Do you Love Me
John 21:15 "So when they had xdined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, aSimon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me bmore than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs." [1]
I. Completion
A. Denial
B. Delight
II. Condition
A. Details
B. Demands
III. Conclusion
A. Destination
B. Detour
Introduction: Happy Mother’s Day. The webpage “timeanddate.com” has this to say concerning the background of Mother’s Day.
“Background
The origins of Mother's Day are attributed to different people. Many believe that two women, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis were important in establishing the tradition of Mother's Day in the United States. Other sources say that Juliet Calhoun Blakely initiated Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the late 1800s. Her sons paid tribute to her each year and urged others to honor their mothers.
Around 1870, Julia Ward Howe called for Mother's Day to be celebrated each year to encourage pacifism and disarmament amongst women. It continued to be held in Boston for about ten years under her sponsorship, but died out after that.
In 1907, Anna Jarvis held a private Mother's Day celebration in memory of her mother, Ann Jarvis, in Grafton, West Virginia. Ann Jarvis had organized "Mother's Day Work Clubs" to improve health and cleanliness in the area where she lived. Anna Jarvis launched a quest for Mother's Day to be more widely recognized. Her campaign was later financially supported by John Wanamaker, a clothing merchant from Philadelphia.
In 1908, she was instrumental in arranging a service in the Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which was attended by 407 children and their mothers. The church has now become the International Mother's Day Shrine. It is a tribute to all mothers and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Mother's Day has become a day that focuses on generally recognizing mothers' and mother figures' roles. Mother's Day has also become an increasingly important event for businesses in recent years. This is particularly true of restaurants and businesses manufacturing and selling cards and gift items.”
This morning we have small gifts for our mothers’ to commemorate today. Someone will hand them out to all our mothers here today. Don’t be missed! Raise your hand if the gift gets beyond you without you receiving one. If we give out the gifts and have leftovers and you know of a mother in our church that was unable to attend today perhaps you can take responsibility to visit her and take her one these gifts.
This has been a fairly active church week. Thursday was the national day of prayer. At least two churches here in the Moncure postal area observed that day. As already mentioned today is Mothers’ Day and has been one of the most attended church days in America. Today is also the sixth Sunday of Easter. Traditionally, next Sunday is Ascension Sunday.
Scripture: The scripture today is John 21:15. Please stand if you can for God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated.
Message: Last Sunday we heard in John 21:14 that the time with the seven by the lake was after that Jesus was raised from the dead. It was Jesus’ third encounter with at least some of the twelve original disciples. There were other encounters with other people but it is significant that for Peter this was the third encounter with The Risen Lord.
Peter denied Jesus three times. He had been with Jesus twice while the attention had been on others. Peter was waiting and Peter was worrying. Now is the third time. Now in his delight to hear that it was the Lord, Peter left the others behind and swam to Jesus. Now they had dined together again. Now Jesus was speaking to Peter and the others were there to hear.
The number three denotes completion in the Jewish culture. God Almighty is Three in One. Three days in the tomb and then the resurrection. Three denials from Peter was a complete denial in the Jewish culture.
Many days before this encounter with The Risen Lord, Jesus had another time of correction with the disciples when they were arguing which were the greatest of all. In our Bible Study we spoke of the sheep being distracted by the goats. Goats in the Bible are usually given a bad rap. Lately there has been another GOAT mentioned in the media. The acronym G.O.A.T stands for greatest of all time. We find this in Luke 22: 24-26,” 24 qAnd there was also a strife among them, which of them rshould be accounted the greatest. 25 sAnd he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called tbenefactors. 26 But ye shall not be so: ubut he that is greatest among you, let him be as xthe younger; and he that is ychief, as zhe that doth serve.” [2]
It wasn’t a good thing to be a goat back in the time that Jesus walked here. In verses 31 through 32 in the same passage in Luke, Jesus said this to Peter. “31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, fSatan hath desired to have you, that he may gsift you as wheat: 32 But hI have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art iconverted, kstrengthen thy brethren.” [3] Notice every time Jesus is trying to get Peter’s attention that He uses his family given name of Simon rather than Peter?
Peter was reminded of his weakened condition as that one named Simon. He received details even about how his weakness would show itself down to the detail of a rooster crowing. Jesus told him that a conversion was coming. Jesus even told Peter what demands would be placed upon him after Jesus’ departure. Peter was the one that they followed when he decided to go fishing and Peter was the one that would have the faith that they could follow even more after Jesus’ ascension. Peter would meet the demands because Jesus left him, and us, the Holy Spirit to empower and embolden us.
Follow now as we hear John 21:15- 19. “ So when they had xdined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, aSimon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me bmore than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, aSimon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, cFeed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, aSimon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him dthe third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, ethou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18 fVerily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou ggirdedst 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.” [4]
Most translations miss a particular point here that the KJV alludes to. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and the Septuagint and Vulgate translations were studied the NKJV was transcribed to show some details that were missed in the 1611 – 1900 translation.
