"Do You Love Me?"

Link to service: https://youtu.be/9r1YOSb2JN0

“Do You Love Me”

John 21:15-19

November 20, 2022

Before we jump into the text today, it is worth mentioning that this is Christ the King Sunday.  We have a lot going on today and so it would be easy to gloss over it. However, given the environment in which we find ourselves, given the time of year we are in, and given the message in the text, it is important to take a moment to reflect on this reminder from church’s liturgical calendar.

The church year begins with Advent, which we will start next Sunday.  Advent is the time of watching and waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled, even as we remember the way God has fulfilled promises in the past.  Advent turns to Christmas and Epiphany, where we marvel at the mystery of the incarnation with the birth of Jesus – Emmanuel, God with us.  Then we go through a few weeks before Lent commences with Ash Wednesday.  During that season, we take time to remember and give thanks for Jesus’ faithful walk to Jerusalem and the cross. Lent carries us through Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.  In the past, I have made reference to the great sermon I heard a number of years ago, “It’s Friday; but Sunday’s comin’.”

Sunday, of course, is Resurrection Sunday.  The resurrection is the very heart of the gospel: in it we see the victory God has won over death for us.  In it we see how the redemption of Christ’s blood shed for us is confirmed.  In it we are renewed in the hope we have in our adoption as brothers and sisters in Christ.  In the resurrection, we see the full meaning of Christ’s words in the all-so-familiar John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  Those are not just words, they are not just promises, they are a sure foundation of the hope that God has given us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Easter-tide is the season that follows.  The joy of the resurrection cannot be contained to one day.  That is where we will find our sermon text today – in the period after the resurrection.  Then, suddenly, abruptly, and wonderfully, things turn red for one Sunday for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, the proclamation of the gospel in many languages, and the birth of the church: Pentecost.

Following the birth of the church at Pentecost, there is a long series of Sundays that is ordinal or ordinary time.  It is the time in which the church grows in Christ, follows where Christ leads, and obeys Christ’s Great Commission to “Go, baptize, make disciples.”  All of that leads to this day, this Sunday, which is Christ the King Sunday, when we look forward to the culmination of time, Christ’s return, and the ultimate fulfillment of the promises of the coming Kingdom of God.

In other words, Christ the King Sunday is a reminder that God has won.  God is sovereign over all things.  God has defeated sin.  God has defeated death.  God has declared his kingdom over which Jesus Christ is King.  Christ the King Sunday is about remembering that we are in relationship with the one who has redeemed us by his own blood.  We are in relationship with the one who has saved us for his own kingdom.  We are in relationship with the one who knows our frame, who has stood in our place, and who invites us to eternal life in communion with him.

We also are finishing our sermon series on John today.  We have walked with Jesus through his ministry – his miracles and teaching.  We have traveled with him  on his journeys to Jerusalem for several festivals, going despite the threats against his life. We spent a significant portion of this year in the last week of Jesus’ life: the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his last meal with the disciples, his betrayal, arrest, trials, and crucifixion.  We have marveled with the women and the disciples in the confusion and chaos of the resurrection.  Now, today, we finish the journey with Jesus and Peter.  All the while we remember that John wrote this gospel “so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

 

Read John 21:15-25

This is the Word of the LORD.

What’s the worst thing you have ever done?

How’s that for an edifying beginning to a hopeful message?  But, let me ask again, what is the worst thing you have ever done?

What is the skeleton in your closet that keeps you from running for president?  (Aside from not wanting the job.)  What would you hope and pray reporters never uncovered if they were to do a full vetting search on your life?  What would you never utter out loud publicly in a prayer of confession?

For many people – Christians included – this is an awful exercise.  We work so hard to be perfect.  We try so hard to keep up appearances.  We struggle to not be sinners and get so frustrated – and perhaps even a little defensive – when someone points out that we are sinners.  It is humbling to look at ourselves and our lives clearly.

Last spring during our Maundy Thursday service, we had a dramatic presentation of Judas, Peter, and John on the night Jesus was betrayed.  Dan Skinkis was playing Peter. In the weeks leading up to the service, Dan was notably disturbed in his soul.  Even in rehearsal, he was struggling to say the words, “I don’t know him.”  It grieved him to hear those things in his own voice – despite knowing that he was only playing a role.  He was still convicted by the sense that it could have been his voice, his sinfulness, his brokenness that was denying Jesus.  How awful – we can only empathize – how awful it must have been for Peter who heard his own voice in real time.

I can think of times in my own life where I have betrayed, where I have stood silent, where I have abandoned and denied not only Christ, but also those whom I have been called to love.  For whatever reason – cowardice, anger, revenge, self-righteousness, or trying to impress someone else – I have participated in watching others suffer because of me.  And how fleeting is the sense of relief or escape.  More often than not, I find that even while it is going on, I want to stop it.  I want to confess my complicity, confess my own wrongdoing and make it stop.

But I can’t.

And it happens.  And the person I have hurt looks at me straight in the eyes.  And I know that they know that I have wronged them.

