Introduction: Discipleship and Foundational Teachings
Session 005: Jesus: the Pattern Life of Discipleship
part 3
In the last two sessions, we’ve looked at Jesus’ life from the perspective of discipleship. Firstly, we examined our Lord Jesus’ life as a disciple of His Heavenly Father. From when He was a child, the Father taught him as a son, and he grew in wisdom and stature by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, we looked at the plan of God to have His dwelling place among His chosen people through the discipleship or the work of Jesus Christ.
We also explained why Jesus claimed Himself being the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. As one sent with a mission, Jesus was ever faithful with the work of the Father entrusted to Him. He said: “my work is to do the will of the one who sent me.” Having this purpose of the Father in His mind, Jesus began to teach others about the Kingdom of God, which is no other than a culture of righteous living that comes from the Household and Kingdom of God.
Today, let us briefly examine Jesus’s ministry of discipleship on earth. Because most of us are quite familiar with the life of the Lord, we will only look at few episodes in His life to gain some perspective.
1. Baptized by John at Jordan: Jesus was sent and empowered by God.
We know from the Gospels that when He was about 30 years old, he went to Jordan River to be baptized by the Prophet John the Baptist. Let us look at this.
Matt. 3:13-17 NIV
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
John 1:19-34 NIV
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
We need not to discuss in details how God had purposefully chosen John as the one fit to baptize Jesus. But do notice the clarity and confidence John had with the purpose and the ways of God in his life as one sent by Him. He was sent to:
- Prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness, as a herald of the King. If the wilderness signifies the fact that even during his time of ministry, mankind had never been able to produce the kind of fruits (offsprings or sons) that God desired, then we can certainly know that John was very much aware that the religion of his day and the traditions passed unto him, which made him the greatest prophet of God, were in need of an overhaul or uprooting. The King and His Kingdom will never fit into the order and ways of man.
- Baptize Jesus as the Lamb of God. John was helping Jesus fulfilling “all righteousness” or the divine order and ways prescribed by God in the Law of Moses as a perfect sacrifice unto God. Yet this is not according to the Levitical order that John was part of. He was set apart before his birth, so that he could perform this baptism on behalf of the Father, in the sight of all creation. The angle of the Lord restrained Abraham from sacrificing Isaac on the rock. Moses only sanctified and offered the sacrifices of bulls and goats that were given by Aaron and his sons. But John was washing or sanctifying the lamb that was prepared before the foundation of world. With this knowledge and reverence, he complied to the request of the Son. For God had sent him and made him holy for this very purpose.
- Testify that Jesus is the Son of God. When the spirit of God descended and rested upon Jesus, no other was able to see it but John. In this, Jesus, who was just washed as the lamb of God became one with the Holy Spirit from above, the token of the Anointing of the Father. And the voice of the Father also testified. We see three testimonies become one. To John, it is the spirit of prophecy in him, the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven and the voice of God; to the people witnessed Jesus’ baptism that day, it is John’s testimony, God’s voice from above and the Law of Moses that were given to them.
But not everyone understood, even John was still unclear with the nature and the impact of this baptism. We should notice the stories about his interaction with Jesus in later days. They show us that John, one who was fully aware and readily testified about Jesus as the King of God’s people, was still bewildered by the way Jesus discipled others and the nature of His Kingdom.
From this point on, Jesus went about teaching others as one being sent for the things of the Kingdom of God. He began to call out His disciples. Indeed, as the author of Hebrews speaks, he became the Apostle of God unto mankind.
Now, let us look at more examples from Jesus’ own mouth to see how much effort he put in to testify to others of the fact he was sent by God from above. The quote will be quit long, but please bear with us. As you read, just image the eagerness and zeal in the heart of our Lord trying to get across this message to his audience.
John 5:16-47 NIV
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
John 6:26-29 NIV
26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 6:57-58 NIV
57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
John 8:12-19 NIV
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
John 10:33-38 NIV
33 “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
John 12:42-50 NIV
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
John 13:19-20 NIV
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
2. A day’s ministry: Jesus was very purposeful in the way He taught others.
We will zoom in a single day of our Lord’s life as recorded in Matt 12:15-13:52.