Notice the difference in verse fifteen where Jesus says “Feed my lambs.” In verse sixteen Jesus says “Feed my sheep.” If someone can read that from their NKJV? “Tend My sheep” is a progression from feeding lambs. To tend to is to nurture so that we stay together. Fathers train their children if they love their children. Mothers do that thing that is not often in a father’s nature. Mothers tend to and nurture their children and their husbands too for that matter. The translations are the same again in verse seventeen when Jesus says “Feed My sheep.”
When a Christian is a baby in Christ they are fed differently until they can fend for themselves. Once a Christian has reached spiritual maturity there is a certain amount of tending or nurturing that must happen to keep the fold together. Finally when the sheep is getting to the point of being an elder it is to be fed and loved and cherished as the treasure of spiritual experience that he/she is. Some mentors of mine say that the KJV that we use here is still one of the most literal translations of the original language of the Bible though the NKJV actually makes it easier to understand in today’s language while adding insight in places previously overlooked.
Bottom line; we are to care for each other and we are to be cared for by each other so that the flock or church is spiritually maintained and is the thriving body of Christ. We are all different with differing needs. Nobody should be left out!
Well that is enough chasing rabbits and is another sermon altogether. Peter had his hands full. We know of the reward that Peter met in heaven. He is now the overseer. Tennessee Ernie Ford said in a song, “Saint Peter don’t you call me cause I can’t go, I owe my soul to the company store.” Nobody but me is old enough in here to remember that.
What did Peter have to look forward to though here in this life? What would be his conclusion? Not many people can know that yet Jesus explained to Peter his destination. Peter would not die a young man. John the evangelist, son of Zebedee, was exiled to the island of Patmos where it is understood that he wrote the Revelation and some of his epistles. That John who was one of the sons of thunder lost his brother James as the first martyr of the apostles.
Last week we learned of Peter’s detour. He looked for a place where he might find peace. Instead of having a quiet afternoon and night of fishing, Peter’s detour took him to Jesus.
We, all of us Christians, every one of us have a story of heading to the place where we think we have made for our self only to find that it was not our plan that took us to our destination at all. Unfortunately some are like Simon. We fight and we shove and we push back until something happens to truly convert us into that lump of clay that Jesus can work with. When we allow that conversion to finally happen then Jesus molds us into that pot that can hold The Holy Spirit. Peter would be Peter after Simon was converted into that rock of faith, that Petrous, which was hard enough to stand and stay.
Prayer:
Invitation: The question that Jesus asked that day there by the water is the same one that He is asking each of us today. It is the same question that Jesus asks every day. Do you love me?
He loves us! He loved us so much that when God The Father asked Jesus to be used by Him to receive our sin He came and took them to the cross. He loves us to much that the only thing that we must do to receive eternal life is to believe that and receive Him as Lord. If we do that we are saved.
Is that enough for you? Peter was asked three times, “Simon, do you love me?” Three times! Do you love me completely or do you only love me because of what I did for you? There is a difference between salvation and conversion. Peter learned that. Peter lived that. We all do.
Have you come to that place of conversion where loving Jesus is enough for you? If you have not gotten to that place yet you are wasting time. There is so much more that He can do through you if you will only give Him enough to allow Him. You must give Him all.
Today is that time. I remember my friend in that cemetery so many years ago who is now with Jesus. After preaching a funeral for another good friend Ronald Brown said, “Your momma would sure be proud of you.” I had to walk away. Mommas are proud when their little ones finally surrender. I know that.
Solomon said in Proverbs 16: 18, “lPride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.” [5] We are not to find pride in ourselves but it is not a bad thing for someone else to be proud of how you have turned out when their patience has turned into joy and Jesus has finally found His way to your heart.
Is your momma proud? Jesus is proud enough of you to wait. Respond as we sing…
x ver. 15. See Matt. 22:4.
a See Matt. 16:17. Comp. Luke 22:31, 32.
b Comp. Matt. 26:33. Mark 14:29.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 21:15). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
q So Mark 9:34. ch. 9:46.
r Mark 10:42 marg.
s To ver. 27, Matt. 20:25–28. Mark 10:42–45.
t 2 Macc. 4:2 (Gk.).
u So Matt. 23:11. Mark 9:35. ch. 9:48.
x 1 Pet. 5:5.
y Acts 15:22. Heb. 13:7, 17, 24 (Gk.).
z See Matt. 20:28. So ch. 12:37. John 13:4, 5.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 22:24–26). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
f 1 Pet. 5:8. See 1 Chr. 21:1.
g So Amos 9:9.
h John 17:9, 11, 15.
i Ps. 51:13. Joel 2:13 (Heb. and Gk.). Matt. 13:15. Acts 3:19. So Matt. 18:3.
k So John 21:15, 16, 17. Comp. Job 22:30.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 22:31–32). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
x ver. 15. See Matt. 22:4.
a See Matt. 16:17. Comp. Luke 22:31, 32.
b Comp. Matt. 26:33. Mark 14:29.
a See Matt. 16:17. Comp. Luke 22:31, 32.
c So Luke 12:32. Acts 20:28. 1 Pet. 5:2. See ch. 10:11.
a See Matt. 16:17. Comp. Luke 22:31, 32.
d Comp. ch. 13:38.
e See ch. 2:25.
f Comp. ch. 13:36.
g ver. 7.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 21:15–18). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
l See ch. 29:23.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Pr 16:18). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
