Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
There’s something calming about beaches and waves isn’t there? No matter where in the world, if you have a chance to sit on the beach looking out across the water, or stand in the waves, there’s a very special feeling that comes over you, isn’t there? Are you a person who does some of your best thinking and maybe praying at the beach?
Join me again with Jesus, and 7 of His disciples, as they are sitting on the beach, looking out over the Sea of Galilee, eating a Jesus cooked breakfast, early one morning. At one point in the conversation, around that breakfast fire, with a net full of fish flapping in the shallow waves, Jesus turned to Peter and asked about the most penetrating question Jesus could ask any person, including you and me: ‘Do you love (agape) Me more than these?” (John 21:15)
John the disciple, perhaps the closest human friend of Jesus, was there. John was an eyewitness to this historic moment, and John is the person who gives us the careful record of this life changing conversation that morning. (John 21:15-19)
Let’s remember this is the resurrected Jesus Christ sitting with His friends having breakfast.
As you may know the word ‘love‘ which Jesus used was written by John as the Greek word AGAPE, which describes the deepest, most sacrificial love a person can possibly have. It’s that love which sent Jesus to the cross for all humanity!
That word ‘agape’ pierced Peter’s soul like a sword! Of course instantly into Peter’s mind would come the shameful memory of his three denials of Jesus, while Jesus was being interrogated and beaten, just before being condemned to death and sent to the cross. (Matt.26:69-75) As Peter considered the love Jesus had always extended to all the disciples and everyone in need of God’s unconditional love…and then the cross!? Now that is agape love, and Peter knew he wasn’t there yet.
Jesus had preceded the question by identifying exactly to whom Jesus was asking the question, when He said “Simon son of John, do YOU love ME more than these?” Did you notice Jesus did not use the name ‘Peter’, instead Jesus used Peter’s actual birth name and Jesus included Peter’s heritage in the question. Why?
Jesus was taking Peter back to the very first time they had met, many months before.(John 1:35-42) Andrew, Peter’s brother, had met Jesus first, and intrigued that maybe Jesus was the Messiah, Andrew went to find his brother and told him “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41) Andrew then brought his brother to meet Jesus, and Jesus’ first words to him, as he approached, were: “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter).” (John 1:42)
“Cephas” is in the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus and most of those who lived in the Galilee region. “Peter“ is the same name in Greek, the language spoken and written across the Roman empire in the first century. Both names mean ‘little stone’ or more accurately, a chip off a large boulder. It’s a term used to describe the chips of marble that fly from the chisel and hammer of a sculptor. Can you see the significance as applied to Peter whom Jesus was predicting would someday be a strong man who would emulate and represent Jesus?
Peter had been anything but strong, anything but a good representative of Jesus, that Thursday evening standing in the High Priest’s courtyard when he was identified by a servant girl as someone she had seen with Jesus, while Peter could see and hear Jesus being interrogated after being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. (John 18:15-17)
Oh, Peter had often been bold, sometimes even confronting Jesus when he disagreed with something Jesus had said as recorded in Matthew 16:21-23. But on that night, just as Jesus had predicted, Peter’s boldness melted and he denied three times that he had any relationship with Jesus.
Oh how that night haunted Peter’s memory. And now, face to face with the risen Jesus this early morning, on the beach near his home, with six of his close friends sitting around the fire, looking at a net full of miraculous flapping fish, Jesus had just given Peter a golden opportunity to boldly declare the true condition of his heart toward Jesus. Peter paused. I think the other six disciples held their breath and stared at Peter, waiting to hear what he would say, and grateful Jesus hadn’t asked them the question.
Did you notice my friends that Jesus asked the question comparatively? Jesus had asked “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” I think Peter looked around. 6 other disciples sat staring at Peter. I think one was his brother Andrew, two others were his best friends John and James. (John 21:2) Did Peter love these men more than he loved Jesus? Did they love Jesus more than he loved Jesus?
I think Peter looked at the fishing boat and that net full of flapping fish. His career, his passion. Peter loved fishing and he was very good at it, and out there on that lake at night, under the stars, away from the noise of Capernaum and other busy towns around the Lake, Peter deeply loved those quiet nights, throwing out his nets, pulling in the fish. Oh my, did Peter love fishing more than Jesus?
And over there, on the other side of the lake, Peter could see another town not far from the water’s edge, Bethsaida, his home. (John 1:44) Peter loved his family, his heritage, his hometown. Did he love Jesus more, and would he be willing to leave Bethsaida if Jesus sent him far away? I wonder if Peter maybe even stood up and did a 360, looking all around him, in all directions, at the hills surrounding the Sea of Galilee. Was there any more wonderful place on planet earth? Oh Peter loved this place. Did he love Jesus more?
Finally Peter took a deep breath and somewhat quietly said, “Lord, you know that I love You.” (John 21:15) But the word for love which Peter used was not ‘agape’ it was ‘phileo’ love. A family, friendship love. Oh yes genuine and strong, but not nearly as agape love. But Peter was not going to allow his emotions to entrap him or cause him to lie ever again.
Peter was determined to be honest, with himself and with Jesus. It was the only thing Peter could be because he was talking with the resurrected Jesus, God the Son, who knows all things! Let’s pause right here. How do you and I answer the question Jesus asked Peter? How do you and I describe the relationship we have with the risen Jesus Christ? It may be the most important question you and I could answer today!
I’ll meet you back here on the beach tomorrow, for there’s much more yet in this historic conversation. And here’s a song that maybe reflects what Peter was wrestling with as he pondered what he saw as he looked at the resurrected Jesus, six of his close friends and considered the deep question Jesus had just asked him. Oh how Peter wanted to understand it all.
Can you and I be honest with ourselves about Jesus? Do we long to understand all about the resurrection of Jesus and how that affects our lives 2000 years later?
Today’s Scripture: John 21:15, 16.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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