John 21:1–17 ‘“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord… you know that I love you.”’ (v15)
We can only imagine what is going through Peter’s mind as the resurrected Jesus asks him to go for a walk on the beach.
The disciples have been fishing all night and caught nothing, and then, all of a sudden, there’s a man on the shoreline calling them to put down the nets on the other side of the boat.
There’s an enormous catch, reminding them of a previous experience with Jesus – when the Lord told Peter that he would fish for people (Luke 5:10).
On the beach, Jesus cooks breakfast… then He and Peter go for a walk. On that walk, Jesus questions Peter three times about his love for his Lord.
Does he have that highest form of love, agape, God’s unconditional love, for Jesus? Peter can hardly say yes. After all, he has denied Jesus three times (Matt. 26:69–75), something the Lord had foretold (Matt. 26:33–35).
So the disciple answers with the Greek word that indicates he loves Jesus as a brother. Jesus accepts this and reinstates Peter: three denials, three times recommissioned.
If Jesus asked us if we loved Him, would we hesitate before offering a reply? Are there areas where we feel we have let Him down?
Perhaps we are hesitant because we have denied Him, not spoken up for Him when we had the opportunity. But as we lift our eyes to Him, we see no condemnation but kindness, restoration and love.
We each have a calling from Him. Perhaps today we need to hear Him reaffirming that – or perhaps giving us a fresh commission.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Thank You, Jesus, that although we stumble, You are quick to restore. Help me to hear Your voice afresh. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Spend some time with today’s passage. If you were walking on the beach with Jesus, what might He say to you? Note in a journal anything you feel He says to you.
Scripture To Consider:
1 Kgs 19:13–18; Jer. 1:4–10; Luke 5:1–11; Acts 9:1–19
