Do You Love Me More?

Transcription

1 Session 2 Do You Love Me More? John 21:15-17 Memory Verse 15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said to him, you know that I love you. Feed my lambs, he told him. - John 21:15, CSB 1

2 Session 2 Do You Love Me More? THEOLOGICAL THEME: Even in the face of our greatest failure, Jesus gently restores us and recommissions us for the work of the gospel. In his 2009 book Wild Goose Chase, pastor Mark Batterson spent some time talking about the Johari window, a personality matrix that is based on four quadrants. The first quadrant is the arena quadrant, which contains the things a person knows about himself and others know about him as well. The second quadrant is the blind spot quadrant, which includes things others know about a person, but that the person is unaware of. The third quadrant is the unknown quadrant, which contains those things about the person that are neither known by him or others. The fourth quadrant is the facade quadrant, which details those things a person knows about himself, but others are unaware of. Discussing the facade quadrant, Batterson remarked, I m concerned that many Christians get stuck in the facade quadrant. Let s be honest, the church can be the most pretentious place on earth. We re afraid of revealing our imperfections and dysfunctions. We re afraid of revealing our painful scars and sinful secrets. And that is why so many people are so lonely. Batterson goes on to say those hidden scars and points of guilt form a cage in which we force ourselves to live because we cut ourselves off from restoration, forgiveness, and healing (Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson, Multnomoah Books, 2008). In our passage for this week, Peter s façade was stripped away. In a direct and likely uncomfortable way, Jesus confronted Peter s guilt and shame. On the other side of the process, though, Peter found restoration and recommission in following Christ. 2 Date of My Bible Study:

3 Respond to Batterson s assessment of the church above. Do you feel like you need to utilize a facade and hide your struggles and guilt? Describe how you came to know Christ. How did coming to grips with your sinfulness in light of Christ s forgiveness make you feel? How would you describe the difference between forgiving someone and pretending a wrong deed was never done? Which one would you say Christianity is based on? Why? In this week s session, Jesus and the disciples that were present at His third appearance had finished breakfast. What ensued was an intimate conversation between Jesus and Peter. Peter had denied Christ three times during His trials as Peter stood outside in the courtyard. In the midst of the guilt from his denial and the uncertainty that plagued the disciples the days following Jesus crucifixion, Peter was gently restored and recommissioned by Jesus. The process was not painless for Peter, however. The questions of the risen Christ were intentionally repetitive and probing. 1. Addressing Peter Specifically (John 21:15a, 16a, 17a) The difficulty for Peter in this exchange began with the address. With the verses in this section of John 21 being largely identical, the manner in which Jesus addressed John became a point of increasing emphasis with each repetitive question. Prior to this one-onone conversation with Peter, the manner in which Jesus had addressed the seven disciples that were fishing that day was casual and welcoming. He had called them friends, Session 2 3

4 offered them breakfast, and continued to cook and serve as they ate. Now, however, Jesus addressed Peter specifically. In doing so, He greeted Peter with an extended and formal salutation. John reflected the same mood when he introduced the conversation with Peter, using Peter s full name. Scholar Leon Morris notes, There is an air of solemnity about John s use of the full name and his reporting that Jesus used the expanded form, Simon son of John (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, Copyright Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co). The formality indicated both a certain distance, as well as a degree of seriousness that exceeded the previous interchange among the group. Jesus did not refer to him by the name that He had given him, Peter, but chose the name by which he was called when Jesus commanded him to follow Him. The address had the elemental feel of a reset. This had to be both alarming and painful for Peter, as there can be no doubt that the manner of his denial was ever-present in his mind, especially while with Jesus. Describe a time when you had to either initiate or participate in a difficult conversation in which confrontation took place. How did you and the others involved in the conversation address one another? How did the mood of that conversation differ from the typical conversations that had previously defined your relationship? When there is conflict with you and another person, do you tend to wait for the situation to fade or do you seek resolution immediately? How does that tendency change when you know you re the one in the wrong? 4 Personal Study Guide