It starts with the revelation that while Jesus was ministering in the power of the Spirit, He enjoyed a clear understanding that He was one sent by God as His servant. It then opens up with a wonderful yet dramatic sequence of events. Jesus was healing many people. So multitude who marveled at the power of God followed him wherever he went. When he healed a man inflicted by demons, it caused quite a stir in the heart of the Pharisees. Now this invoked Jesus into a stern refute unto them, declaring that He was carrying with Him a much severer judgment than that of Jonna’s, and a better wisdom than that of Solomon’s. And in the hearing of them all, He renounced them as an evil generation, ever seeking after miracles and signs of God rather the ways and the heart of God.
At the peak of His passionate discourse, His family came around to seek him out. He hesitated not a bit to claim that, for him, His disciples were His real family. They are the ones who will “do the will of my father”. (Matt. 12:46-50) At that point, Jesus seemed to simmer down with his emotions a bit. He withdrew to a house and rested a while, then went and sat by the lake. But the multitude would not leave him alone. When he tried again to withdraw from them by sailing on a boat to get to the other side of Galilee. They followed him even there. Jesus then began to teach them with many parables, trying to wake them up to attend to his true purpose. So that he could teach them about the Kingdom of God. Yet few understood him and they went about with their own interests. There must be many parables. Matthew only recorded the parable of the sower. Anyhow, these dark sayings did quicken the seeking heart of a few. Puzzled by them and the way of His teachings, they came to him to ask why.
Matt 13:11-16 NIV
11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Now we know most from the multitude were not the kind who would bluntly rejected him. They followed him around because they believed that he was sent by God and took the time to listen to His teachings. But sadly, only the disciples came to him for understanding. Was Jesus’ heart greatly troubled? Not at all, he now really was ready to teach about His Kingdom, and he continue to use parables. And he made it quite clear that they were his true audience and they need to hear Him in a different way.
It seemed that He had found encouragement and consolation with the response of these few, whom we can readily name: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathanael and maybe few others. (Matt. 4:12-17, John 1:43-46) The towns are near the Lake of Galilee, so they might be Capernaum or Bethsiaida, not far from His own hometown. Matthew continued to record that he must have returned back home with his family shortly after. And He continued His teachings in the synagogue at His home town, yet they took offense of him.
3. An Encounter with the Teachers of the Law: Jesus was ever holding up the standard of His discipleship.
He never bent this standard. He exemplified that with His own life and taught others to do the same. Later days he said this to his disciples after rebuked Peter, who was used by Satan to deter Him from doing the Father’s will.
Mark 8:34-38 NIV
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
This also can be witnessed in His dealings with the rich young ruler. (Luk. 18:18-30) He recognized and made it clear the unwillingness of man’s heart to embrace His teachings and His ways of discipleship. After seeing the young man walked away, He exclaimed, as if with a sigh: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mark 10:26-31 NIV
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
We can see then, Jesus was ever plain and upfront with His standard of discipleship. He described it as the narrow door of the Kingdom of God. Let’s take a look:
Luk. 13:22-30 NIV
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
And He was ever clear in admonishing others to heed it, calling it as counting their cost. For Him, the Kingdom of God is a pearl of immeasurable value that worth for they to sell everything in order to acquire it. And it is not an easy route any man would like to take, which is quite a different picture from the many messages shared around today. The Kingdom of God, freely offered by the Lord to us, would have us pay a different kind of price. That is our old way of life in the world, its culture and interests. Let’s look at it:
Luk. 14:25-35 NIV
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
We know that, by using the word “hate”, the Lord meant not for them to harbor hatred towards their dear ones, or anyone. Rather it means to distain or dislike something or someone from the world that stands in one’s relationship to him as His disciple. His companions, might be the earlier guests who dined with him in the house of a Pharisee, needed to make a drastic change of the values of their life and revise their vision of the Kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom or His feast is not like man’s, with a blessed family wrapped around to happily enjoy ourselves. Jesus might have detected that this ideal picture of one who is blessed by God stood in the center of the teachings of “the Pharisees and the experts of the Law” at that time. And it runs fundamentally against the culture of the Kingdom or the way of His discipleship. Later,
Luk 16:14-15 NIV
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.
