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Jesus Reinstates Peter

John 21: 15-19

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

This three-fold profession of faith and love has traditionally been seen as the reversal of Peter's three denials of knowing Jesus the night before his crucifixion...Jesus does not scold Peter, or even bring it up, but simply asks for an affirmation of his faith, which Peter, in typical fashion, offers vehemently with all his heart. And Jesus then tells Peter to follow him. All is evidently forgiven.  What a beautiful template for us to incorporate into our lives...so often, we, like Peter, deny, or fail in our service of Jesus, letting fear or selfish motives get in the way of our relationship with him. As with Peter, he keeps offering us a chance to repent and come back.  He says to us too, "Follow me". May we, like Peter, do just that!

Bro. Rene

Dear God, despite my constant denials of you or failures to do your will, of patterning my life after yours, you give me chance after chance to start over.  Let this day be one of those "re-starts", but one that  will last and not need to be repeated again. Amen.