Do You Love Me?
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July 16, 2017 |
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 Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Tend My lambs.' He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Shepherd My sheep.' He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, 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, 'Tend My sheep'" (John 21:15-17).
Jesus was crucified to fulfill His duty as the Savior and He rose again from the dead. The resurrected Lord manifested Himself in front of His disciples who were fishing at the Sea of Tiberias. He told them to cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and obeying Him they could catch many fish. He had breakfast with them and talked to Peter. What did He say to him and what do His words mean spiritually?
The Lord Said, "Tend My Lambs."
In John 21:15, the Lord said to Peter, "Do you love Me more than these?" Peter said, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." Peter had denied Jesus in fear, but he thoroughly repented and now confessed from his heart that he loved Him foremost of all.
We also should love God foremost of all and love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37, 10:37, and 19:29). God gave up the Lord and allowed His crucifixion to happen in order to save us. The Lord endured all the sufferings and the abasement, and He shed His precious blood on the cross on our behalf. By doing so, He opened the way of salvation for us and gave us eternal Heaven.
When Peter made his confession to the Lord, the Lord said, "Tend My lambs." What does 'lambs' refer to here? Some people think 'lambs' refers to newcomers, but biblically the Lamb symbolizes Jesus Christ (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6-8).
What, then, does it mean 'to tend lambs'? In Exodus 12, the plague of death of the firstborn hit Egypt. All the firstborn in Egypt died in one night but the Israelites were protected. It was because they did as God told them to do. They took a lamb and put its blood on the two doorposts and on the lintel of their houses and ate the lamb. The blood was a sign that the plague was to pass over the houses. So, the people in the houses were not put to death. It foreshadowed that with the precious blood of Jesus Christ we would be forgiven of sin and be saved from death.
During the time of Exodus, the Israelites could be saved from death by eating a lamb and putting its blood on the doorposts. In the New Testament times, we can be saved and gain eternal life by eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood (John 6:53). It means we should learn the Word of God and practice it by faith. It is because the Word became flesh, and came to the earth, and He is Jesus. When we live by the Word, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (John 1:14; 1 John 1:7).
Therefore, "Tend My lambs" means to spread and teach the truth of God and the Word of the Lord who is the way, the truth, and the life.
Here, we should remember that we should let people know of the salvation through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ who is the Lamb. Only when they are born again of water and the Spirit through the message of the cross can they gain the right to become God's children and live with the assurance in salvation until they reach Heaven.
And, the Second Time He Said, "Shepherd My Sheep."
The resurrected Lord said to Peter again, "Do you love Me?" in John 21:16. He said, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." Then, the Lord said, "Shepherd My sheep." A shepherd makes his sheep lie down in green pastures, leads them beside quiet waters, and feeds them. When a sheep falls down, he rescues it and when it goes astray, he leads it back in the right way (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
Some verses of the Bible liken believers to sheep (Isaiah 53:6; Mark 6:34). When we shepherd the Lord's sheep that symbolize believers who accepted Jesus Christ and gained the right as God's children, we should feed them with the Word of God so that they can grow to become His true children. We should teach them the Word so that they won't go astray from the truth and won't be faced with trials and tests. When they meet with trials, we should also pray for and help them to overcome the trials by faith.
In 1 Peter 5:3, God urged those who shepherd the flock of God not to lord it over those allotted to their charge, but be proving examples to the flocks. They should be examples in every aspect. They should quickly cast off sin and evil and enter spirit and whole spirit ahead of the flock. And, they should feed the flock with the truth diligently so that they also can grow in spirit.
That is, we should put the flock before ourselves or our family, take care of them diligently and passionately with hope for heavenly rewards, and try our best to lead them in the fullness of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 5:4).
Third, He Said, "Tend My Sheep."
In the verse 17, the Lord said to Peter the third time, 'Do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' and he gave Him the same answer. Peter knew that the Lord knew his love for Him, but he was aware that he still had shortcomings. And then Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep."
When people accept Jesus Christ, they are born again of water and the Holy Spirit. As they are fed with the truth, their faith will grow. However, as the world becomes more and more evil, some of them may fail to keep their faith until the end. Some are spiritually dying like a smoldering wick, and others like a battered reed. They are losing life and strength, and becoming spiritually weak. The Lord's word means that we should continue to feed even such people with the truth and encourage them so that they won't lose heart.
The Lord does not break off a battered reed, nor put out a smoldering wick. He wants to open the way to life even for people who have a very slim chance of life (Matthew 12:20). Here, a battered reed spiritually refers to people who are filled with sins and evil. They can hardly accept the Lord. A smoldering wick refers to those whose lamps of their sprit are dying because their hearts are stained so much with evil. It is also really hard for them to turn back and return to the boundary of salvation as well.
However, the resurrected Lord urged Peter not to give up on them, but to try to lead them to salvation, and tend all the flock with the heart and with passion.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today's passages, the Lord who overcame death and opened the way of salvation for all people explained how to fulfill our duty of leading souls to salvation. I pray in the name of the Lord that as Peter did you will also take a lead in leading many souls to salvation with joy and hope for Heaven.
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