Confronting Re-Commissioning After Friendly Breakfast
David W Palmer
(John 21:13–14 NKJV) Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. {14} This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
John’s gospel records three post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his beloved disciples—now friends and apostles. In this appearance, his objective was to restore them to fellowship with him, wholeness, and their ministry assignments. His main focus was Peter. He was the one who had boldly declared: “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not”; and, “If I have to die with you, I will not deny you” (Mark 14:29, 31 NKJV).
After Peter broke this solemn promise and denied Jesus three times, his Lord restored him to fellowship and right standing over breakfast on the beach. Next, Jesus needed to restore him to his calling. This was more like a re-commissioning, or a specific assignment for his life:
(John 21:15 NKJV) So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
Jesus is a genius; his love, wisdom, knowledge of human behavior, and his intimate knowledge of each of us is way beyond our expectation. He knew exactly how to reach Peter’s heart: “Do you love me more than these?” You see, earlier, in his brash claim, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not,” Peter had implied that he did (See: Mark 14:29).
Peter had asserted that he loved Jesus more than all of Jesus’s other disciples and followers, but his denials and desertion proved otherwise. Now, however, Jesus was restoring him to confidence in his own personal love for Jesus: “Do you love me more than these?” We weren’t there at the time; Jesus was probably asking if Peter really loved him more than the other trainees, but maybe he was pointing to Peter’s fishing boat, nets, and his catch of fish when he said this. Either way, Peter must have felt awkward and on the spot by Jesus’s probing question.
Peter responded the best he could: “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” To this, Jesus responded: “Feed my lambs.” The Lord’s instruction was to feed—to teach and feed God’s living word to—Jesus’s lambs. I believe that this could refer to new Christians, youth, or children.
(John 21:16 NKJV) He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
Jesus repeated his probing question: “Do you love me?” Peter must have been wondering where this was going: “Why would he ask again … here, in front of everyone?” Peter did the best he could: “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus wisely prompted him to confess his love again. As we know, the words we say repeatedly reach our own hearts (See: Prov. 18:8, 26:22). Peter’s repeated confession must have reinvigorated his confidence in his own love for Jesus; “I really do love him.”
Jesus responded with a slightly different variation of Peter’s assignment: “Tend my sheep.” This speaks of pastoral ministry—tending, or pastoring the whole flock. (This must have made a lasting impression on, and impartation into, Peter, for he later wrote 1 Peter 5:1–4 (See below))
(John 21:17 NKJV) He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
Peter had denied Jesus three times; in an appropriate twist, Jesus asked the same question of him three times: “Do you love me?” Peter must have been both devastated and transformed in this exchange. His old, proud self-reliance must have completely died off, and a new vision had begun. Only now, instead of relying on his ability through his own will power
