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The sermon presents Jesus’ questioning of Peter as a gracious examination of genuine love rather than a request for information. Faith is treated as foundational to salvation, while love is described as a bright evidence of true piety; religious works cannot substitute for love known by Christ. Genuine love is demonstrated through serving Christ’s people, especially younger and weaker believers. Yet the remedy for cold affections is not self-scrutiny alone, but renewed vision of Christ’s tender love, empowered by the Holy Spirit and received through saving grace.
Theological center: Christ’s unchanged tenderness and saving grace produce genuine love, which is evidenced through humble reliance on Him and active service.
Applications: Examine your love for Christ · Serve Christ by feeding His lambs · Look to Christ’s love · Give yourself to Christ for salvation
Primary texts: John 21:15-17
“Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, 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.” John 21:15-17 HOW very much like to Christ before His crucifixion was Christ after His resurrection! Although He had lain in the grave, and descended into the regions of the dead, and had retraced his steps to the land of the living, yet how marvelously similar He was in His manners and how unchanged in His disposition. His passion, His death, and His resurrection, could not alter His character as a man any more than they could affect His attributes as God. He is Jesus forever the same. And when He appeared again to His disciples, He had cast aside none of His kind manners. He had not lost a particle of interest in their welfare. He addressed them just as tenderly as before, and called them His children and His friends. Concerning their temporal condition He was mindful, for He said, “Children, have ye any meat?” And He was certainly quite as watchful over their spiritual state, for after He had supplied their bodies by a rich draught from the sea, with fish (which possibly He had created for the occasion), He inquires after their souls’ health and prosperity, beginning with the one who might be supposed to have been in the most sickly condition, the one who had denied his Master thrice, and wept bitterly—even Simon Peter. “Simon, son of Jonas,” said Jesus, “lovest thou me?” Without preface, for we shall have but little time this morning—may God help us to make good use of it!—we shall mention three things. First, a solemn question, “Lovest thou me?” Secondly, a discreet answer, “Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,” and thirdly, a required demonstration of the fact, “He saith unto him, Feed my lambs,” or again, “Feed my sheep.” I. First, then, here was a SOLEMN QUESTION, which our Savior put to Peter, not for His own information, for, as Peter said, “Thou knowest that I love thee,” but for Peter’s examination. It is well, especially after a foul sin, that the Christian should well probe the wound. It is right that he should examine himself, fo…