Good morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever wished you could see into your future? Maybe you’ve wondered what life will be like for you 5 or 10 years from now, or perhaps when and how your earthly journey will come to an end? Did you know Jesus fairly often described the future to His disciples? He had done it, for instance, when He predicted, in some detail, what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. (Luke 18:31-34)
Let’s rejoin Peter and six of his fellow disciples, sitting around a small fire on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, about 2000 years ago, as they are having breakfast, cooked by Jesus Christ, a few weeks after He was resurrected from the dead! Jesus and Peter have been having a life changing conversation.
Peter is hearing that Jesus had not given up on Peter even though Peter deserted Jesus as Judas and the mob were arresting Jesus, (Matt.26:56) and later that evening, Peter denied three times that he knew or was associated with Jesus! (Matt. 26:69-75)
Because of those failures, Peter was confident his relationship with Jesus was irreparably broken and very likely Peter would have no future with the disciples. I wonder how many of us have found ourselves in that place? But on this beach, in this early morning encounter, Peter has not only experienced a remarkable fishing miracle (John 21:4-6), and a wonderful breakfast cooked for him by Jesus, but Peter and Jesus have been having a restoration conversation, and Peter is experiencing forgiveness and inclusion back into relationship with Jesus.
Twice already, Jesus has asked Peter directly about the depth of Peter’s love for Jesus. Peter has somewhat shamefully responded honestly, not willing to incriminate himself by claiming something he could not prove or produce. (John 21:15,16) I’ve often wondered what the other six disciples thought about as they watched Peter squirm in this uncomfortable but very necessary dialogue with Jesus.
Reconciliation, restoration and life purpose re-engagement for Peter hung in the balance of this delicate, strategic, shoreline conversation. Let’s rejoin them…
John, the very good friend of Jesus, and his fellow disciple Peter, was also sitting at the fire having breakfast and he’s the one who has written his account of this event for us. John tells us that for a third time Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter with a third question: “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” (John 21:17) Oh I’m grateful John was very, very careful with his accuracy of the words Jesus used.
Sadly, in the English language, we see no difference at all between the second and third time Jesus asked Peter this question. The words are exactly the same in English. But John wrote his account in Greek, and Jesus was probably speaking Aramaic and the words Jesus spoke are actually dramatically different! What difference? The word Jesus used for “love“. Sadly in English, we have only one word, but in Greek there are several different words, each meaning love, but each describing a very different type of love.
Jesus had first used the word “agape” which is the self-sacrificing love which sent Jesus to the cross to pay for the sins of humanity. That’s the same love used in John 3:16 “For God so LOVED (Agape) the world, that He gave His only Son…”
Clearly these various terms for love were very important to John as he attempted to explain the love of God to send His Son to die for us; (1 John 4:9,10) and the love of Jesus for His Father to obey, (Matt. 26:42) and Jesus’ love for humanity to give His life to pay for our sin! So twice, Jesus has asked Peter if he loved Jesus with that ‘agape’, deep love? And twice Peter had responded that yes he ‘loved’ Jesus, but the word Peter used was ‘phileo’ love, which is a friendship, even a brotherly love. Those are two very different types and levels of love, do you understand that my friends?
Now for a third time Jesus repeats His question to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love (phileo) Me?” Only this time Jesus uses the same love word which Simon had already twice before used in his response to Jesus. By changing His word, Jesus is dramatically reducing the love standard He’s asking Peter about.
And the manner in which Jesus is asking could perhaps be spoken this way: “Simon son of John, do you even care enough about Me to consider us good friends?” Oh my, can you imagine how that pierced Peter’s heart? John tells us: “Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love (phileo) Me’? Peter said, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love (phileo) You.” (John 21:17)
I want to applaud Peter. Despite his deep desire to say what he thought Jesus wanted to hear, Peter was determined to never again find himself trapped or shamed by his own words! This was significant, for many more times in Peter’s life he would be challenged by religious and political leaders to declare the truth about Jesus Christ and to explain his relationship with Jesus.
Often Peter was beaten and imprisoned, but Peter refused to even come close to denying his Lord Jesus ever again! This was a character building conversation with Jesus on the beach that day. May I ask, when was the last time you or I had a character building conversation with Jesus?
Again Jesus responded to Peter’s honesty with a re-commissioning to purposeful and missional living. Jesus said: “Feed My sheep.” Peter was being entrusted by Jesus to be one of His key spokesmen, taking the significance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and the truths of Jesus’ teachings primarily to the unbelieving Jewish world for the rest of his life! (Galatians 2:7,8) Peter eventually wrote two books which bear his name and are included in the New Testament of our Bible.
But then Jesus said something to Peter totally unexpected. Jesus gave Peter a glimpse into what his life in the future was going to be: “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” (John 21:18)
I imagine scowls suddenly appeared on the brows of all 7 of the disciples sitting around the fire with Jesus. Oh this was not welcome news, but John, years later, explained: “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.” (John 21:19) Historians tell us Peter died about 40 years after this beach breakfast, crucified upside down, in an effort of the Roman Caesar to eliminate the influence and spread of Christianity across the Roman empire!
Let’s again pause right here my friends. What words would you use to describe your love for God the Father and your gratitude for all HE has done in your salvation? And what about Jesus Christ, God the Son as He gave His life for you?
And what if Jesus gave you a glimpse into your future and you saw that if you truly follow Jesus, there may be pain and suffering ahead? Would you “…run with perseverance the race marked out for you, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, casting off everything that hinders and the sin so that so easily entangles…?” (Hebrews 12:1,2)
Once again here’s a song to help us consider these things, my friends, and we’ll meet one final time on this beach, around this campfire tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: John 21:17,18.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.