What then?

Even if they forgive me, can I forget what I have done?  How can I ever face them again?

Remember what was happening at the time of our text today: Jesus has been raised from the dead.  He appeared to the disciples twice in the upper room where they had been hidden away.  “Peace,” he has said.  But as far as the gospels relate, Jesus has been addressing them as a whole.  Apparently, to this point, Jesus and Peter had not addressed Peter’s denial.  Even though Jesus had predicted it, the reality for Peter was devastating.  In Mark’s Gospel, Peter instantly remembered Jesus’ words “and he broke down and wept.” (Mark 14:27)  Matthew is even more descriptive, “He went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75).  Luke adds the detail, “The Lord turned and looked at Peter.” (Luke 22:61).

Thus, when Peter was out fishing and heard that Jesus was on shore, perhaps he jumped into the sea to get there first to address it.  He may have wanted to put an end to the suspense.  You know that he was waiting for the other shoe to drop – like, when is he going to send me away for failing him?

         The encounter

There was the meal.  Peter and the disciples have gathered around Jesus.  They had eaten after a long night at sea.  The adrenaline rush of encountering such a jolting surprise as Jesus waiting on shore for them had probably worn off.  There would have been the collective sighs of contentment and satiation – “whew, that was good.”  And then Jesus turned his attention to Peter.

The three-fold question, answer and response is powerful.  There are some things that still puzzle us.  First, what did Jesus mean in the first question by “more than these?” There are about four different good possibilities, and none of them are certain enough to prevail.  Second, there are some subtle changes in the original language that do not show up in English – two “agapes” and one “philo” for love – what does the difference in language mean?  Again, there is a great deal of uncertainty trying to pin down the specifics of this conversation.

What was clear, however, was that Peter was being restored and established as the leader.  One commenter gathered several examples in ancient and contemporary times in which the three-fold repetition in front of witnesses was used to solemnize a command; here, Jesus was re-establishing Peter as the lead shepherd among the disciples.[1]

For the early church, this answered the question about why Peter was recognized the leader.  There was some competition among the congregations founded by the disciples, and here John put to rest the question of who should be leader: he, the Beloved Disciple; or James; or Peter – the three who had been the inner circle and the three who had witnessed Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Jesus established who was to take the lead.

Although having an established leadership was important in the early church, I suspect most of you are not staying up nights wondering about how that all happened. Perhaps you are and I do not want to sell you short.  But beyond determining who would be leader, there is a lot more going on.  This encounter reveals a lot about how God operates.  It shows how Jesus is concerned with Peter as an individual – and, by extension, how Jesus is concerned about each one of us as individuals.

          For whom was Jesus asking?

Jesus knew the answers Peter would give.  The resurrected Jesus said in Matthew, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me.”  In John, he followed the questions and answers by telling Peter what would happen in the future; how Peter would spend his final days.  So, it seems unlikely that Jesus was asking because he was unsure of what would be Peter’s answers.

No, instead, Jesus was asking the questions for Peter’s benefit.  Make no mistake, this was an uncomfortable and awkward conversation for Peter.  It was not pleasant. Nonetheless, Jesus asked because Peter needed to have this conversation.

Why didn’t Jesus just wave his hand and make all the bad feelings go away?  Because that is not how God operates.  There is value in the healing.  Think about it this way: we have surgery to improve our health.  Surgery is uncomfortable and awkward.  It is not pleasant.  It inflicts an injury to help heal the underlying problem.  The goal is always to do the least invasive surgery for the maximum benefit but cutting someone is still inflicting an injury.  It takes time to heal both the surgical injury and the underlying problem. Rehabilitation is not easy.

To be clear: not all injury and not all suffering is God’s healing activity – there is evil that has temporary license in this world.  The amazing thing is that evil and God’s healing activity are not mutually exclusive; that is to say, God often takes what was intended for evil and uses it for good.

Here, Peter needed to go through this in order to be healed of his guilt and broken pride.  Jesus already knew the answers – and Peter pointed out that Jesus knew the answers.  However, Jesus persisted because Peter needed to hear himself give voice to the answers – just as he had voiced his denials.

And so do we.

If the resurrected Jesus were standing in front of you, here and now, and asked you by name, “Do you love me more than these?”  How would you answer?  It really is not a hypothetical question – Jesus calls each one of us by name and asks, “Do you love me?”  It is not an academic question; the answer requires a conviction and a commitment. Jesus is not asking generally; he is asking you.  Directly. Personally.  Do you love me?

The answer to the questions leads to the tasks assigned.  Traditionally, there have been attempts to draw meaning from the development of “feed my lambs”, “tend my sheep,” and “feed my sheep.”  It is difficult to know if this was a progression or if Jesus was simply emphasizing Peter’s role as leader.  Whichever, it is important to note that Peter’s responsibilities begin – and do not start without – an expression of his love for Jesus.