Indeed, He presented an upside-down value system to us as His disciples. No wonder, Jesus would whip out the money-changers in His Father’s House. His zeal for the House of God must have flared like a consuming fire against the sickness and wickedness there. He had to turn their table upside down, so that He could turn the fate of man and the kingdoms (cultures and values) of the world upside down.
Apostle John spoke of this standard as well:
1 John 2:15-17 NIV
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever
4. Restored Peter after Peter disowned Him: Jesus was always faithful with the ones given to Him.
Wisely He discerned the hearts of men and chose some to be His disciples. To those who truly loved Him, He was faithful to the end, committed to their lives by loving and caring for them, imparted to them all that He had received from the Father. And He comforted and encouraged them when He knew His time of suffering was drawing close, even told them that they would disown Him and be scattered for a while. But He never doubted their heart and their role in the work of God. This can be clearly seen in His prayer for them in John 17. Please read that yourself. Now, let us look at what he shared with them just before His death from
John 15:1-16 NIV
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
You see, through His teachings, He sanctified them as His disciples. When they were taught of His wisdom and love, He committed them to the further work of the Holy Spirit to bear fruits. “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruits.” This appointment is not about the personal commitment He required of them as His disciples, but about the office and role to be the ones entrusted and sent to disciple others, or have them installed as priests of the Covenant of eternal life. He committed them into the work or business of the Father just like He Himself had been working on. That is to disciple others on His behalf or to teach others to love one another in the way of the Father would have them with an understanding and wisdom that comes from above.
Sadly at this point they still had not quite fully grasped what was given to them. When the day of the Lord’s death came, as darkness seized the minds and attitudes of man, they were scattered like lost sheep. Peter even denied Jesus 3 times while He was persecuted by others. This must have broken Peter’s heart. After His resurrection, the Lord visited His disciples on few occasions. Not aware of the next phase of God’s work through them, they still didn’t know what to do with their lives. Peter, John and few others seemed to remain afraid of the intense adversity in Jerusalem. So they retrieved back to their home region, which is by the sea of Galilee. Let us look at the scriptures:
John 21:4-22 NIV
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”
11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15 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.” 16 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.”
17 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. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
Now let’s observe a few points to see how this experience must have greatly impacted Peter as a disciple of the Lord:
- Prior to the time the Lord called them to follow Him, Peter, John and others had a similar experience with the Lord. (Luk. 5:1-11) So here they were able to recognize Him instantly. Now, having doubted Him and “abandoned” Him, they must have felt greatly shamed and disoriented in His presence.
- The region is also quite close to the place where Jesus had them fed the five thousands with a little portion of bread and fish. (Matt 14:13-21) While eating with Jesus the same food He had prepared for them, what would be boiling in their hearts? Also do notice, Peter was the one was able to walk on water after the feeding of the 5 thousands.
- In His dialogue with Peter, we see the Lord gently yet also “sternly” restored him. He did not give Peter any place to hide from himself. Facing his own weakness and reviewing with the Lord his obvious failure, Peter was deeply broken and humbled. No more boost of his own passions. Yet exactly starting from here, the Lord made it clear to Peter that he was the one He will trust to take care of His sheep. He used the word “feed” or “tend”, which will certainly remind Pater of the time he was passing out bread and fish to others.
Jesus is the greatest teacher and the greatest shepherd for His flock. Indeed, none would pluck His little ones out of His hands. His love is so strong and so powerful, that it will reach the end of the world to call and guide us, to the highest heavens to defend and plead for us, to the deepest part of hell to rescue and deliver us. Paul spoke of His love in this way:
Rom. 8:31-39 NIV
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let’s pray:
Oh, dear beloved saints, may the Love of God indeed invade and occupy you through and through. May it be the mighty waves overtake your humble frame; the ever-growing flame burns your inmost being; the thick oil pours into your broken heart. May You be blessed in the Name of Jesus, the most glorious name, forever and evermore. Let’s ask Him for mercy, grace and power so that we can happily embrace His cross and walk through of the Gate of His glory, we can shamelessly and vigilantly testify of His Goodness and Power. We can be His disciples of honor and fruitfulness. In Jesus’name. Amen!