apply the passage to us directly. But, the book of 1 Peter is written by the same Peter, who says,
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Some of our non-Christian friends are sheep. By teaching the gospel to them, we are preaching the gospel and calling the elect home.
Inasmuch as we have people under us, we have to 'feed the sheep' as well. We may be bible study leaders (a few sheep), youth group leaders, or we may be reading the bible with a younger Christian (1 sheep). By teaching the gospel, fending off false teaching, by being godly examples, we are also feeding the sheep.
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Peter 5:1-4)
Some of our non-Christian friends are sheep. By teaching the gospel to them, we are preaching the gospel and calling the elect home.
Inasmuch as we have people under us, we have to 'feed the sheep' as well. We may be bible study leaders (a few sheep), youth group leaders, or we may be reading the bible with a younger Christian (1 sheep). By teaching the gospel, fending off false teaching, by being godly examples, we are also feeding the sheep.
Some of us have the abilities to do this full-time. Instead of just looking a few sheep, we are called to look after 200 sheep.
Food and money is not what life is about anymore.
Jesus rose from the dead not to become Masterchef, he rose from the dead to become the Master Shepherd.
It is a lot easier not to be doing this full-time. Many of us like to think of just contributing to the gospel work via financial giving. In the way we feed Jesus' sheep full-time, we may suffer more. Some of us may think, but none of my friends are doing this full-time. Or, 'let the others do it'!
Jesus tells Peter, you follow me. Mind your own business. God has different sufferings for each one of us.
Jesus has not risen so that we can go on living for this world. To love Him, we must change the orientation of our lives. Do we truly love Jesus more than anything else? Are we feeding His sheep?
Jesus has not risen so that we can go on living for this world. To love Him, we must change the orientation of our lives. Do we truly love Jesus more than anything else? Are we feeding His sheep?
