‘Do You Love Me More Than These?’

‘Do You Love Me More Than These?’

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

John 21:15

As Christ moved towards His restoration of Peter, after his denial, He raised the issue which was a strain upon their relationship.  This was the elephant in the room.  Peter had seen Christ on two occasions prior to this one.  On neither occasion had he broached the matter of his denial of Christ.  Now Christ raises the issue in a very winsome way.  He asks the question, ‘Simon, son of Jonah do you love me more than these?’  Peter had made loud professions of his love for Christ.  He had declared, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’   After that he had said, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’  By Christ asking Peter if he loved Him more than these other disciples, He was recalling to Peter’s mind his bold professions.  Three times, Christ asked Peter the same question, exactly the number of times Peter had denied Him.  In this manner, Christ chose to raise the issue that strained their relationship.  How often does Christ do the same for us?  We are not going to raise the issue.  Yet He will do so by the setting forth of His Word and by the influence of the Holy Spirit.  By these things He works in our hearts to bring us to the place where we will face our failure and begin to interact with Him once again.  We cannot resolve issues about which we never talk.  Christ very graciously raises these issues of our failure in such a way as to move us toward restoration of fellowship and further usefulness for Him.

Our most Loving and Kind Savior,
we praise You, that You speak to our hearts of the most important things.
We rejoice that You draw us back to Yourself,
and restore us to fellowship with You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning