The restoration of Peter.
Though the Lord had already appeared to his disciple (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5), he had not yet formally restored him to the place he had forfeited by his three denials.
I. THE SOLEMN QUESTION OF OUR LORD TO PETER. "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"
1. The question is thrice repeated, that it may elicit a threefold confession answerable to the threefold denial of our Lord.
2. The question in its first form seems to remind the apostle of the presumptuous superiority he had claimed for himself above all the disciples. "Though all men forsake thee, yet will not I." "Lovest thou me more than these?"—these other disciples. It is a suggestive fact that Peter's assertion of extreme devotion had occurred in immediate connection with the promise of our Lord to meet his disciples in Galilee.
3. The question is concerning the higher love of veneration and confidence which is the sitting of the Christian life ( ἀγαπᾷν); not the feeling of mere natural affection or simple personal attachment ( φιλεῖν).
4. The question makes an appeal to personal experience.
II. PETER'S THREE ANSWERS TO OUR LORD'S THREEFOLD QUESTION.
1. The first answer is, "Yea, Lord; thou, knowest that I love thee."
(a) He does not now boast of his superiority to the other apostles, as if to say, "I love thee above them all;" he now merely ranks himself with true lovers of Christ.
(b) He does not adopt the higher term ( ἀγαπᾷν) used in the question, but contents himself with the mere term of simple and friendly relationship ( φιλεῖν).
2. The second answer is, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee."
3. The third answer. "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."
III. THE SOLEMN CHARGES GIVEN TO PETER BY OUR LORD. They imply that our Lord accepted the apostle's answers in all their deep and touching sincerity.
1. First charge. "Feed my lambs." This is shepherd's work.
2. Second charge. "Lead my sheep."
3. Third charge. "Feed my sheep."
Prediction of Peter's death.
Our Lord next announces what will be the manner of the end of his disciple's ministry.
I. THE LORD HAS FIXED THE TIME OF PETER'S END.
1. Job speaks of the days of man being determined. "The number of his months are with thee; thou hast appointed his bounds, that he cannot pass."
2. Jesus has a lordship over the life and death of his saints. "If we die, we die unto the Lord;" "He is the Lord both of the living and of the dead" (Romans 14:8, Romans 14:9).
3. The Lord's disposal of his saints' lives makes them immortal till their work is done.
II. THE LORD DETERMINES THE MANNER OF PETER'S DEATH. It was to be a death of violence. He was to become a martyr of the Christian faith. "When thou wast young"—Peter was now a middle-aged man—"thou girdedst thyself"—possessing full liberty of life—"and walkedst whither thou wouldest"—with full freedom of movement—"but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands"—as helpless and in the power of others—"and another shall gird thee"—as a condemned criminal—"and carry thee whither thou wouldest not." A violent death, as being unnatural, is shrunk from. But these words are to be regarded solely from the standpoint of natural feeling.
1. The apostle understood the exact nature of this prediction, as we know by his own words, "Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me" (2 Peter 1:14).
2. The death of the apostle was to redound to the glory of God. "This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. The martyrs glorify God
3. The martyrdom of Peter took place in the year A.D. 64. It was, therefore, now a past event which the evangelist records.
III. PETER'S DUTY HENCEFORTH IN LIFE. "Follow me."
1. It was a solemn thought to the apostle to know the destined end of his apostolic labors.
2. This knowledge would intensify his eager zeal to work without pause during the term of life that remained to him.
3. The command to follow Christ implied