Peter Restored
TRANSLATION
(15) When they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked 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.” (16) He asked 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.” (17) He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” So he said to him, “Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (18) Truly I tell you that when you were young, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (19) Now he said this to show by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And after saying this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
(20) Peter then turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back on his breast at the supper and asked Jesus, “Lord, who is the one who will betray you?” (21) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about this man?” (22) Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (23) That is why the statement spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet, Jesus did not tell him that he would not die but “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
(24) This is the disciple who testifies to these things and has written them down. And we know that his testimony is true. (25) Now there are many other things which Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
OBSERVATIONS
Three individuals stand out in this final segment of John’s Gospel where repetitions again enable us to understand its thrust. “Jesus” is found six times (vss. 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, & 25) along with five mentions of “Lord” (vss. 15, 16, 17, 29, & 21). Names for “Peter” including “Simon Peter” and “Simon son of John” are found seven times (in vss. 15, 16, 17, 20, & 21). John, while never specifically named, was identified as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (vs. 20), “this man” (vs. 21), “this disciple” (vs. 23), and “the disciple who testifies to these things” (vs. 24).
Jesus’ question addressed to Peter, “Do you love me,” is found three times along with Peter’s threefold response, “You know that I love you” (vss. 15, 16, & 17). Three times Jesus followed up his question with the commands, “Feed my lambs/tend my lambs/feed my sheep” (vss. 15, 16, & 17). One more command to Peter was repeated, “(you) follow me” (vss. 19 & 22). Jesus’ statement to Peter, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” also appears twice (vss. 22 & 23). The phrase, “not die,” was also repeated (in vs. 23). In the final two verses, we find the synonymous terms, “testifying” and “testimony,” along with “written” mentioned three times (vss. 24 & 25).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus restored Peter by asking him “do you love me” three times. (15-19)
II. When Peter inquired about John’s future, Jesus commanded Peter, “You follow me.” (20-23)
III. John concluded his Gospel by affirming the trustworthiness of his written account. (24 & 25)
IDEA STATEMENT
Jesus lovingly restored and mildly rebuked Peter as he prepared him and the other disciples for future ministry.
APPLICATION
In these closing verses of his Gospel, John tied up several loose ends. First, he showed his readers how Jesus graciously and lovingly restored Peter to full fellowship after his grievous fall from grace in denying his Lord the night before the crucifixion. By asking him three times, “Do you love me,” Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to affirm his love, in essence, matching Peter’s three earlier denials. By commanding him to “feed my sheep/lambs” again three times, he restored Peter to a place of leadership, describing how he would spend the rest of his life in service as an apostle. Next, he gently rebuked Peter for inquiring about John’s future. By giving Peter the command, “You follow me,” he communicated to all his followers, including us, that we should not be concerned about what will happen to others in the future but keep our eyes fixed exclusively on our own personal relationship with the Lord.
Finally, John identified himself as the author of the fourth Gospel. First, he affirmed that his report was the account of an eyewitness whose testimony can be trusted. Then he indicated that what he had written had been carefully compiled and edited for maximum impact. Like in a well-edited movie, many scenes that could have been included had to be left on the cutting room floor. What John had included in his Gospel was precisely what the Holy Spirit had shown him to be necessary to accomplish his purpose in writing: “…that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” ((Jn. 20:31).