Do you love me?

Sermon notes from Sunday 4 November 2012

John 21 verses 1 – 17

“Lovest thou me?”

Jesus takes Peter to one side, away from the disciples and asked him “do you love me Peter? Do you really love me?” He was not asking him what he thinks of him. It is a direct question, a soul searching question. Someone has pointed out the interesting fact that the last time Peter was challenged was standing at a fire. The Lord came to meet with his disciples on this third occasion. The disciples were fishing in their boat when the Lord came walking by the seashore. He prepared a fire and make breakfast for when the returned. On the last occasion when challenged Peter had denied Christ 3 times now Christ comes at it in 3 different angles. If Jesus was standing in our midst today and came with this direct question “do you love me” how would we answer? I could reply “I preach for you” but the Lord would say “yes but do you love me?” You could reply “I go out on the doors and give out tracts” but the question would still me “do you love me?” If everything was stripped away today would we still love Jesus?

It is a probing question. It goes to the very core of Peter’s feelings, his heart. Peter was following the Lord and then comes this question “do you love me?” There was no way to hide. Previously when Peter was standing outside the Judgement Hall someone had said to him “here’s one of them”. Then another said “we saw him with you.” A third person said “even your very speech betrays you.” Three times Peter denied the Lord. Three times the Lord challenges him – “do you love me?” It was a probing question. This is what the Lord expects of us. He is God and he doesn’t need our love but he expects us to give it to him. The question is not “do you fear me” nor is it “do you adore me” or “do you admire me” but “do you love me?” Imagine the Lord opening that wound again for Peter. Sometimes the wound has to be probed just in case there is an infection that will spread throughout the whole body. It was in the wake of Peter’s past experience. It goes back to the Old Testament, all the prophets looked forward to the Messiah coming, even predicted his death, predicted that he would have to die for the sins of the world. Peter knew this. The Lord took the disciples aside and told them he must go to Jerusalem, betrayed into the arms of evil men, rejected by the nation, put on the cross and then die. When the events unfolded however they neglected all these scriptures. It pointed back to Peter’s carelessness. Peter became careless about his prayer time. When Jesus took them into the Garden of Gethsemane and began to pray to his Father in heaven, he went back to his disciples and found them asleep. He asked them “could you not even give me one hour to shoulder the burden with me?” What a challenge to us today – one hour to seek the Lord’s face with others of a similar mind! Peter was taken into the wrong company. He began to walk afar off. He had neglected the place of prayer, of reading God’s word and then we find him in the wrong company, opting to sit with the ungodly and listen to the ridicule of God. If we get careless about God’s word, if we get careless about prayer, if we get careless about the things of God the company we then keep doesn’t matter. Many can profess salvation and faith in Christ yet can sit under a dead ministry. Peter’s carelessness led him into the wrong company. We also see Peter’s cowardice. When he was challenged about the Lord all he could say was “I don’t know him.” He couldn’t find the bottle to stand up. Once we get careless and into the wrong company we soon forget about the Lord. We wouldn’t stand up for him, we wouldn’t speak out. This probing question came into the work of confrontation. When the cock crowed the third time Jesus simply looked at Peter and Peter wept. It came in light of commendation. When Jesus had risen from the dead the disciples were told to go into Galilee – “tell the disciples and Peter”. Peter was not forgotten about. What mercy and grace the Lord has. How many times has the Lord spoken to us about certain issues and we have turned our backs on him each time yet he comes time and again and reminds us of his great salvation. He shows us Jesus on the middle cross shedding his blood and given his life an atonement for us. The Holy Spirit challenges us each time but we reject him and say no. Time and again the Lord comes and shows us mercy and grace. Peter was not to be forgotten about. The word “lovest” in verses 15 and 16 is a special word. It is used 4 times here and comes from the Greek word “agape”. That is a strong word and means a sacrificial love, unselfish, has no motives behind it. In other words “do you love me for who I am?” That is the love the Lord expects from us. John 17 verse 26. Imagine for a moment the love God had for his own son – that is the love that is shared with us today. It is like the little boy on the hillside one day who gave all that he had – 2 loaves and 5 fishes for use by Jesus. He must have loved the Lord so much, wanted to be where the Lord was, listening to him, in his presence, unselfish in his love for the Lord. It is like the widow woman who gave all she had – 2 mites – to the work of the Lord. Why? Because of her love for the Lord. She knew the Lord would provide for her. Her love was for the Lord alone. Do you love me without any selfishness? John said “we love him because he first loved us”. Imagine if he had waited for our love before he gave us his love.

It is a personal question. Jesus was talking directly to Peter. On one occasion in the past Jesus had stepped into Peter’s boat to teach the crowd that was gathered on the seashore. He asked Peter to launch out a little bit from the shore. Jesus turned and poke directly to Peter. Maybe he is doing the same to you today. In the wake of certain occasions in the past he is asking you “do you love me?” Maybe you are going through certain blessing at the moment and he asks – “do you love me?” Maybe you are going through trials and he wants to bring you close to himself – “do you love me?” Peter had been bombarded by his enemies but now the Lord is coming afresh to him. Maybe you have experienced a similar onslaught and the Lord is speaking directly to you. Jesus asked Peter “how deep is your love for me?” Only Peter could answer that question. Jesus wanted to know if Peter loved him more than the disciples, more that his boats and fishing and more than the other disciples who loved Jesus. Peter couldn’t judge the love the other disciples had for Jesus. Jesus was asking him however if he loved him more that John or more than the sons of Zebedee. Is it possible to let a relationship rule and get above Christ? Remember when Elisha was ploughing in the field and Elijah came to anoint him as the next prophet. Elisha asks Elijah “will you allow me to go to my father’s house first?” Sometimes a family devotion comes before our love for God. “Peter do you love me more than the boats and the fishing?” This was Peter’s livelihood. Do our jobs come before the Lord? Do our families come before the Lord? Do our homes come before the Lord? Remember what was said of Demas “he hath forsaken me because he loved this present world.” What about you and I? If this question was to really come to us, if Jesus was to stand before us right now what would our answer be to that question “do you love me?”

It is a practical question. With the challenge comes the commission – “feed my sheep.” He was not asking Peter to love him but to be used as well. If we have a love in our hearts for the Lord we have to see the ministry in our lives. These sheep have to be fed, looked after, they are straying on all roads and directions, got to bring them back into the fold. It is going to take a love in your heart to do that. There will be many a disappointment, a set back but if you love me you will be able to do it. Remember Mary and Martha. Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing a meal but where was Mary? She was sitting at the master’s feet. She loved his presence and his word. She would not miss the opportunity. What a love she had. 1 John 3 verse 17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from I, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 4 verse 20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar,for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” If you love God it manifests itself, shows itself, reveals itself in our feeding of God.