John 21:17 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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John 21:17

Comments

It’s still not enough. There were three denials, there must be three affirmations of love. Peter is still a little bit too superficial. It's all too easy. ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou me?’ Now Peter is grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Lovest thou me?’, but it is necessary. Now, we believe, he really gives himself to the Lord totally. That's what we need to do. The first time the Lord says, ‘Do love me.’ ‘Yes Lord, I love your attributes. I love your work on Calvary. I love your redeeming love and your mercy and your kindness.’ The second time, ‘Do you love me. Have you really repented meaningfully of sin?’ with 2 Corinthians 7 repentance. Have you really felt ashamed? Day by day you examine your heart and you repent of sin. Do you love me enough to truly repent. Then the third time, ‘Do love me enough to order your life, and to make your priorities the love and the service of Christ every day?’ All kinds of explanations come as to why Peter was grieved. I don’t think he was grieved because he objected to being challenged three times. He felt a wretch for ever denying the Lord. No, I think he felt grieved because the three questions suggested that the Lord thought his word was worthless, that the Lord maybe could see some fatal flaw in his heart, that the Lord who knew all things saw that he might one day do it again. I think that is why Peter was grieved, to think that his affirmation of love might be rejected and might be found wanting or worthless.

Application

Is it our opening prayer every day: ‘Enable me to pursue holiness of life, witness for thee, and worship and love Christ’? ‘And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.’ This time he really means it all. ‘Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.’ Take a lowly position; be a shepherd, a feeder of the lambs and the sheep.

What do we learn from this? Repentance is not a light thing. Sometimes even evangelists treat it too lightly, they say, ‘All you have to do to be saved is kind of sign on the dotted line; say quickly to the Lord, “I am sorry I sinned.”’ Oh no, says the Lord, tell me a second time, tell me a third time, Lovest thou me? Repentance must be sincere. If Peter is going to be given his commission, ‘Feed my sheep’, there must be a triple declaration.

Questions

If we think that there is a significant difference between the word that Christ first uses for love, and the word that Peter responds with, then it is surely significant that the third time Christ asks the question, he uses Peter’s lesser word, as if to say, ‘Do you even have affection for me that you say that you have?’ This would be an even greater challenge to Peter, which would explain his being grieved the third time.

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Introduction

John 21:17 Commentary and Bible Study