Review
Last week we read John 21 where Peter takes six disciples fishing in Galilee at night and they catch nothing. As the sun comes up, a guy from the shore yells to them to put the net on the right side of the boat.
Who is the only one to recognize that the guy on the beach is Jesus? John
Peter what John says and immediately jumps in the water and swims to shore, we think naked.
We had also discussed how Peter is typed as the church, and he is also typed as a disciple who sees but does not believe or understand.
Who was the disciple that sees and believes? John, the disciple that Jesus loved.
The remaining six disciples in the boat put the net on the right side and haul in 153 fish. They bring the haul to the beach hoping they're net won't break in the process. Peter comes and helps from the beach.
We discovered that Ezekiel 47: 1-10 is a parallel passage which shows water coming out of the right side of a temple which opens to the east.
The water flows out into the river and heals and restores. Nets cast into the river and all kinds of fish are caught.
Both Ezekiel 47 and the verses from John 21 seem to occur at the third time or the third day at Jesus's return.
John 21:12-15
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and break your fast. And none of the disciples durst inquire of him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus cometh, and taketh the bread, and giveth them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15 So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
Vs12 Does Jesus seem to look different?
Vs13 Where did the bread come from?
Vs15 After they eat, Jesus says Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these?
Simon = G4613 heard, harkening, hearing
Peter = G4074 a rock or stone
Cephas = G2786 a stone (the Aramaic equivalent of Peter)
Jesus calls him Simon 9x’s in the gospels. Let's look at a couple of verses.
(2x’s) Luk 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat:
Joh 1:42 He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter).
In this verse Jesus seems to be changing Simon’s name to Cephas, which means Peter. Cephas seems to be Peter in Aramaic.
Why change his name?
Who else in the bible had their name changed?
In John, Jesus never refers to him as Peter. In the verse we just read, John spoke the Aramaic word.
This is the only verse that Jesus calls him Cephas. Altho Paul calls him Cephas five times and he calls him Peter twice.
John 21:15-17
So Jesus calls him Simon 9xs, and believe it or not only calls him Peter twice in Gospels:
Mat 16:18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Luk 22:34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, until thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Not at all in Mark.
Not at all in John.
Jesus only calls him Cephas once in Gospels. We already read it…
Joh 1:42 He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter).
Vs15 Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? What might this mean?
Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest (g25 Agapao) thou me more than these?
Love here is agapao. Unconditional love that is not based on emotion or affection but on decision of the will. Given no matter whether it's reciprocated or not. A deeper unconditional love.
Do you love (agapao) me more than these? What is Jesus asking?
Do you love me more than these guys love me?
Could it be in response to what Peter said:
Mat 26:33 But Peter answered and said unto him, If all shall be offended in thee, I will never be offended.
If so, is this a rebuke from Jesus? Seems to be.
Could Jesus be asking Peter if he loves the fish more than him? Is Jesus annoyed that the disciples and Peter in particular went back to fishing?
What if Jesus is asking Peter if he love him more than he love his fellow disciples?
Peter's response: “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.”
Peter doesn't seem to respond to the question of “do you love me MORE than these?”
As a matter of fact, Peter doesn't respond by saying “of course I agape (unconditionally love) you”
Peter responds by using the Greek word “phileo” (g5368) which means “tender affection” of a friend or brother. Is this unconditional love?
Jesus replies “Feed my lambs”. Pasture, graze, or feed my little lambs or lambkins.
How might we put Jesus's statement into spiritual terms? “Feed the babies, or immature Christians”
John 21:16
16 He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep.
Jesus says the second time, Simon do you agape me?
Jesus leaves out the “do you love me more” part.
Peter responds Lord you know I phileo you.
Jesus says, tend my sheep.
Tend, rule as a shepherd or supervisor
Sheep in NT. Not baby lambs
John 21:17
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Noticed that this is the third time. What else occurred regarding Peter three times? He denies Jesus 3x’s.
This may be why Jesus responds three times.
Probably a very teachable moment that isn't lost on Peter.
Notice Jesus says, phileo thou me? Do you (even) have “brotherly love” for me?
Why does Jesus change from agape to phileo love? Unsure. Unless he is questioning Peter’s ability to even show brotherly or phileo love.
Peter is offended or saddened because Jesus questions his love 3x’s. It seems fair that Jesus responds to Peter’s denial.
Peter says, Lord you know all things and know that I phileo you.
Jesus replies “feed my sheep”. Or “Pasture, graze, or feed my sheep. (Not baby lambs).
Notice this subtle change of Jesus's three charges to Peter:
Feed the baby lambs, (or immature Christians)
Shepherd or supervise the sheep (mature Christians)
Feed the sheep (mature Christians)
So maybe this is Jesus's response to Peter going back to fishing. Maybe he is reiterating what his job should be?
Feed the babies, Shepherd the grown-ups and feed the grown-ups.
One last thing: There may be a sense of growth or maturity that is being hinted at here, feed the immature, shepherd or tend the mature and feed the mature.
John 21:18-19
18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19 Now this he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
When you were young, you girded or prepared yourself.
When you were young, you walked wherever you wanted.
But when you are old, you will stretch forth your hands and somebody else will gird or prepare you. And carry you to where you don't want to go.
What is the point of Jesus saying this? He is telling Peter the manner of death that he should glorify God. And that he should follow him.
But what else is he telling Peter? First let's look at the two different kinds of love that were mentioned: agape and phileo
When you are young, you gird or preparing yourself. Does this require agape or phileo love? Phileo
When you are young, and walk wherever you want. Does this require agape or phileo love? Phileo
When you are old, you will stretch forth your hands and somebody else will gird or prepare you, and carry you where you wouldn't want to go. Does this require agape or phileo love? Agape
You would willingly go to your cross in sacrifice like Jesus did.
Peter proves that he had agape love by being willing to go to a cross at the end of his life.
John 21:20-25
20 Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23 This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 24 This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written.
