John 21:15-17

1. We should notice Christ’s question to Peter: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
2. We should notice Peter’s answer to Christ’s question. Three times we find the apostle saying, “You know that I love You.”
3. We should notice Christ’s command to Peter. Three times we find Him urging Peter to care for His flock: once, “Feed My lambs” and twice My sheep.

"Let us take heed that there is some feeling in our Christianity. Knowledge, orthodoxy, correct views, regular use of forms, a respectable moral life: all these do not make up a true Christian. There must be some personal feeling towards Christ. Feeling on its own, no doubt, is a poor useless thing and may be here today and gone tomorrow. But the entire absence of feeling is a very bad symptom and speaks ill for the state of a person’s soul."

"Ask them whether they are converted, whether they are a believer, whether they have grace, whether they are justified, whether they are sanctified, whether they are elect, whether they are a child of God: ask them any one of these questions and they may perhaps reply that they really do not know! But ask them whether they love Christ and they will reply, “I do.” They may add that they do not love Him as much as they ought to do, but they will not say that they do not love Him at all."

"It is not loud talk and high profession, it is not even impetuous, occasional zeal and readiness to draw the sword and fight—it is steady, patient, laborious effort to do good to Christ’s sheep scattered throughout this sinful world which is the best evidence of being a true-hearted disciple. This is the real secret of Christian greatness."

Questions:

1. We see in these verses the question of Jesus to Peter: "Do you love me? and Peter's reply, "You know that I love you." Ryle declares that knowledge, orthodoxy, correct views, regular use of forms, and a respectful moral life, though important, do not make up a true Christian. This question to Peter is an important question for us: do we love the correct views about Jesus that we hold? Do we walk morally out of love for Jesus? Ryle carefully declares that our feelings can be a poor useless thing and can be here today and gone tomorrow, but can it be said the feeling of love for Christ is totally absent from our lives? What does this do to encourage or humble you?
2. We hear Jesus command Peter to feed his sheep and lambs. This, Ryle declares, is the real secret to Christian greatness, namely that usefulness to others is the great test of love, and working for Christ the great proof of really loving Christ. If this is true, how true is it in our lives? Are we aiming daily to think of others, care for others, do good to others, lessen the sorrow of others and increase the joy of others? Can we say that it is more blessed to give than to receive?