John 21:2
Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
(a) Simon; see entry for John 1:42.
(b) Thomas; see entry for John 11:16.
(c) Didymus; see entry for John 11:16.
(d) Nathanael; see entry for John 1:46
(e) Cana of Galilee; see entry for John 2:1.
(f) The sons of Zebedee were James and John (Matt. 4:21). Their mother was probably Salome (Matt. 27:56) who was probably Mary’s sister (Mark 15:40, John 19:25). If so, James and John, were Jesus’ cousins. James and John must have been rowdy and passionate men because Jesus called them “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). James was the first apostle to be martyred and the only apostle whose death is recorded in scripture (Acts 12:2). He was executed by Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, around AD44.
John 21:7
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.
(a) The disciple Jesus loved was John; see entry for John 13:23.
(b) Simon Peter; see entry for John 1:42.
John 21:15
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.”
(a) Simon; see entry for John 1:42.
(b) Do you love me? Jesus is reminding Peter of his empty boast. Peter had said, “Lord, I’ll follow you anywhere. Others may fall away and abandon you, but I never will” (see Matt. 26:33). Yet Peter abandoned and denied the Lord the same night he made that promise. His promise proved worthless.
If Jesus was an old covenant preacher, he would have rebuked Peter for his sin. “You betrayed me, Peter. Three times!” He would have drawn attention to Peter’s failings before demanding a better effort next time. But Jesus is a new covenant preacher, so he gives him grace. He is gentle and forgiving with Peter. He takes care of Peter’s needs (he cooked him breakfast), and then he restores him.
The law demands that you love God, but grace asks, “Do you know the love of God?” Our love for God is not based on promises we can’t keep but is a response to his great love and grace for us. We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).
(c) Do you love me? Scholars make much of the different words for love that appear in this exchange. Jesus asks Peter if he loves him with agapao-love and Peter replies that he loves him with phileo-love and this happens twice, in verses 15 and 16. Then on the third occasion, in verse 17, Jesus changes his word to phileo-love. The lesson, apparently, is that Peter was only able to love Jesus with a lesser love and Jesus accepted this. The problem with this interpretation is that Jesus and Peter were probably conversing in Aramaic, not Greek.
Perhaps Jesus was saying something like this: “Peter, do you burn with such love for me that you will stick with me through thick and thin?” Because that’s the sort of love Peter had promised and failed to deliver. The point is not that Peter made a promise he couldn’t keep—we’ve all done that—but that Jesus loves us despite our failures. And further, our failures do not disqualify us. “Tend my lambs,” is a powerful word of restoration. It’s Jesus saying, “Peter, you’re still my guy. Now tell others what you have learned about the weakness of your flesh and my unconditional acceptance.”
John 21:17
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.
(a) Third time. Peter, who after boasting about his love for the Lord, had denied Jesus three times (Matt. 26:69–75). In response, Jesus questioned Peter’s love three times. His purpose was not to shame Peter but to make sure the failure was not wasted.
(b) Do you love me? See entry for John 21:15.
(c) Peter was grieved when Jesus questioned his love a third time. Perhaps he was reminded of his three denials. We too are grieved when we break promises we can’t keep. The lesson is not “try harder next time,” but stop trusting in your flesh and rely instead on the unbreakable promises of God.
John 21:20
Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
The disciple Jesus loved was John; see entry for John 13:23.
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