Do We Love Jesus More?

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, 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 a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, 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 John, 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 everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’” (John 21:15-17 ESV)

If you may recall, before Jesus Christ was arrested and crucified on a cross to die, Peter had declared his undying loyalty to the Lord only to have Jesus predict that Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. And what Jesus predicted would take place happened just as he had said. Peter indeed did deny that he knew Jesus three times after Jesus was arrested and put on trial for a crime he did not commit. So I find it really interesting here that the Lord had Peter affirm his love for Jesus three times.

Now, in the Greek interlinear we learn that two different words for “love” were used in this conversation. For Jesus asked Peter twice if he agapaó loved the Lord to which Peter replied that he phileó loved the Lord. 

Now this agapaó love means to prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, and faithful, etc. For the believer in Christ it means to prefer to live through Christ, embracing God’s will, choosing his choices, and obeying them through his power. It means to be actively doing what God prefers. But the phileó love is more of a friendship and affectionate and kinship kind of love like one might have for a member of his own family or that Christians might have for one another.

But now Peter was grieved in his spirit because Jesus asked him a third time if he loved the Lord, but this time he asked him if he phileó loved the Lord, to which Peter replied that the Lord knows all things and he knew that Peter phileó (dearly loved) him. Now some people do not make that distinction, but I believe there is a reason for the distinction and for Peter’s response, and I suspect that it was because Peter knew he had denied the Lord three times and he didn’t feel worthy to declare agapaó love for him.

But, with or without the distinction, the Lord was asking Peter if he loved the Lord, and if he affirmed that he did, the Lord then said that he was to “Feed my lambs,” and “Tend my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep.” So, what did he mean by that? He was not speaking of the animals called “sheep,” but he was speaking of human beings who were his followers, for he is our Shepherd, and we are the sheep of his pasture. And he was instructing Peter to spiritually feed his sheep the truth of the Scriptures and to care about them and to nurture them and to watch over and protect them, too.

But that isn’t all this was about. This is Jesus saying to all of us that if we truly love him that we are to obey him, number one, and included in that is us sharing the truth of the gospel with others and us spiritually nurturing the body of Christ. For as his body we are all to be encouraging, exhorting, urging, counseling, and instructing one another in the Scriptures and in the things of God, and we are to be speaking the truth in love to one another so that we all grow together as one body to maturity of faith in Jesus Christ.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

For “love” is not just feelings and emotions or just words spoken, but love is action. We demonstrate our love for others by what we do for them according to the Word of God and the gospel of our salvation, and according to being loving and kind and compassionate and generous with one another. But this is not human-based love, which is based in our emotions, but this is the love that comes from God and that loves even when we are hated and reviled in return. And it does for others what is for their good, not for evil.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Jesus “more than these.” He doesn’t say what the “these” are, and I am not certain that it matters. The emphasis is that we are to love Jesus more, regardless of what the “these” represent in our lives, for we are to love him above all else and above all others, for he is to be in first place in our lives. Our loyalty and our devotion must be to him first and no other loyalties should ever supersede our loyalty to our Lord.

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

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