One of our basic human needs is to love and to be loved. The other basic needs according to the social sciences are shelter, food, and clothing.  Science alludes to love  as the need to belong.  The Lord teaches us that Love is the greatest of all His commandments.  Love God.  Love Others.  These are the two greatest commandments, according to Jesus.  Is it because love is the greatest need within all His created?

As we have been making our way through the gospel of John, it is evident that love permeates his being.  He writes “so that we may believe” but his words of believing continually lead us to the love God has for us.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) John consistently reminds us that we love because God first loved us. 

Every time John puts ink to the page, love is written and explained as a treasure to be grasped and held close as if our lives depended on it.  God’s love for us is unending, unfailing, and forever! 

Jesus is now teaching Peter to extend the love he has for his Teacher to loving and accepting all who believe and will believe in Him.  Peter, who very recently denied Jesus three times out of fear, is now asked three times, “Do you love Me?”  Imagine Jesus looking deeply and resolutely into the eyes of Simon now called Peter, the Rock—the one Jesus said He would rely on to build his church of believers.  It will be Peter, filled with God’s Holy Spirit, who will later stand confidently and powerfully preach the Good News, the Truth of who Jesus was, is, and is to come—along with how to repent of sins and be reconciled back to God.  Wow!

But it all begins with Love.  Jesus teaches Peter that this will be done only by loving others like He loves us.  God’s love in us is the motivation for living a life of loving others.  If we really love Jesus, we will tell others who also have need of this love. 

John 21, The Message

Do You Love Me?

¹⁵ After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.”

^17-19 Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.”

^20-21 Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind. When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?”

^22-23 Jesus said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You—follow me.” That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you?”

²⁴ This is the same disciple who was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down. And we all know that his eyewitness account is reliable and accurate.

²⁵ There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW MUST WE RESPOND?

Sometimes as pastors and teachers of God’s Word, God’s Holy Spirit will pause us in preparing to speak for Him and ask us “Do you love me?”  I know it has happened to me many times!  To stay focused and centered on God, we must evaluate about our motivations in ministry and answer truthfully.  Do I love God with all that is in Me?  Do I love Jesus for saving me from my sins?  Do I love others the way the Lord obviously loves me?  As our love for God is expressed in our being; His Holy Spirit then guides us to carry His love to others, in the Name of Jesus, for His glory—not for our own self-seeking or satisfying desires to feel important.  Real Love decides and demonstrates who we are in our growing love for God.

Real Love originates with God. Jesus is the One who saves us because of God’s Love.  When we fully embrace His love, we love Him back.  The next step which follows is to love others, too! Only then are we ready to feed His sheep, delivering Truth with Love.

John is standing over Peter’s shoulder during this time of teaching.  Peter’s turns his eyes off Jesus to John.  Peter is prone to such distractions—as we are!!  (Remember the walking on water attempt?)  Peter asks Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?”  Jesus teaches Peter that each relationship is personal when He responds, “…what’s that to you? You—follow me.”

As a leader, pastor, volunteer in ministry, are you sighing an “ouch” right now?  This touches our hearts because sometimes we too turn our heads to look over at what others do while evaluating who they are as they do the work of the Lord.  We are easily distracted and even wonder if they are as good as us, do as much as us, while asking why they were not picked to be led by Jesus in the way He is leading us, while judging the work they are doing! And worst of all—we are prone to compare ourselves and the work we are doing to what God has given to others!  “What’s that to you? You—follow me.” –Jesus

God calls, equips, then sends us out in the world as our love for Him and for others develops and begins to bloom.  But in this world, Jesus has warned his followers before, you will have troubles and suffering, but remember greater is He (Jesus) who is in you than he (satan) who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)  There will be people who will reject God’s love and Jesus’ redemption.  Will this rejection stop us from loving them?

God used an unbelieving teenager to teach me this lesson as a volunteer youth worker in my past.  After delivering a message of salvation to the group, this young man came to me and ask, “If I’m not willing to buy into this Jesus stuff, will you still love me?” (His need to be loved was evident.) This took me by surprise at first, but I could tell this was a test of my love for him.  I paused then looked him in the eyes and said, “Yes, of course I will.  I love you with the love of God in me and that love never ends or gives up.”  Months later, he gave His life to Jesus.  The lesson it taught me was to love like Jesus who loved us and “died for us while we were yet sinners.”  No one is exempt from the love of God.

Do you love Me? is asked by Jesus daily to believers who proclaim the Good News to the lost.  We just need to listen—and follow.

When we say yes with a committed heart to Jesus, led by the unconditional Love of God we are told, “Feed my sheep”.  The feeding is in the following of Jesus.  We do what He says when He says to do it—all because we love Him and realize the love He has for us.  This loving back relationship then spreads exponentially to loving all people God has created, especially to whom He sends us to be with who need to be loved and who to love.

Following and feeding is expressed in so many ways, here are a few:

• Jesus might send us across the street or around the world.  Love leads.  We follow.
• We might be sent to go after the one who ran away from family to lead them back home.  Love compels to go and find the lost.
• We might be sent to teach little ones or big ones in a classroom or small group of Jesus’ love and sacrifice.  Love leads us to speak the truth in love.
• We will quickly learn how much we don’t know as we study God’s Word.  But we also learn that to be honest helps others who don’t know to be less intimidated and more receptive to God’s love in us.  Love humbles us.
• Jesus promises the power of God’s Holy Spirit who will give us the right words at the right time to tell others in need of the real, relentless love of Jesus. 

Peter becomes our example of how love changes and transforms us after answering honestly what Jesus asks, “Do you love Me?” Jesus is centering Peter’s thoughts on the Love of God required in the feeding and following.  Jesus’ love is at the center of all we think, say and do—or it should be.

We will be amazed as we read what Simon, the former fisherman transformed into Peter, the Rock, preaches confidently and boldly to the Jews who shouted to kill Jesus!  (See Acts 2) Wait, What?!  Yes, thousands repented and were saved as a result of following and feeding of Peter.  But we get ahead of ourselves…

Pause to answer Jesus when He asks, “Do you love Me?”  As we honestly answer, He will lead us to who He has in mind for us to “feed” the Truth in Love as we follow Him.  Count on it.  Count on Jesus.  Allow His love in us to lead us.

Lord,

There are so many lessons still to be felt and learned as we evaluate the depth of love we have for others as well as for you.  I pray for my love, your love in me, to go deeper still.  I do love you with all that is in me.  Increase your love in me.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen