In our Wednesday night Bible study held at the church we have been studying in the Gospel of John. This past week we found ourselves in the last chapter of the Gospel of John and the scene is by the sea of Galilee where Jesus appeared to the disciples for the third time after His resurrection.

After the meal was finished Jesus struck up this conversation with the apostle Peter. Jesus asks Peter three times of his love or fideltiy. It is the in the fifteenth verse of chapter 21 that I would like to expound on here.

We know from the Gospel accounts of how Jesus was crucified and was raised from the dead. We know of HIs truimph over sin, hell and the grave in our steed. However, this time was quite traumatic for the disciples. The game had changed, no longer was Jesus with them on a daily basis, no long could they depend on him to physically meet there needs like He had done over the past three years. No longer were they able to depend on Him for carrying the ministry to a lost and dying world. It was a time of sadnees, of joy, of confusion and of aniexty. The disciples now find themselves as a ship without a rudder. God's plan for them was not at this time clear, so they went fishing.

If you'll remember it was Peter who proclaimed in the Synoptic Gospels that he not only loved Jesus more than the other disciples but also he was ready to die for our Lord. It was also Peter who denied the Lord Jesus Christ three times just as Jesus predicted he would before the rooster crowed. Peter had failed the Lord miserably and especially after making some big brags about himself. It is now in this context that this discourse between Jesus and Peter takes place.

 Jesus confronts Peter by asking "Simon, son of Jonah lovest thou Me more than these?" He asks Peter where does his love, his priorities lie. Peter do you love Me more than these? Do you love Me more than the other disciples? Do you love Me more than family? Do you love Me more than your fishing boat? Do you love Me more than fishing Peter? In essence Jesus is asking Peter do you love Me, am I number one in your life? Is there anything in your life you love more than Me?

Peter answered with a "yes Lord" you know that I love you. Jesus asked this question of Peter in order that Peter might examine his own heart. Jesus wanted Peter to search his heart to see if there was anything in between him and his Savior. When Peter answered with a "yes" Jesus responded with the command, "Feed my Lambs".

Jesus' first question and command was two fold, by challenging Peter to search his heart Jesus was restoring the relationship damaged by Peter tri-fold denial. His command to feed His lambs was also a re-commision to Peter to the ministry that Jesus called him to. Aren't you glad we serve a Savior who desires to restore us and if we will repent gives us a second chance?

That is message of this not so short blog, (sorry, long winded) the application and lesson we can learn from this passage of Scripture is this. Christ asks us today just as He did Peter, "Lovest thou Me more than these?" Beloved, do you love the Lord more friends, more than family, more than a job, more than material possesions, more than the world itself? Do you love Jesus more than life itself? If Jesus called you home today would there be anything you would want to hang around for? Our answer must be the same as Peter, "Yes Lord".

So let us examine ourselves, is there anything you love more than Jesus? If there is, we need to repent and ask for the cleansing power of Christ to restore us just as He did Peter. Peter had strayed, backslidden somewhat but the Lord is faithful even when we haven't been. He wonderfully restored Peter and comissioned him to the ministry He called Peter to fulfill.

Friends Jesus will do the same for us, we can receive the cleansingand forgiving power of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, no matter what we've done, no matter how we've failed and not only that we also can be placed back into the will of God and ministry He has called us to fullfill, just like Peter. What about friends, Lovest thou Me more than these?