Remnant: Learning From The Passionate ApostleSample

Peter had already proven to Jesus that he was sorry for what he’d done wrong, but Jesus pushed the matter further, asking Peter three times whether or not he loved Him. This seems a little repetitive until you take a closer look at the words that Jesus and Peter use for love. 

The first two times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, he used the word agapeo, which is a self-sacrificial love that goes beyond emotion, but Peter responded both times with the word phileo, which is the emotional love associated with friendship. In other words, Jesus asked Peter whether he loved Him enough to serve Him, and Peter responded with a promise that he felt enough for Him to spend time with Him. Not quite what Jesus was looking for! 

The third time Jesus asked Peter whether he loved Him, He used Peter’s word, phileo. When Peter promised only friendship for the third time, Jesus once again commanded Peter to serve Him by loving others, making it clear that friendship with Jesus would require self-sacrifice. 

It’s good and right for you to feel affection for Jesus and want to be His friend, but this kind of love doesn’t help Jesus accomplish what He set out to accomplish. If you truly love Jesus, you’ll join Him on mission to seek and save the lost, illustrating God’s grace and mercy to others in your interaction with them. If you do, Jesus will consider you a friend in return, and what could be better than that? 

Thank God for the opportunity to call Jesus friend and be considered His friend in return.