Jesus asks "Do You Love Me?"

In John 21 following Peter's wonderful response to run to Jesus. Jesus begins to speak to Peter around the fire. He asks him, "Peter, do you love me?" His response is, "Of course, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus, tells him to feed His sheep. Rather than get in to the intricacies of this passage, let's look at it just at face value. He speaks to us asking that question, "Do you love me?" our response, like Peter, "of course Lord, you know I love you." So what are we to do? Feed His sheep. Not only pastors but all of Christ's followers, if we love Him, must be feeding His sheep and making disciples of all nations.

"And between the throne and the our living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.'" - Revelation 5:6-11 (ESV) 

What is Your Reaction to the Risen Lord?

"That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea." - John 21:7 (ESV)


Jesus had already shown Himself to His disciples previously in chapter 20, yet Jesus chooses to reveal Himself to them again while they are fishing. Peter had already seen the risen Christ, yet he hears the words again, "It is the Lord!" and his response has not changed. This response is still very Peteresque, as he throws himself into the Sea and seeks to get to Jesus. What an amazing example from Peter. Many of us having experience the victory of Christ by faith in His death, burial and resurrection, yet our response to Christ is one of apathy and laziness. Peter does all he can to get to Jesus. What is our reaction to the risen Lord today? Is it to apathetically sit by and not care, or is it to dive into the written Word so that we may commune with the Living Word?

Apart From Christ We Are Nothing

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. - John 15:4.

How easy it is, for us to try to do all we can for Christ and muster up the ability to accomplish it. Yet, Christ says The branch cannot bear fruit by itself! Only when it abides in the vine. Christ is calling for radical submission to Hus Lordship in our lives so that we are but an instrument in God's orchestral masterpiece.