John 21:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.

NASB: He *said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' Peter was hurt because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus *said to him, 'Tend My sheep.

CSB: He asked him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me? "Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, "Do you love me? " He said, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.""Feed my sheep," Jesus said.

NLT: A third time he asked him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, 'Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Then feed my sheep.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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 all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

If Peter did not understand what Jesus meant by repeating His questions about love, he certainly understands now.

Jesus miraculously provided fish when He called Peter to be a disciple (Luke 5:5–11). He recently repeated that act, reminding Peter of his initial calling (John 21:4–8).

Peter once bragged that he would be loyal to Jesus even when others were not (Mark 14:29). Jesus started this conversation by pointedly asking if Peter loved Him more than the other disciples (John 21:15).

Only a few days prior, Peter had declared—three times, with great emphasis—that he did not know Jesus (John 13:35–38; Luke 22:61–62). Jesus has already repeated His question: "do you love Me?" twice, and now asks for a third time. This last question is even more piercing. In the first two questions, Jesus' reference to love used the Greek term agapaō. Both of Peter's answers used the closely related term phileō. Now, Jesus uses the exact same word as Peter. For this third question, Jesus is asking Peter "do you [phileō] me," after Peter has just said, twice, "I [phileō] you."

The implication is clear: Peter has said this very thing, twice, using those exact words, but Jesus wants to hear it a third time. Peter's response is to be "grieved," the same term used to describe Jesus' emotion in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37). He understands that Jesus is not asking because He does not know; He is asking to prove a point. Three denials are being countered with three affirmations. Peter's betrayal of his own promises is being challenged.

Jesus will not leave Peter in sorrow, however. This is a moment of repentance and restoration. His next words predict that Peter's reaffirmed faith (John 21:19) will be permanent—in fact, it will lead to martyrdom (John 21:18).

John 21:15–19 is a poignant moment between Peter and the resurrected Jesus. Early in his ministry, Jesus inspired a faithful response from Peter, by miraculously providing fish (Luke 5:5–8). He then called Peter to become a disciple (Luke 5:10–11). Not many days before this breakfast on the beach, Peter had stood near a fire and denied even knowing Christ three times (John 18:25–27). Now, in front of another fire, Jesus asks Peter to affirm his faithful love three times. Peter grasps the symbolism. Jesus affirms Peter's calling to serve Him and predicts the matter of Peter's death.

After Jesus' resurrection, a group of disciples goes fishing while they wait in Galilee. From a distance, a figure appears and tells the men to cast again. Despite a fruitless night, they obey, and the net is immediately overflowing with fish. This confirms that the man on the shore is Jesus. As the disciples eat a meal with Christ, He presses Peter to reaffirm His faith. Jesus then predicts the nature of Peter's death; He does not do so for John. The gospel of John ends with an affirmation of its source, and a reminder that no single book could contain every detail of Jesus' ministry.

The final chapter of the gospel of John evokes the recent trend of a "post-credits scene" from films. After the main story has been told, John includes one last scene to further add details about what is to come. After Jesus' resurrection and appearances, He meets with the disciples near Galilee. A major outcome of this meeting is Peter's restoration to his former status. No finite work could fully explain Jesus' ministry, so John's eyewitness account is only part of those truths.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.