Jesus had some very important things to say to Peter but He waited until after the meal was over. If He had spoken to Peter before the meal, it would have spoiled the taste of the food, and by sharing a meal with him, Jesus made the approach to Peter to be one as a friend and not as a Master to a criminal. There seems to have been no talking at the meal, the disciples all being in awe of their resurrected Master and the incredible situation in which they found themselves, and these words of Christ to Peter appear to be what broke the silence. Although Jesus had previously appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34), we do not know the details of that meeting, but a restoration seems unlikely in the face of the discourse about to take place. When Jesus starts to speak here, Peter must have expected nothing less than a scathing rebuke for his denial and desertion of Christ at the time of His most critical need.

Luke 24:34  and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

John names the recipient of Jesus’ remarks as “Simon Peter” using both names and Jesus called him “Simon, son of John,” both of which contribute to producing an atmosphere of solemnity. By addressing him as such, Jesus most certainly would have had Peter’s attention. It is interesting to note that though Jesus gave Simon the name “Peter” (John 1:42) He is recorded as using that designation only once (Luke 22:34).

John 1:42  And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

Luke 22:34  Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him “more than these”. The “these” to whom Jesus was referring is ambiguous. He could have been asking if Peter loved Him more than he loved his friends with whom he had been fishing; or He could have been asking if Peter loved Him more than the boat and fishing equipment lying about, which would have been asking whether Peter loved Him more than his old way of life which he just again tasted; or, more likely in my opinion, Jesus may have been asking Peter if he loved Him more than the other disciples loved Him. The first two would have been legitimate questions, but if it were the last that Jesus meant, it would have been in the light of the bold declaration Peter had made just a few nights earlier (Matt 26:33-35). Much had happened since then. Peter had denied his Lord (Matt 26:69-75) the same night of his boasting. Jesus was probably asking Peter if he still thought that his love for Him exceeded that of the others in the light of all that had happened. Basically, this is a question of whether Peter has repented of his pride. To do so was necessary before he could go further with the Lord (Psa 34:18, 51:17, Isa 57:15, 66:2). It is a fact of the Christian life that what Satan intends for our harm is actually turned into that which is for our good (Luke 22:31-32, Rom 8:28). We can’t lose if we stay close to Jesus!

Matthew 26:33-35  Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”  “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.”  But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Matthew 26:69-75  Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.  But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.  Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”  After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”  Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a cock crowed.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Psalms 34:18  The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalms 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Isaiah 57:15  For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives for ever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 66:2  Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.

Luke 22:31-32  “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Romans 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

But the question was even more basic than a comparison of love. At its very root, Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him, period. There were several reasons for this. Firstly, Peter had deserted his Master at the time of His greatest need and this brought his love into question (John 15:12-13). If he had really loved Him, he would not have denied Him. Secondly, Peter had sinned against Christ by his desertion and needed restoration, but restoration was predicated upon repentance which, in turn, was dependent upon love (Luke 7:47). Had Peter truly repented? That could be tested by whether he loved Jesus. Thirdly, by his actions Peter had shown that he did not want a crucified Lord (John 18:10, Mark 14:66-72), but Jesus was indeed crucified. How devoted was he in the light of this? “Was he ready to love Christ as He was, and not as Peter wished Him to be?” Morris insightfully asks. And fourthly, Christ was about to entrust Peter with the awesome responsibility of shepherding His sheep and the one basic qualification for service to Christ is love for Him and for those He entrusts into one’s care (Matt 22:36-40, 1 Cor 13:1-3). In fact, that should be the motivating factor in any service for Christ (2 Cor 5:13-14).

John 15:12-13  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.    Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Luke 7:47  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven— for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

John 18:10  Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

Mark 14:66-72  While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.  When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
  But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entrance.  When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.”

Mark 14:70  Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”  He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”  Immediately the cock crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the cock crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Matthew 22:36-40  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-3  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

2 Corinthians 5:13-14  If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

Peter’s answer was a simple “yes.” He had learned his lesson from his previous rash statement and his subsequent fall, but his love for Christ remained. Peter appealed to the fact that Christ knows all men and what is inside a man (John 2:25, 16:30) for the proof of his affirmative answer. Peter’s “You” is emphatic in his reply to Jesus. He did not appeal to the other disciples for proof, but to Christ Himself. This is because he was certain that Jesus did indeed know all things and that his own heart was pure and his love for Christ sincere, so Christ’s intimate knowledge of this would only be in his favor. Blessed are those who with confidence could answer Jesus in the same manner!

John 2:25  He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

John 16:30  Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

There is a problem introduced by the different words used by Peter and Jesus for “love” as translated into Greek. Jesus asked the first two times if Peter agape Him and Peter’s response was that he phileo Jesus; then Jesus changed the last question to the same as Peter’s reply (phileo) with Peter responding in like form. Many commentators hold that the change is significant, but they vary on the reasons why. Many hold that Jesus was asking about a higher form of love and Peter was responding with an affirmative about a lower form of love, while other commentators reverse the meanings of the two verbs for “love” with a reverse in results. Although I have heard sermons using the former, it seems that they may be a little presumptive. There is no indication in any literature that either of the verbs is speaking of a higher form of love. When coupled with John’s habit of using a great deal of variation in his language, Morris notes that, “There is no reason, on the grounds of Johannine usage, for seeing a difference in meaning between the two verbs.” This makes even more sense when we consider that the original conversation between Jesus and Peter would have been in Aramaic and not Greek and the difference would not have existed at all until John wrote his translation of the conversation in Greek. In fact, John is called by himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This is the disciple whom Jesus phileo in (John 20:2) and elsewhere agape in (John 13:23, 21:7,20). John’s usage of the two verbs as interchangeable for himself would seem to indicate their interchangeability for the verses in question. Also, if there were separate meanings of better and lesser quality love, then Jesus’ question would have been asking Peter about the quality of his love and not the existence of it and yet Peter’s answer is a “yes” which would indicate that Peter thought the opposite. As Bernard simply asks, “why should he say ‘Yes,’ if he means ‘No’?”

John 20:2  So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

John 13:23  One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

John 21:7  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

John 21:20  Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)

Having responded correctly, Peter was commissioned by Jesus to tend His flock, an incredible privilege (Isa 40:11, John 10:11-18, Acts 20:28). Jesus had much earlier stated that Peter was a rock and would be the leader of the church (Matt 16:18). Peter’s fall did not take Jesus by surprise. The “rocks” Christ uses are the ones who have unsuccessfully tried to do things on their own to the point that they become broken, give up, and trust only in Jesus and His abilities.

Isaiah 40:11  He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

John 10:11-18  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again.  No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Acts 20:28  Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Matthew 16:18  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Peter had many lessons to learn: humility, repentance, sacrificial love, how to stand up against Satan, and an acceptance of God’s will even when it goes against his own, but he seems to have ultimately learned them quite well (1 Peter 5:1-11).

1 Peter 5:1-11  To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:  Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;  not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.