SERMON: “The Nature of Discipleship” (John 21:15–23)
“The
Nature of Discipleship”
(John 21:15–23)
Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name” #109 Text: John 21:15–23
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: July 6, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
I remember hearing once about a chapel speaker at a
Christian private school telling students that God’s heart is for missions, so
they should all become missionaries. We
indeed want more missionaries and people in ministry, and should pray for
workers to go into the harvest. Yet,
with how well intentioned that speaker was, those students must first hear how
important it is to evaluate their own individual positions before the Lord and
to commit to God’s ways.
Perhaps that chapel speaker was assuming they were already
hearing that message, but God has this higher call for us first. In fact, not everyone will or should become
missionaries, but every Christian should learn to become a true disciple of
Christ. Those who skip over this lesson
to step into ministry set themselves up for failure, but God will be pleased to
call true disciples for other purposes.
Just as the Lord didn’t send His disciples out immediately, nor the
Apostle Paul, we too must spend some time learning the Christian life from the
Master.
Our aim must be to become true disciples, and Christ will
then provide opportunities for us. If we
want an example of this, we need to look no further than Peter. He’s impulsive and sometimes makes mistakes,
which is why we can often see ourselves in him.
Whether you are a baby Christian with no idea where to go next, or
you’re a Christian with some local ministry or even missions field in mind, you
can find an example in Peter in being a disciple of Christ.
Just as Peter needed a few final lessons in discipleship
before the Lord ascends, so do we. We’ll
note three markers of discipleship that you should also find in
yourselves. True disciples love for Christ
and his people (vv. 15–17), they follow Christ to the end (vv. 18–19), and they
focus on Christ completely (vv. 20–23).
Let’s focus on the first of these.
II.
First, True Disciples Love for Christ and His
People (vv. 15–17)
So when 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.” He
said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to
him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I
love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My
sheep.” He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter
was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all
things; You know that I love You.” Jesus
said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
You might remember that, when the disciples brought the boat
in from fishing, they found Jesus there next to a charcoal fire (v. 9). He had prepared it for them, and they had a
breakfast of fish and bread together on the shore of Galilee. Yet, we noted last time that this fire
perhaps foreshadowed something else.
The term in v. 9 only appears twice — once here, and once in
John 18:18. Peter stood beside that
charcoal fire, warming himself with Christ’s enemies on the night Jesus was
betrayed, more than a week or two before.
We don’t read about any resolution to Peter’s three denials of Christ
anywhere, so it appears that John wishes to remedy that in this epilogue to his
Gospel.
Now, if you’ve been in church for any length of time, you’ve
probably hear about this. The three-fold
questioning from our Lord mirrors the three questions Peter received that
fateful night. Of course, Peter’s
answers are much better here; he embraces rather than denies the Lord!
So, John writes here of the Lord restoring Peter. Note that Jesus nourishes His disciple first
and then restores him. This is the
double grace of our Lord.
Yet, as preachers have considered these questions, they have
wondered about the text. First, some of
your Bibles may have footnotes to indicate that there are two different words
for “love” in the text — agapao vs. phileo. Those Bible teachers who have picked up a
basic lexicon or taken a first-year Greek class know that there are several
words for “love” in the Greek language, each carrying a nuance of meaning. So, preachers have harped on these subtle
differences, making the conversation here one about semantics. In other words, Jesus wants Peter to have a
higher agapao kind of love for Him, while Peter says he has a phileo
kind of love for Him.
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case (and I must
address this because of the pervasiveness of the view). First, it would seem like, the Peter who
jumped out of the fishing boat to swim to the Lord in v. 7 doesn’t seem to be
the same one who would say, “You’re asking me if I love you this much,
but I don’t have that quite big of a love for you.” Second, throughout the Gospel of John, John
uses synonyms in an apparent attempt to avoid repeating the same words, and
John doesn’t always use the word agapao to mean a higher love (cf. John 12:43). Third, while these words might have a
slightly different technical meaning, by the time of the New Testament, this
had become a standard verb for love.[1] Fourth, v. 17 says that Jesus asked Peter for
the third time, but the first two times He used agapao and the third
time He used phileo, suggesting that John is using these words as
synonyms. Finally, Jesus doesn’t rebuke
Peter for using the word phileo instead of agapao, instead seemingly
accepting it because He moves on to command Peter in light of Peter’s
affirmations. Our conclusion must be
that John is just using these terms
synonymously.
