Jesus Restores Peter

In John 21, Peter and a group of the disciples go back to Galilee and go fishing.

I have heard many people point to the fact that the disciples went back to Galilee as evidence that the disciples had given up on Jesus.

In Matthew, Jesus tells the women at the tomb to go tell His disciples that they were to go to Galilee because there they will see Him. The disciples went back and, while they were waiting to see Jesus, they did want they knew to do: they fished.

When they hooked up with Jesus, they ate together. Jesus then had a conversation with Peter that reconciled Peter with Jesus and restored Peter as a leader among Jesus’ followers.

John 21:15-17
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord, “ he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John do you truly love Me?’ He answered , “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of My sheep.” The third time He said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said, “Feed My sheep.”

In this passage we learn four things about Jesus that are essential for us to understand so that, when we sin, we can be reconciled to Jesus.

#1: Jesus is a restoring God.

Jesus restores people; that is what He does.

Jesus didn’t ask Peter once or twice if he loved Him. Jesus asked Peter three times.

Why did Jesus ask three times?

Was it because Jesus didn’t believe Peter? - No!
Was it because Jesus wanted Peter to feel guilty? - No!
Was it because Jesus was hard of hearing? - No!
Was it because Jesus was being mean and harsh? - No!
Was it because Peter had denied Jesus three times and wanted Peter to experiencing total restoration? - Yes!

Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being fully restored to relationship and fellowship with God the Father through Jesus.

#2: Jesus meets us at our level and challenges us to grow and change.

When Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him the first two times, He uses the word agape.

Agape love is unconditional, no-boundaries type of love. It is the love that Jesus has for us; it is divine love.

Peter answers Jesus with the word phileo.

Phileo love is a brotherly kind of love. It is the love that the average person has for a friend.

The third time when Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, He used the word phileo.

Jesus accepts the fact Peter is not able to use agape to communicate his love for Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t condemn Peter. Jesus is willing to come down to Peter’s level. Jesus is and will continue to grow Peter in his love for Jesus.

Acts 8:35
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

Jesus’ patience grows our understanding of who He is, of His love for us, how we are to love Him, and how to follow Him.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is growing in our love for Jesus continually.

#3: Jesus defines love as action, not just words.

After every time that Peter says that he loves Jesus, Jesus gives him an action to take.
Verse 15 - Feed My Lambs
Verse 16 - Take care of My Sheep
Verse 17 - Feed My Sheep

1John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Love is a verb; it is acting on what we say we believe. It is dispensing grace and mercy to others.

It is Jesus healing the Canaanite women’s daughter.
It is Jesus healing the leper by touching him.
It is Jesus bringing the widow of Nain’s son back from the dead.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving with what we do and not just what we say.

#4: Jesus doesn’t ask for information but for transformation.

When Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, it is not for information. Jesus knows if Peter loves Him or not. Jesus wasn’t asking because He didn’t know.

Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him so that Peter would really think about it and examine his heart.

The question was asked to transform Peter.

In Genesis 3 when God asked Adam, “Where are you?”, He was not asking for Adam’s location. God knew where he was. God was asking so Adam could acknowledge his sin and repent.

Jesus knows everything. He is all-knowing.

When Jesus asks a question it is so we can examine our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to change us.

When Jesus asks Philip how the 5,000 could be fed, He didn’t ask because He didn’t know, He asked so that Philip could, by faith, trust Jesus in an impossible situation.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls  is allowing Jesus to change us by examining our hearts and minds.

Many people see Jesus as a God who is all about rules and rituals. They see Jesus as condemning those who fail Him and sin.

The Bible shows us that is not who Jesus is.

John 3:17
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Jesus is the seeking God.
Jesus is the loving God.
Jesus is the redeeming God.
Jesus is the restoring God.

With the Restoring God Raising the Roof and Removing Walls
                                               Joe