A sermon delivered on May 4, 2025 by Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min.

If we zoom out to 40,000 feet and look at John’s gospel s a whole, we can see how John’s begins and ends his story in a beautifully structured way, bookended by a prologue and an epilogue. The prologue opens with the powerful words: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This sets the tone for the rest of the Gospel, which unpacks who Jesus is and reveals his divine purpose. Today, we turn to the epilogue—the closing scene of John’s story. And here’s the main point I want you to hear: God goes out of God’s way to meet us exactly where we are.

John 21 centers on two key figures: Peter and the Apostle John. Our focus this morning is on Peter, and we encounter him and the other disciples having breakfast with Jesus on the beach. But to fully appreciate today’s passage, it helps to recall Peter’s last words to Jesus before the crucifixion. At the Last Supper, as Jesus explains what’s to come, Peter declares, “Lord, where are you going? Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus looks at him and replies, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times”^[1] Let’s now listen to the Word of the Lord. It’s Sunday morning and the disciples have gone fishing.

John 21:15–19

⁹ When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 

 ¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”^[i]

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Over a recent observance of Lent a few years ago, I watched The Chosen, a TV series about Jesus and the disciples.^[3]  I’ve come to love it as it is the most realistic, relatable series on Jesus I’ve seen. You can download the app in the Apple or Google store—it’s actually the first fully crowdfunded TV series. The character portrayals are refreshing. For example, the actor playing Matthew presents him as a socially awkward but brilliant, neurodivergent tax collector who is treated as an outcast. Meanwhile, Peter is portrayed as brash, quick-tempered, always spoiling for a fight, trying to live into Jesus’ call to be “the Rock.” In the series, Peter constantly belittles Matthew for being a traitor to his Jewish people.

Many scholars believe Jesus asks Peter these three difficult questions in our text today to reverse Peter’s earlier three denials. In John 18, the rooster crows—and Peter’s betrayal is complete. Today’s passage, however, is one of reconciliation and restoration^[4]. 

The late New Testament scholar Raymond Brown writes, “The (i.e. Jesus’) choice of Peter is a demonstration of God’s working in the weak things of the world.”^[5]  In other words, if there’s hope for Peter, there’s hope for people like you and me.

I love this story because it reminds us that the Great God Almighty—Maker of heaven and earth—comes to meet us in the midst of ordinary life. God takes the initiative. God seeks us out—just as Jesus sought out Peter on the beach. And God still meets us in our own lives—whether we’re in boardrooms, classrooms, examining rooms, or even standing in line at Market 32.

But there’s another layer to this story. God doesn’t just meet us physically where we are; God meets us spiritually where we are, too. You can hear it in the subtle shifts in Jesus’ conversation with Peter.

Three questions. Three commands. On the surface, they sound repetitive—but if we look closely, they’re not. Three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and three times Peter responds with growing emotion, “Lord, you know I love you.” Each time, Jesus responds with a charge: “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep.”

Here’s where it gets interesting. English has just one word for love.  The koine Greek of John’s Gospel has several. 

There’s eros (romantic love), phileo (brotherly, sisterly love), and agape (sacrificial, intentional, inconvenient, willed, grace-filled love). In this conversation, two of these appear—agape and phileo.

Some scholars argue that these two terms are used interchangeably.^[6] But I lean toward a different interpretation—that John chose his words carefully. John’s Gospel is filled with unique vocabulary and theological symbolism. I believe he intentionally used these specific words for love to show us that God meets us spiritually where we are.

Here’s what I mean:

Jesus asks: “Simon, son of John, do you agape me —sacrificially, intentionally, inconveniently, willfully, grace-filled love me?”

Peter replies: “Yes, Lord, you know I phileo you and love you like a brother.”

Jesus asks again: “Simon, son of John, do you agape me sacrificially, intentionally, inconveniently, willfully, grace-filled love me?

Peter again replies: “Lord, you know I phileo you and love you like a brother!”

Then, a third time, Jesus shifts his question: “Simon, son of John, do you phileo me and love me like a brother?

And Peter answers with emotion: “Lord, you know everything — you know I phileo you — I love and have affection for you as a brother.”

Let’s pause a moment: Jesus is asking Peter if he has the love for him that can expresses itself through sacrifice, inconvenience, intentionality, and grace like Jesus’ love was expressed to Peter on the Cross. Peter’s reply is, “Lord, you know I love you like a brother.” Peter pulls up short and Jesus adapts. For whatever reason, Peter isn’t ready or capable at that moment to profess or expresses agape-filled love to Jesus; at least this time, Peter is honest about it unlike his conversation with Jesus during the Last Supper the night he was betrayed. Peter offers Jesus what he can offer at that time and that is phileo—a heartfelt, brotherly, affectionate love to Jesus. And Jesus accepts it. Jesus receives the love Peter can give. The Peter today is totally different from the braggadocio Peter at the Lord’s Supper. Jesus meets Peter in his broken humbleness which is where Peter should be if he is to be the Rock of the Church.

Friends, that’s good news for us. It tells us that God meets us in the exact place we find ourselves—physically, emotionally, spiritually. God holds high hopes for us as disciples, but God also shows grace in meeting us in our imperfection. This is not a God who stands far off, arms folded, waiting for us to measure up. This is a God who draws near and says, “Follow me. Walk with me the best you are able.”

Beloved, this morning Jesus comes to meet us where we are. Can you hear him ask you, “Do you love me?

And we each must ask ourselves, “How will I answer?”

Do we, like Peter, love Jesus like a brother or do we love Jesus like he loves us — all in? The good news is this: no matter where we are in our faith, the Lord meets us there—and then takes us by the hand and leads us where he wants us to go. In the Name of the One Who is, Was, and Who is Yet to Be. Amen.

© 2025 by Patrick H. Wrisley, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, 8 West Notre Dame Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801.  Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church Glens Falls, New York and shall not be altered, re-purposed, published or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] John 13:36-38

^[2] New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[3] To see or learn more about The Chosen, please see https://watch.thechosen.tv.

^[4] The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995, p 806.

^[5] Frederick Dale Bruner, John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans’s Publishing, p. 1225.

^[6] Ibid.