So, with that noted, that means that you can trust that your
English translations are giving you a fair picture of the conversation, and you
don’t need to know Greek to understand it!
Let’s consider these verses in that light. Jesus first asks Peter whether he loves Him
more than “these.” This first question
of love isn’t about whether it is the highest and holiest love, but rather,
whether it’s a greater love by comparison.
This is where another debate comes into the text. Jesus may be referring to the fish
themselves, now laid out before the disciples.
However, this reading presumes that there was something wrong with Peter
and the others returning to fishing. We
noted last time that the text doesn’t indicate this.
Rather, Jesus may be referring to Peter’s boast in Matthew
26:33 and Mark 14:29. This was when
Peter said that he would remain even if the rest fall. Note that Peter’s response is more humble; he
doesn’t say, “Yes, Lord; I love You more than these.” Rather, he says, “Yes, Lord; You know that I
love You.” Peter is more focused on
loving Jesus now, rather than loving an exalted position above the others.
Still, he shouldn’t see this in opposition to loving the
others. Jesus says, “Tend My lambs.” This is the language of shepherding. One commentary notes, “Some Roman Catholics
assume that this asserts Peter’s primacy, but this is foreign to the passage
(cf. 1 Peter 5:2).”[2] This
isn’t an instruction only for Peter, for this is what God has called all
elders/pastors to do; Acts 20:28 says, “Be on guard for yourselves and
for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to
shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” This is a task for all the Lord’s ministers,
ensuring, for instance, that God’s people specifically have the food of the
Word of God every week.
The term for
shepherding is specifically in the next verse (v. 16). To shepherd the sheep is to follow in the
footsteps of the Messiah, who was called to shepherd the people of Israel
(Matthew 2:6). Yet, it also
indicates that Peter, as a disciple, should continue to care about the
well-being of the other disciples. We
are all to seek to care for one another.
At the very least, we should be in church as believers where we can be
fed, if we claim to be true disciples of Christ.
In v. 17, we see the exchange repeated again. This brings us back to the question of why
Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves Him. Again, it appears that Jesus is reminding
Peter of his three-fold denial of the Lord — which is why Peter is so troubled by
Jesus asking him the third time.[3]
True disciples understand their position before the
Lord. If we claim to love Him but deny
Him in our actions and deeds, then we must question whether we are truly
His. This may trouble us, but the
gracious Lord who feed Peter and didn’t berate Him stands ready to receive you,
too.
True disciples seek to return to the Lord when they
stray. They are eager to love Him, an
evidence of His grace being active in us.
This grace is for those who are not perfect, like Peter. If you haven’t been keeping His commands, you
aren’t abiding in His love, but you can repent and turn. Again, seek Him and He will forgive!
His disciples love Him and love those who are also following
Him, however imperfectly. And they seek
to follow Him wherever the road leads.
That brings us to the next point:
III.
Second, True Disciples Follow Christ to the End
(vv. 18–19)
“Truly, truly, I
say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever
you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone
else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of
death he would glorify God. And when He
had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
Jesus has forgiven Peter his denial and restored him to
service. This shows us most importantly
that we must deal with matters before God first. Where ever the Lord may lead us, we must stay
close to the love of Jesus.
This may bring us to uncomfortable places. Jesus explains to Peter that he has youth and
ability for service right now. Peter has
just demonstrated the ability to gird himself and move freely in v. 7 when he
put on his outer garment and jumped in the water! Too often we neglect to appreciate the
blessings we have, but they are there by God’s grace, and we should use them
for His glory!
Of course, Jesus isn’t just commissioning Peter to
service. He’s giving a cryptic prophecy.[4] The term “stretch out” seems to be a subtle
nod to crucifixion,[5] and
a tradition in church history says Peter died crucified upside down. By the way, it’s this tradition that gives us
the picture of the upside-down cross, a symbol of humility, which atheists
ignorantly use as a sign of rebellion against God.