For everyone who has struggled for years to know or discern, “What does God want me to do with my life,” it is well worth noting that Peter had no idea how God was going to use him until he confessed his love for Jesus.  The same goes for us – whatever God is going to call us to do, it will happen only after we confess our love for Him.  The rest is floundering around for self-fulfillment – and friends, there is no such thing.  There is not enough money, power, influence or material goods to eternally fulfill us; there is only one and he is asking, “Do you love me?”

          Redemption: What does it mean to accept God’s forgiveness?

In order to be restored, in order to take on the mission God had planned for Peter, Peter had to receive and accept Jesus’ forgiveness.  Although this seems simple from the outside, it is really very difficult on the inside.  There are two components: first, did Jesus really mean it?  And, second, can I really accept it – can I accept that I have been forgiven?

Did Jesus really mean it?

Did Jesus really die to forgive us?  Forgive me?  Most people understand the basic concept; whether they find it persuasive is a different matter.  Jesus died for my sins – yes, I get it.  But did he mean it?

What he said was this: The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many.  He came that those who believe in him would have eternal life.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He lived the truth, he died obedient to the truth, and was resurrected according to the truth.  His resurrection validated the truth that he spoke; if he had not been raised from the dead, we would not have any hope in him.  Because he was raised from the dead, we have to take seriously the claims that he made prior to his death.

So, yes, Jesus really meant it – generally.  Did he mean it specifically for me?

That is the question that Peter was grappling to understand. It is the question that you and I grapple to understand. Does Jesus’ forgiveness redeem me?

Again, the answer is yes; for those who love him and believe on his name.  Peter was among Jesus’ closest friends and still denied him.  In this conversation, Jesus restored Peter to the intimacy and vulnerable closeness that had existed prior to that last night. He invited Peter back in.  I am going to leave it there, because that is not the stumbling block for most people.

The second part of redemption is, can I really accept it – can I accept that I was forgiven – and can I accept forgiveness when I never should have needed forgiveness in the first place?  That is the stumbling block.  This is where Satan steps up and attacks – reminding us of our failure, of our betrayal, of our sinfulness, our unworthiness.  Remember that exercise at the beginning of the sermon?  How many of you have heard in your soul the whispered voice reminding you of how you are not worthy, not loveable, not really who God had in mind?

A couple of years ago, there was a popular song by Casting Crowns called The Voice of Truth.

Oh, what I would do

to have the kind of strength it takes

To stand before a giant

with just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound

of a thousand warriors

shaking in their armor

Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

 

But the giant's calling out

my name and he laughs at me

Reminding me of all the times

I've tried before and failed

The giant keeps on telling me time and time again

"Boy you'll never win, you'll never win."

 

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"

and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Peter had to listen to the voice of truth that said, “Peace.”  Peter had to listen to the voice of truth that said, “do not be afraid.”  So do you and I.  It is absolutely terrifying to encounter the one we have sinned against, the one who has suffered on account of us, the one who has every right to condemn us – and it is an incredible relief to hear him say, “Do not be afraid.”

Those we baptized and those we received in covenant partnership today professed their answer to which voice they have, do, and will believe: they confessed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  They are an encouragement to us in God’s ongoing hand at work in our midst.  We are to be an encouragement to them by lifting them up in prayer, walking alongside them in faith, and rejoicing with them as brothers and sisters in Christ – rejoicing in the promises of the gospel, the gospel of the one true God who is worthy of all our praise.

In that assured hope we are redeemed.  Redemption requires us to give up the pride of holding onto our guilt.  Our guilt is no longer ours to hold.  Scripture tells us that as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our guilt from us.  He has taken it from us, our guilt to be remembered no more.

Holding onto guilt says that we do not trust Jesus, that we do not believe him and that we are simply failing at trying to “be like God.”  Retaining our sin is retaining our rebellion against God.  Redemption requires us to allow Jesus to take away our sin.  It requires us to declare our love for him and to trust that Jesus means what he said. Redemption is incredibly freeing, and incredibly humbling.

So, let’s go back to the beginning:

What is the scariest skeleton in your closet?  What would you hope and pray reporters never uncovered if they were to do a full vetting search on your life?  What would you never utter out loud publicly in a prayer of confession?

Today, will you give that over to Jesus?  Will you confess it to him, release it to him, and let him relieve you of the burden of it?

“Do you love me more than these?”  “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  “Feed my lambs.”

“Do you love me?”  “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”  “Tend my sheep.”

“Do you love me?”  It hurts.  “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”  “Feed my sheep.”

Redemption and life in the kingdom begins with loving Jesus.  It frees us to do the things that he has created for us to do in the first place.  Are you ready and willing to begin living into the life God intended for you?

Amen. 

Questions:

1. What is the worst thing you have done?  What would you hope and pray reporters never uncovered if they were to do a full vetting search on your life?  What would you never utter out loud publicly in a prayer of confession?  How do you/have you dealt with it?
2. How has Jesus’ redeeming grace restored you?  Where have you experienced it and how did it play out in your life?
3. How do you answer Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?”

[1] Anchor Bible, John, section 72, p. 1112.