5 In considering this passage in Wild Goose Chase, Mark Batterson wonders, If postdenial Peter thought his career as a disciple was over. Wouldn t you? Peter had failed one too many times. Maybe Peter was thinking about going back to fishing for a living.and Satan would have loved nothing more than for Peter to have spent the rest of his life in a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. But Peter was commissioned by Christ to go to the ends of the earth proclaiming the good news. But what Jesus had in mind was far different than the jettisoning of Peter s ministry going forward. 2. Peter s Painful Question (John 21:15b, 16b, 17b) The first time Jesus asked Peter, Do you love Me? was different than the subsequent two times that He asked. The first time, Jesus added, more than these. There are actually three different ways to understand the question when first asked. The these could have referred to the other disciples in a comparative way ( Do you love Me more than they do?). It could have referred to the disciples as others that were recipients of Peter s love ( Do you love Me more than you love them? ). These could also have referred to the fishing equipment scattered around on the shore after their long night of fishing ( Do you love Me more than you love fishing/the things of your life before Me? ). According to the context of the passage, the best way to understand the question is that Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than the others. That is a claim that Peter had made blatantly and also by inference throughout the three years they were with Jesus. Peter was the most outspoken and did not hesitate to make grand claims about his devotion to Christ. Further, it was Peter s failure to follow through on these claims by way of outright denial that was the background for the repeated question from Jesus. Three times Peter denied Jesus with increasing vehemence. Three times he reasserted his love for Jesus in this shoreline conversation. How do you respond when someone asks you the same question multiple times? How does your response change if the nature of the question is introspective and inquisitive? Session 2 5

6 How would you respond if your spouse, child, or another loved one questioned your love for them repeatedly? What would you assume about their repeated questions? Interestingly, in drawing out Peter s guilt over denying Him, Jesus never specifically asked about the actual denial. He repeatedly asked if Peter loved Him. Jesus did not focus on the failure, but on the restoration from the failure. Bear in mind, Jesus was completely aware that the denial would happen; He predicted it. Jesus knew of Peter s contrition and brokenness over his denial and, consequently, moved to restoration. Even the restoration process was not painless, however. With each subsequent examination of Peter s genuine love for Him, Jesus recommissioned Peter. 3. Peter Recommissioned (John 21:15c, 16c, 17c) The clear intimation in the repeated exchange between Peter and Jesus is that, if Peter loved Jesus, he would be about the same work with which Jesus was concerned. While there were small variants in the way Jesus directed Peter s future ministry, the variants still underscored the same focus for Peter s recommissioning: do the work of the shepherd for those who follow Christ. The number of times in which Peter was directed to shepherd Jesus sheep obviously mirrored the number of times that Peter denied Christ the night He was arrested. This was intentional for the purpose of reinstating Peter. It bears asking the question whom the recommissioning of Peter was ultimately for. Since Jesus knew that the denial would occur even telling Peter plainly that it would the recommissioning should not be understood as Jesus changing His mind on Peter s purpose after His resurrection. The recommissioning was for Peter so that he understood that the grace of Jesus exceeded his own failure. Peter s role in the building of the church had not changed since the moment Christ called him. The only thing that had changed was Peter s own understanding of his usefulness due to his denial of Christ. As Jesus methodically worked through Peter s guilt and shame toward restoration, Peter heard from the mouth of Jesus Himself that Jesus still had work for him to do. 6 Personal Study Guide

