Who was this man…and why did he have to ask three times?

May 4, 2025

Scripture: John 21:1-17 

I find it curious that so many times throughout the gospel accounts people seem to be unsure of who Jesus is, seem unable to recognize him, even amongst those closest to him. Even in today’s reading, after the resurrection, after meeting Jesus in the upper room at least twice, we see the disciples, once again fishing in a boat, looking onshore at a figure standing there and not knowing who it was. Why is that I wonder, and is related to the fact that Jesus felt he had to ask Peter three times if he loved him?

I have a theory, in that I think that the disciples did not at first recognize Jesus there on the beach, even after coming ashore, because Jesus did not want them to fixate on the one physical image he had borne for 33 years as he walked through life.  I think that instead, (and this is important) Jesus wanted the disciples, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, to be able to recognize the Lord’s presence in someone regardless of the physical image being presented…to be able to see the presence and grace of God in what that person did or said.

In his heart, the disciple John knew that the one standing on the shore was in fact Jesus because of the miracle of the huge catch of fish now straining their net.  He knew it was Jesus…by the work he had done among them…he recognized the hand of God in the actions of Jesus…even though it did not ‘appear’ to be the same man they had followed for the past three years. He knew who it was by the evidence of holiness in the life before them.

…and Jesus expects the same to be true of us. We too should strive to see the image and presence of the Lord in the actions of any and all who seek to serve the Lord in love.

Now, what does this have to do with ‘feed my lambs and tend my sheep’? I think Jesus repeated his question three times to drive home this same point…for in our feeding and tending to the flock of our Lord…in our care-filled and loving feeding of the Lord’s sheep and lambs…our Lord will be seen…will be recognized…and will become known.

Jesus asked Peter three times, to make sure that he and the others understood what was being asked of them. In essence he asked, ‘are you sure you love me? Because it means this!’…to which Peter said, ‘yes’…and again, ‘are you really sure? – because it means this as well’…and Peter said, ‘yes’ again…and finally a third time, ‘are you really sure that you love me? Because in addition to what you have right at hand, in addition to what may be easily available and accessible, it also means reaching out beyond what you may be used to in order to love one another as you have been asked’ And a third time Peter replied, as must we, saying, ‘Yes Lord’.

I think that by asking three times Jesus is giving emphasis to the importance of the disciple’s future work, as well as the wide diversity of needs they would come up against. 

How then, can we bring this forward into our time and our understanding? In fact, ‘Shepherd’ and ‘shepherding issues’ were very present and living images to the disciples. By speaking in these images, Jesus was drawing on the disciple’s knowledge and awareness of all that feeding and tending vulnerable and helpless, yet extremely valuable sheep actually entailed. I think we, as followers of Jesus today might hear these instructions this way…

‘Feed my lambs’… Care for the children, for the young, for those who are at the dawning of life and hope…as well as those who are young in the faith…give them truth in these times of deep questioning as to what is truly fact and what is not. Give them hope for a ‘tomorrow’, including hope for a planet that will continue to sustain healthy and wholesome life. Give them wings to fly in the direction of all their dreams, and just as importantly, permission and support to do so. Give them room to be themselves uniquely and joyfully, and encouragement to dwell in the promise of life even in the midst of all that would seek to rob them of it.

The second request…‘Tend my sheep’ – Care for the adults of all ages within your fellowship.  Learn how best to cherish, to lovingly and meaningfully care for, and to be involved enough in the lives of your brothers and sisters to be able to sense, or to know their hurts and their hopes. Learn lovingly of their weak points, and gently fill in for them. Learn as well of their points of strength and be willing and able to draw upon them for the good of the fellowship. Always be sure to encourage them as they seek to walk faithfully…offer them the space and the encouragement that they need in order to speak truth to life. And finally, challenge them to seek the face of God and to reflect that grace to all they meet.

‘Feed my sheep’ – ‘the third request’. Reach out to and care for all the rest, all those who dwell outside of the reach of our immediate fellowship. And learn to do so by showing them Christ in and through your life as you live it, just as Jesus did when he helped those disciples catch a net full of fish. Show the true Christ who welcomes all…the One who accepts all, regardless of faith, race, gender, or any of the other markers we construct to keep ourselves separate from one another. By a life lived in faithfulness, show them the Christ within you…the Christ who reaches out, the Christ who offers sanctuary and hope in the midst of times of darkness and struggle.

In the very last words of our passage Jesus says simply, ‘Follow me’.  Specifically charging us not only to show the love of Christ by our lives, but also, never to presuppose that the image of our God is fixed in any one, or only one single expression. In his command to feed his sheep and his lambs Jesus is asking us to joyfully accept that the indwelling grace of the Holy Spirit gives each one of us the ability to be a light that shines out upon the world.

Jesus says, ‘follow me…do what I have done among you…do for others what I have done for you…reveal God to others as I have revealed God to you…let others see the grace and goodness of God in all of your ways and in all of your words…for the face of God is most evident, wherever and whenever it is made visible in the face of another…amen