This story allows us to discover the difference in Brotherly Love and God's Unconditional Love by the restoratiion of the Apostle Peter who earlier had denied his Lord.
Love is one of the most powerful emotions we as humans may be privileged to experience. Love is an action word describing an emotion with differing degrees of intensity.
The Bible tells us that God is Love and for committed Christian believers, love is the true test of genuine faith.
The key to finding the love we are looking for is hidden in God's original design of our bodies and soul.
Love in this story is characterized by brotherly love, and God's divine love which I will attempt to give us an in depth illustration in comparing the two by using God's word as an example and the restoration of the Aostle Peter.
Dear reader my prayer and intent is that after reading this story you will get a broad understanding of love and get a deeper revelation of what Jesus was saying when he commanded us to love one another?
Agape love can be defined as the highest form of love.
Agape is pronounced in the Greek as (Agapo) and is referred to as God's Divine Love.
Agape love is the most pure, powerful and noblest type of love for it is a sacrificial love.
Agape is the term that defines God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind.
This kind of love is his ongoing, outgoing, self-sacrificing concern for lost and fallen people.
God gives this love without condition and unreservedly to those who are undeserving and inferior to himself.
Agape love is unmotivated in the sense that it is not contingent on any value or worth in the object of love.
Agape love is spontaneous and heedless, for it does not determine beforehand whether love will be effective or appropriate in any particular case.
One important aspect of Agape Love is that it extends beyond emotions.
It's much more than a feeling or sentiment, it's an act of the will.
The best illustration of this kind of love can be found in the Holy Scriptures.
We find in Matthew 16:15 that Jesus was walking near where the Romans kept all the idols and asked his disciples (15) “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” Some said John the baptist others said Elijah but Peter answered thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.
Here Peter is referring to Jesus as God and my thought is does God need a mortal man to defend him thus we see Peter later stating that if all others forsake him he will never forsake him stating that he loves him with an Agape unconditional love.
In Matthew 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
We later discover that Peter in his weakness did forsake him and denied knowing or being associated with him three times as noted in the betrayal and crucifixion.
Matthew 26:34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
You might say what has all this got to do with love?
I am glad this thought came across your mind now let's look at the gospel of John and I will attempt to give some clarity and how this gives ample revelation on the two types of love that we call Phileo and Agape love.
We find in Mark 16:7 that the Lord sent word for his disciples to meet him in Galilee but also made mention for them to bring Peter.
This scripture reference gives us clear insight to the love and wisdom of God because knowing how the other men might be feeling after Peter bragged to Jesus in front of all that he would never forsake him but would die for him yet he is the very one that did forsake him?
Mark 16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”
I have listed the scriptures for you and outlined the ones that will give meaning to this story which I will present to you in a summary and how love is clearly defined in the life and restoration of Peter who later in life would be the spokesman for birthing of the church where three thousand souls were saved in one meeting.
John 21
21:1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.
2There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
(Important Scripture ) 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
(Important Scripture) 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
(Important Scripture) 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
(Important Scripture) 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14
Beloved,this is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
(Important Scripture)15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest (Agape love) thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love (Phileo love) thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest (Agape love) (unconditional love) thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love (Phileo love) (love like a brother) thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest (Phileo love) thou me?
Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love (Phileo love) thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Dear reader, I now intend to take the scripture references mentioned above and give us a clear understanding of love through the life and restoration of Peter and how Jesus met him in his condition and restored him back into his ministry.
Let me start by saying Peter denied the Lord three times and Jesus met him in his shame and helped him understand the Love of God.
I want us to look at Jesus after his resurrection and note that he sent word for the men to meet him in Galilee and he specifically mentioned bring Peter.
This is very important because to the men Peter had made a boast though everyone of them might forsake him that he is different and he would even die for him.
These men had watched him deny the Lord and bring disgrace to the gospel.
Can we as humans for once think how we would feel if we were in their stead but look, Jesus is not looking at him as a failure but is clearly making it a point to mention his name as if he is still with him?
We find later that Jesus met them after they had fished all night but when he told them to cast their net in again the net became full of about one hundred fifty two fishes.
Please note that one of the men stated it is the Lord!
Upon hearing this, Peter jumped into the water and swam ashore to meet the Lord.
Peter was not properly dressed and his heart was full of shame but he had to get to the Lord because he had some unsettled business and he had to make things right.
Jesus knowing his thoughts had already been cooking some fish and invited them to sit down to a meal.
This is very important as having a meal with a family or important guests tends to set the stage for conversation.
Jesus asked if anyone would like seconds or even thirds.
Many families miss out by not having a family meal and allow everyone to speak concerning how their day was at the office, at school or even the little girl that broke her doll?
After the meal, Jesus then confronted Peter in asking him three times if he loved him?
The interesting thing about this is that Jesus asked him the first time if he Agape loved him?
This is very important because this means the highest form of love?
It means an unconditional love but here we find Peter answering in an humble way stating Lord you know I love you like a brother?
Do you see the difference and is this the same man that earlier was full of pride however look at how the Lord replied by stating feed my lambs?
Jesus is not rebuking him but taking the steps to instill into the other disciples that Peter is a chosen man and he is not holding his failure over his head but is reinstating him into the ministry and they should be willing to accept him back into the fold.
Jesus asked him again if he loved him with an unconditional love to which Peter replied, Lord you know I love you like a brother.
Jesus replied feed my sheep or in other words you are reinstated as a pastor over my sheep.
Jesus asked Peter the third time on his level by asking do you love me like a brother to which Peter replied, Lord you know all things, you know I love you like a brother and this dear reader is love worth finding.
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Love is one of the most powerful emotions we as humans may be privileged to experience. Love is an action word describing an emotion with differing degrees of intensity.