7 Why was it necessary for Peter to reaffirm his love for Jesus as a part of his recommissioning? What about his public profession of loyalty to Jesus refuted his earlier failure? Think of a time when you felt like you blew it in regard to following Jesus. How does this interaction with Peter help you process your own sense of failure? How does it strengthen you for the next time you fail? Why is it important for us to realize and feel the gravity of Peter s remorse and brokenness over his past denial of Jesus? Reading through Acts, it is clear that this would not be the last time that Peter demonstrated a lack of wisdom in the cause of following Christ. Still, it is critically important to read through these verses slowly to wrestle with the weight of Peter s guilt. It would be impossible to imagine how it felt for Peter to be in the presence of the resurrected Jesus. On the one hand, there must have been unspeakable joy in realizing that all of the incredible things Jesus had told the disciples about His death and resurrection, which once seemed impossible, were true and verifiable. On the other hand, the image of the Lord turning to look at him after his final denial (Luke 22:61-62) must have brought fresh waves of guilt on Peter with every glance from the resurrected Christ. For him to be systematically restored, as if addressing each denial individually, brought Peter gradually to a new understanding of Jesus plan to use him in the immediate days to come. Session 2 7

8 Conclusion In these three verses, the reader witnesses Jesus reinstate Peter at his lowest point. Convicted, broken, and wondering what could possibly lie ahead for him, Peter fervently reaffirmed his love for Jesus when asked. The almost identical exchanges offer several important things for Christ followers today. First, when we fail in our following of Jesus, there is restoration after repentance. Notice that there is a when not an if in that sentence. No one on this side of eternity will follow Christ perfectly. Everyone will have moments in which we deny Christ through our conduct, our weakness, the inability to control our thought life, or a host of other avenues through which we choose fleshly comfort. Just as Jesus carefully restored Peter, He will carefully restore us when we are broken over our sin and come to Him in repentance. Our restoration may not be as immediate as three questions on the beach, but there is forgiveness for the contrite in Christ. Second, restoration and recommission do not come easily. While great care must be taken to prevent the idea that forgiveness is earned, it is important to acknowledge that restoration is not simply pretending that nothing ever happened. The questions that Jesus posed to Peter probed to the core of his soul. It was uncomfortable, heartbreaking, as well as healing. It was not a conversation that Peter would have chosen to have. It brought Peter face-to-face with his failure and made him confront it. Restoration and recommission came freely from Jesus, but it did not come easily. Likewise, when we fail, part of repentance is being willing to confront the sin and those sinned against in order for healing to take place. Third, fellowship with Jesus means ministry to His flock. The restoration of Peter also came with a directive to shepherd Jesus people. Jesus does not forgive our failure so that we can go back to being what we were. Rather, Jesus restores us to fellowship with Him to join Him in His work in the world. The question remains, then, how are we opening ourselves to God for Him to use us to make Him known in the world? Are we being conformed to His image in the way we serve those around us? 8 Personal Study Guide

9 Fourth, every day believers must answer the question, Do you love Me more? Like Peter s choosing self-preservation over identification with Jesus during His trial, there are things that compete for our allegiance to and identification with Jesus every day. Whether it is social acceptance, workplace advance, threat of ostracism, or fleshly satisfaction and pleasure, deciding to love Jesus more than anything else will always come at a price. How does our modern understanding of forgiveness measure up to what Peter experienced? How have you modeled this in your own life? What are the most common influences that force you to answer the, Do you love Me more? question with the greatest frequency? Who in your life helps you answer that question? How do you currently use your gifts to express your love for Jesus through service to His flock? What new things might the Holy Spirit be nudging you toward trying as it pertains to service? Session 2 9

10 CHRIST CONNECTION: Just as Christ recommissioned Peter after his denial of Jesus, He restores believers with repentant hearts today from lives of sinfulness to lives of gospel effectiveness. MISSIONAL APPLICATION: Jesus is faithful to forgive us when we fall short in our faith if we are contrite and humble. Jesus forgiveness can restore us to gospel effectiveness as we witness His grace in our own lives. FOR NEXT WEEK By What Death Will You Glorify God? Main Passages --John 21:18-19; 1 Peter 4:13-19 Session Outline 1. Peter s Death Foretold (John 21:18-19a) 2. Whole Life Discipleship (John 21:19b) 3. Peter s Perspective on Death and Discipleship (1 Peter 4:13-19) Memorize 15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said to him, you know that I love you. Feed my lambs, he told him. - John 21:15, CSB 10 Personal Study Guide