SIMON PETER, IS THIS YOUR FINAL ANSWER?
Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you loveG5368 Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you loveG5368 Me?” “Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I loveG5368 You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
John 21:17 (BSB)
Why did Jesus ask Peter if he loved Him three times? Jesus knew that Peter was still bearing guilt and beating himself up every day because he had denied knowing the Lord three times to complete strangers on the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested. At the time Jesus needed his friends the most, Peter denied ever knowing Him. Jesus was absolving Peter of that guilt by giving him the opportunity to affirm his love for Him the same number of times he denied him. Is it significant that Jesus changed from agapáō to philéō when He asked the third time whether Peter loved Him? Perhaps Jesus was acknowledging that Peter was not yet fully capable of God-like love and was being respectful of Peter’s honest response that he had brotherly affection. He knew that after the Holy Spirit filled Peter at Pentecost, he would be infused with agapáō. Why was Peter grieved that Jesus asked him if he loved (philéō) Him the third time? Maybe Peter was grieved because he knew that he could not love Jesus with agapáō love yet, and he wanted to. Peter acknowledged that Jesus knew everything and already knew he loved him as a brother. Jesus again instructed Peter to feed the sheep. Is there a significance to the fact that He did this three times? Peter had denied Jesus three times, humiliating himself; and, therefore, Jesus entrusted His followers to Peter three times to show him that he was completely restored to his position of leadership within the band of Apostles.
If you are a born-again believer, you are inhabited by the Holy Spirit who entered your life as soon as you surrendered to God’s call to be His child. From that moment we begin growing. The more we know Jesus through the study of His word, spending time in prayer, and meditating on what He has shown us, the more His love will flow through us. We are empowered to love because Jesus has first loved us (more on that when we look at 1 John 4:19). However, even though we have the power to love, we often do not “plug in” to the power source of love. Earnestly pray to love more completely, love more like Jesus, and tune in to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. He will enable you to do everything He has called you to do, even to agapáō the Lord and those in His forever family. Pray that the river of His love will flow like rapids in and through your life and spill over onto all who come in contact with you.
Father, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that men would know they belonged to Him because of their visible love for each other. We pray a tidal wave of agapáō will engulf us, and others would see Jesus in us.