So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? he saith unto him, Yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. (16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? he saith unto him, Yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (18) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shalt gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. (19) This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. (20) Then Peter turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? (21) Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? (22) Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. (23) Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die; yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? (24) This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. (25) And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
What a beautiful and interesting discourse immediately took place, as soon as the Lord and his disciples had finished their repast at this holy table. Oh! that the Lord's people had it frequently in remembrance. How truly blessed would it be if the tables of the Lord's faithful ones were thus closed: and when the imperious demands of the body had been satisfied; the soul was not suffered to go lean. Deuteronomy 6:25; Malachi 3:16-17
I pray the Reader not to overlook, in this most interesting conversation of the Lord Jesus with Peter, the chief test Jesus put to him in proof of his sincerity, was love. The Lord doth not say; hast thou honored me or obeyed me, or what proofs canst thou bring of thy duties towards me; but simply, dost thou love me? And although the Lord repeated the question three times, which Peter's conscious heart, in his threefold denial, interpreted to have been the cause; yet it is not said, no neither is it at all intimated by the Lord Jesus, as if this was the cause, for which the Lord asked him thrice the question. Indeed I rather think, from the well known and long proved love and grace of Jesus to his people, that the Lord rather intended to give Peter the opportunity of thrice repeating the assurances of his love, to do away the impression of his thrice denial. The Lord knew from what cause Peter had fallen. And the Lord knew that his whole Church must have fallen from the same cause, did not his all powerful grace keep up, and preserve. It appears, therefore, in my view, one more of those numberless instances we have upon record, of the tenderness of Jesus to his people, that in those circumstances where they have shewn greater weakness, his grace may be the more manifested, in enabling them to shew greater love!
There is somewhat very blessed also in the Lord's giving the Apostle such firmness of faith; not only to assert his love, but to appeal to Him, who could, as God, read his heart, and knew that love to be there. Though Peter felt grieved, as it is said, at the third demand of Jesus, lovest thou me? yet I venture to think, it was but the grief of the moment. Yea, I am inclined to believe, that the Apostle afterwards rejoiced at it; when from being led into the mind of Jesus, he discovered the Lord's grace, and intention in it. This was the third, if not the fourth time, Peter had seen his Lord, after he arose from the dead: and not a word (as far as we know from the Gospel), had passed between the Lord and his servant, on the subject of Peter's denial. No doubt the Apostle longed for an interview to tell Jesus of his shame, and to receive his pardon from the mouth of Jesus. And what then could be more satisfactory to Peter, than thus for Jesus to ask of him concerning his love; and in proof that the Lord knew the extent of that love, had committed to him the care of his Lambs and his Sheep.
I need not in this place enlarge on the subject of Jesus's charge to Peter. Christ himself is the great Pastor, and Shepherd of his flock. And it is his province to feed them. For He is both the life and sustenance of all his fold; being the bread of life, and the water of life: and his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed. But the Lord doth condescend to appoint under pastors, to feed his people with understanding and knowledge. And they are supposed as in this charge to Peter, to have respect to the different ages of his flock; to lead the sheep of the fold, and to regard the tender state of the lambs. But one great character Jesus points out, in his demands of Peter, as the first quality of a pastor, is, the love of Jesus For whatever abilities of head knowledge they possess, the whole is nothing without this love of the heart.
In what follows of the Lord's foretelling Peter by what death he should glorify God, and the Apostle's curiosity to know what was to become of John; it were unnecessary to dwell. John's testimony to the truth of the Gospel, which bears his name, is more interesting to regard. And while he knew, that his testimony was true, and the Church then in being, knew the same; it will be blessed both to the Writer and Reader of this Poor Man's Commentary, if from the witness of God the Holy Ghost in each of our hearts, we can bear a like testimony. 1 John 5:20. And while we bless God for this precious portion of his holy word, which is able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus; we may truly say with John, that the world, yea, the whole creation of God, is not large enough in its bosom to contain all that might be said, if all were said of Jesus, since his riches and wisdom are unsearchable, and of Himself, as the sacred Writer hath expressed it, there is no end of his greatness. Psalms 145:3.