“Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?”
The full verse · John 21:16 · KJV
He to the second , , son of , lovest ? He unto , , ; I . He unto , .
Asked by
Jesus: the risen Lord, who had just given His disciples bread and fish on the shore (John 21:13)
Asked to
Peter: Simon Peter, who had denied Jesus three times on the night of His arrest (John 18:17, 25-27), who had just told Jesus, "thou knowest that I love thee" (John 21:15)
The Scene
On the shore after breakfast, Peter has just answered Jesus' first question, "thou knowest that I love thee," and received the charge "Feed my lambs" (John 21:15).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJesus asked a second time, but the question was shorter. The words "more than these" were gone. Gill says Jesus saw Peter's heart, "observed the modesty of his answer, and would not urge him any more in that comparative way." What remained was the heart of the matter: did Peter love Him? Barnes thinks it probable that Jesus asked three times in all "because Peter had thrice denied him."
The Response
What Scripture recordsPeter gave the same answer: "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee" (John 21:16). Jesus replied, "Feed my sheep." Then He asked a third time, and "Peter was grieved" (John 21:17).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsIn English the command sounds the same as in John 21:15, but the Greek verb changes. Before, Jesus said boske, feed. Here He says poimaine, to shepherd, which the ESV renders "Tend." Barnes explains that this word "has the sense of governing, caring for, guiding, protecting," the watchful care of a shepherd. The object also changes from "lambs" to "sheep" (probata). Barnes notes that by the use of both words it is supposed Jesus meant that a shepherd must both feed the flock and govern it.
The verbs for love stay as they were in John 21:15: Jesus asks with agapaō, and Peter answers with phileō.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyJesus calls them "my sheep." The flock still belongs to Him; Peter is to tend it for Him. The one who had failed his Master is trusted with his Master's flock. Matthew Henry says that when Christ forgave Peter, He "trusted him with the most valuable treasure he had on earth."
Years later Peter wrote to elders, "Feed the flock of God which is among you," and reminded them that "the chief Shepherd shall appear" (1 Peter 5:2, 4). The shepherd's work Jesus gave him on this shore became the work he passed on to others.
Look Closer
What changed between Jesus' first and second question?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, the people I serve are Your sheep, not mine; how would You have me care for them?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Jesus said "my sheep," not "your sheep." How might it change the way you serve others to remember that they belong to Christ?
- Tell about someone who cared for you well in your walk with God. What did they do?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Caring for God's people is more than passing on information. Jesus moved from "feed" to "shepherd": guiding, protecting, and watching over. Whether you teach a class, lead a family, or encourage a friend, care for the whole person.
Remember whose people they are. Jesus said "my sheep." You serve them for Him. That guards against pride, because they are not yours to control, and it lifts a weight, because you are not their savior.
Scripture's own application: 1 Peter 5:2-4
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
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