After - Day 19

Jesus inviting his disciples to fellowship and share a meal signals his love for us. But he has some unfinished business with Peter to take care of. Remember, Peter denied Jesus in a pretty profound way before he was on the cross, and Jesus avails himself of this opportunity to have a crucial conversation with Peter. 

Throughout this story, Peter has been referred to as “Simon Peter.” However, Jesus does not use this name at this time, rather, he uses Peter’s previous name, Peter, son of John, the name used before Peter was a disciple. Now, did this indicate that Peter has been ousted from that special group of first followers? It very well may have, it may have indicated that there was a break in the relationship between Jesus and Peter, and it might be indicating that it is time to address this breaking. 

The question that Jesus is going to ask, and he will ask it three times, is the life question that we all need to answer at some point in our lives. It is the ultimate question in our lives. “Do you truly love me more than these?” The way that you answer this question makes a difference in the focus, trajectory, and experience of life that you will have over the rest of your life. 

The first time Jesus asks this question we see a Peter who is quick to answer, as he always is! But Jesus is not satisfied with the answer, so he asks Peter again, the same question. 

Peter takes this opportunity again to answer in the affirmative. Then, with Jesus not being satisfied again with the answer, we see Jesus as the question a third time. (We will get to Jesus’ response in a bit). 

By the third as, Peter is hurting. It must be finally dawning on him that Jesus is asking this question three times because Peter denied Jesus three times as well. I love the symmetry of this occurrence. He takes the biggest mistake of Peter’s life, and he turns it around. 

I have said this many times, Jesus is the God of reversals. And we see that reversal happening here in a powerful way! 

1. What has Jesus reversed in your life? 
2. Do you think that the disciples on the beach understood what was happening? 
3. How would you have received this reversal if you had been the one to make such a mistake as denying Jesus multiple times?