Among the last words of Jesus to Peter, John 21 provides teaching for church leaders on loving the people of God. Part 2 of 3.
Lecture Outline Detailed Outline Remember ItThe story moves from catching fish to tending sheep, 2) Jesus uses different terms for the sheep, 3) Jesus uses different terms for shepherding, 4) Jesus reminds Peter the sheep are His (Jesus’).
For Peter, death. For all the disciples, trouble and hardship.
Loving and caring for the “sheep,” God’s people.
- Peter hardly seems reluctant to believe that it is Jesus on shore, and he surely is not reluctant to draw near to Him (he jumped in the water, after all). They must have already reconciled in their earlier private meeting (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5). Then why was it necessary for Jesus to go through this process with Peter in the presence of these other disciples?
- Jesus links love (love for Jesus) with service (shepherding). In your efforts to encourage others to serve the Lord by ministering to others, what motives do you appeal to? Why is love the best choice?
- Why do you think that Jesus waits to say, “Follow Me” (John 21:19) until after He informs Peter that he will die for doing so? Does this have anything to do with Peter’s words in Mark 14:31?
- How do you see the lessons Jesus taught Peter in John 21 reflected in the Book of 1 Peter, particularly 1 Peter 5:1-4? What are the lessons that Peter learned?
- Find a couple of good commentaries and study what verses 18 and 19 mean. This has been debated through the centuries, what actually happened to Peter.