As one commentary explains about Peter,
Peter spent the last three decades
of his life serving the Lord and anticipating his martyrdom. Yet he faced that prospect with confidence,
comforted by the knowledge that he would not deny the Lord again, but instead
would glorify Him in his death (cf. 1 Peter 4:14–16). According to tradition, Peter was crucified,
but requested to be crucified upside down, because he felt unworthy to be
crucified like his Lord (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical
History III.1).[6]
The Lord has all of our paths planned. We don’t know if we will all become
missionaries, perhaps facing persecution on some foreign field. We may even be called to be pastors, hated by
some right here at home. Some Christians
can face trouble without any official title, and the Lord tells us to expect
tribulation in this world. However, true
disciples can also expect the Lord of grace will get us through, so that, even
if He calls us to die peacefully in our beds, we can know we will have lived a
life to His glory.
Incidentally, this is one of the evidences that John wrote
this Gospel much later. This information
wouldn’t have been relevant or even understood until after Peter had been
martyred. So, John writes to the church,
revealing that the loss of Peter was expected.
The loss of another disciple was expected, bringing us to the final
point:
IV.
Third, True Disciples Focus on Christ Completely
(vv. 20–23)
Peter, turning
around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had
leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who
betrays You?” So Peter seeing him said
to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain
until I come, what is that to you? You
follow Me!” Therefore this saying went
out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say
to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come,
what is that to you?”
John continues his humble self-references, never naming
himself in this Gospel. There may be a
lesson in that he always sees himself in reference to Jesus — the One disciples
should love loves His disciples. As for
John’s position at the Last Supper, remember that they typically dined in a
reclined position; John leaned back at one point during the meal so the back of
his head was against Jesus’s body (John 13:25).
John sees this as a precious position of honor, especially in his
advanced years when he will soon see the Lord again.
John is focused on the Lord, but this distracts Peter for a
moment. Some might think that there was
a rivalry between Peter and John, but that isn’t indicated in the text. It’s been suggested that maybe there was
animosity between Peter’s disciples and John’s, but again, that’s not
here. Rather, it’s more likely that
Peter, who just received a prophecy about his end, is simply curious how John
will die.
This is a reminder to all Christians to remain focused upon
their own following of the Lord. While
there is no evidence of animosity between Peter and John, there are Christians
who hold grudges against others, a fact which causes them to stumble as they
follow Jesus. Even if there is no
disagreement between believers, some Christians still become jealous or
covetous of what the Lord has done for other believers. We must not allow sinful dispositions to grip
our hearts and confess them when we find it there. Rather, we must focus upon our faithful
following of the Lord.
If John is addressing anything going on in his own day, it’s
a false rumor that he will live until the return of Jesus. This was apparently circulating at this
time. Oddly enough, the Mormons believe
that John is still alive somewhere in the world. They seem to miss that this is a call for
Peter (and the rest of us, by extension, to focus solely upon the Lord.
This is a subtle reminder that Christ will return eventually
after His ascension. While John wasn’t
the one who remained until that time, there will be disciples present at that
moment. The church will remain, and the
gates of hell will not prevail against it!
V.
Conclusion
Our problem is that we too often act like the disciples at
their worst. Some of us may want to
boast about great things. Others may
want to move forward without prayer and the blessing of the Lord. We must allow the Lord to temper us.
Let’s not skip over the basics. We all need to cultivate a love for the Lord
and His people. That doesn’t mean we
allow ourselves to be distracted by what others are doing, and what the Lord is
doing in their lives. Instead, we should
focus on following the Lord, trusting that He will get us through to the end.
Perhaps you’re young and don’t have any desire to enter
ministry. Maybe you’re older, and you
wonder what God might have you do right now.
Maybe you’ve had a desire for ministry since you were young. Whatever the case, strive to be a true
disciple of Christ right now — repenting if you need to, and leaning on the
Lord of grace and mercy all your days.
[1] “Carson is absolutely
correct when he says that the two verbs agapan
and philein ‘are used interchangeably
in this Gospel’ and that from the fourth century b.c. forward in Greek literature agapan became ‘one of the standard verbs for “to love.” ’ He then
refers to Demas loving this present age (2 Tim 4:10), a reference not in John
but the point is the same as in John 12:43 and elsewhere.” Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 2002), 25B:335.
[2] Edwin A. Blum, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An
Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 345.
[3] John D. Barry,
Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot
Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham, WA:
Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 21:17.
[4] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen
Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul Copan, J. P. Moreland, and Doug Powell, The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions,
Straight Answers, Stronger Faith, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers,
2007), 1617.
[5] Ronald L. Trail, An Exegetical Summary of John 10–21,
Exegetical Summaries, (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2018), 484.
[6] John F. MacArthur
Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New
Testament Commentary, (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 404.