Seventh Appearance of Jesus.

  15 So when they had broken their fast [after the eating of a meal together had calmed and quieted the excitement of the disciples, and made them susceptible of teaching], Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? [Jesus here means: Do you love me more than these fishes and this fishing business? *] He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

  16 He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep.

[better than fishing, you are a fisherman no longer, but a shepherd.*]

  16 He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep.

  17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. [The Greek here has subtle shades of meaning which the English does not express. In the first two questions addressed to Peter our Lord uses the strong verb agapan, and Peter replies by the weaker verb philein. See Section 93. Peter, as we have seen, had professed the most unparalleled devotion for the Master, but when the Lord now asks him if he has that devotion, he humbly describes his love as of a far weaker order--a mere instinctive affection or strong attachment, but nothing approaching adoration. In his third question, Jesus drops the agapan and takes Peter's own word--philein: as if he said, "Peter, are you even sure that you have a high regard for me?" It grieved Peter to have the Lord thus apparently doubt that he had even a tender regard for him, and he appealed to Christ himself as a searcher of hearts to bear witness that, poor and meager as his love was, it was at least as intense as he had represented it to be. In response to each of Peter's professions of love Jesus lays a command on him, as if he had said, "If you love me as you say, prove it thus." These three commands also contain subtle linguistic distinctions which, however, are fairly represented by the English. Lambs and sheep are to be fed, and sheep are to be tended. The former means that young and old in the church are to be provided for, and, since the word "tends" mean to be shepherd unto, the latter may mean that Peter is to play the shepherd to the wandering and the erring, bringing them into the fold. Before leaving this scene, we should note that it has close relationship to other by which he had first called him, noting the more honorable name which he had given him. 2. Jesus recalls Peter under circumstances very similar to his first call. Compare verses 1-14 with Luke v. 1-11. 3. In a group around a fire of coals Peter here thrice professes his love for Christ, thus revoking the threefold denial which he had made under similar circumstances-- Luke 22:54-62 .]

  18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest [Peter had just shown this freedom by girding himself and plunging into the sea]: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. [Thus our Lord, by delicate but unmistakable suggestion, shows Peter that the freedom which he now enjoyed would be taken from him, and that he would lift his hands to permit others to bind him that they might lead him to martyrdom to which his flesh (though not his spirit) would go unwillingly.]

  19 Now this he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. [John, who wrote after Peter's death, tells us what the words of Christ meant. His words show that tradition is true in saying that Peter suffered martyrdom, but it is no voucher that tradition is true as to the time (about thirty-four years after this), place (Rome), or manner (crucified head downward) of Peter's death. There is certainly no trustworthy evidence that Peter was ever at Rome.] And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. [This saying bore the usual double sense in which Jesus employed it. Peter was to follow him now (and he did arise and follow), and he was also to follow Jesus to a violent death and a glorious immortality.]

  20 Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved [John] following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee? [ John 13:25 .]

  21 Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? [Peter and John were near friends ( Acts 3:1 ), Lord had prophesied a violent death for himself, Peter was naturally interested in the fate of his dear companion.]

  22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. [It was none of Peter's business whether John's earthly lot was easier or harder than his own; his business was to be faithful in the pathway whither the Lord led him.]

  23 This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? [Our Lord's words were a puzzle when John wrote his Gospel, and to many they are a puzzle still. For an able treatment of the various interpretations of this difficult passage, see B. W. Johnson's Commentary on John. There is no question that John died. The site of his grave at Ephesus was well known to early Christians. The coming of the Lord for which he tarried was that in the isle of Patmos, of which he tells us in the Book of Revelation. This passage, therefore, shows that John wrote his Gospel before his exile in Patmos.]

  24 This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true.

  25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written.

[Since the "we know" differs from the "he knoweth" of John 19:35 , most of the critics hold that this verse was added by the elders of Ephesus to whom John committed his Gospel, and that it is the attestation of the church there to the truth and authenticity of the Gospel. But the first person singular, "I suppose," of verse 25 is hard to account for such an hypothesis. Besides, none of the elders at Ephesus could suppose any such thing. Only an eye-witness who saw the fullness of our Lord's ministry would be led to pen these words. We find in the first Epistle of John a condition of affairs similar to these two verses. The first while the second chapter drops in the first person singular. We think, then, that John finished his own book. Considering the wilderness of literature which has accumulated around the sayings and doings of our Lord contained in the brief Gospels, it is little wonder that John thought a full record of the Lord's life would fill the world with books.]

  25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written.

* NOTE.--We can not agree in this. Jesus had said too many things indicating his future need of the apostles for them to think that he was through with them ( Matthew 16:19 ; 24:9-13 ; Luke 22:32 ; John 15:16 John 15:20 John 15:27 ; 16:1-3 ). He had told the apostles to go to Galilee, and that he would appear to them there; they had done this and were waiting for his appearance. Peter, because of his denials, may have wavered in his loyalty, but the others surely did not. By going a-fishing they did not mean to abandon their apostleship; they were merely putting in the time, while they waited for developments; but by thus returning to their old occupation they were subjecting themselves to strong temptation ( Luke 9:62 ).--P. Y. P.     

* NOTE.--Here again we dissent. See Hengstenberg, Alford, Meyer, etc. and especially Godet. Peter had boasted of a love toward Jesus superior to that of any of the other disciples ( Matthew 26:33 ; Mark 14:29 ; John 13:37 ), and by refusing to have Jesus wash his feet, by being the first to draw a sword in his Master's defense, and by even now conspicuously deserting the others to swim to meet Jesus, he had endeavored to prove his boast. Jesus therefore asks him if it is indeed true that his love is greater than that of his fellow-disciples--"Do you love me more than these love me?"--P. Y. P.     

* NOTE.--Rather, "If you love me better than the others do, take the place which I have assigned you as chief servant of the flock"-- Matthew 16:18 Matthew 16:19 ; Luke 22:26 .--P. Y. P.

* NOTE.--Here again we dissent. See Hengstenberg, Alford, Meyer, etc. and especially Godet. Peter had boasted of a love toward Jesus superior to that of any of the other disciples ( Matthew 26:33 ; Mark 14:29 ; John 13:37 ), and by refusing to have Jesus wash his feet, by being the first to draw a sword in his Master's defense, and by even now conspicuously deserting the others to swim to meet Jesus, he had endeavored to prove his boast. Jesus therefore asks him if it is indeed true that his love is greater than that of his fellow-disciples--"Do you love me more than these love me?"--P. Y. P.     

* NOTE.--Rather, "If you love me better than the others do, take the place which I have assigned you as chief servant of the flock"-- Matthew 16:18 Matthew 16:19 ; Luke 22:26 .--P. Y. P.

* NOTE.--Rather, "If you love me better than the others do, take the place which I have assigned you as chief servant of the flock"-- Matthew 16:18 Matthew 16:19 ; Luke 22:26 .--P. Y. P.