When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
Comment: From the passage (not included here) we know that 7 of the disciples went fishing and after a fish-less night, Jesus told them to cast their net in a certain direction and it came up super full. Jesus was sitting beside a fire and the disciples hastened to sit with Him. Our passage continues and Simon Peter, the man who had denied that he knew Jesus is in the spot light! Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loved Him; Three times Peter replied that Jesus knew that he loved Him. There is no doubt that Peter was truly sorry and more than that repentant for his faithlessness. Peter got three different commands after each reply – feed my lambs; tend my sheep; feed my sheep. I think there were new converts following Easter, there were more mature believers who needed caring for as well but they needed to be fed with the truth of Jesus as explained in the Old Testament. Then he was told that he would be martyred, as history tells us He was! Wikipedia reports that ‘His execution was ordered by the Roman Emperor Nero, who blamed the city’s Christians for a terrible fire that had ravaged Rome. Peter requested to be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ.’ He was martyred!
Jesus refused to tell Peter what would happen to John. Jesus said ‘That is up to Me !’ Again Wikipedia reports that “It is traditionally believed that John was the youngest of the apostles and survived all of them. He is said to have lived to old age, dying of natural causes at Ephesus sometime after AD 98, during the reign of Trajan, thus becoming the only apostle who did not die as a martyr.” After all each of our lives is in the hands of God. A concept which does not stop us of being sensible!
Prayer: Help me to live to the full the path which lies before me in a manner which pleases You.
As I read it! 