“Do you love me?” How would you respond if Jesus were to ask you that question? Peter insisted that he did: “You know that I love you” was his reply not once, but three times (21:15-17). So, why did Jesus keep on asking?

Perhaps it’s because Peter had said something completely different just a short time earlier. After Jesus had been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter was asked if he was a disciple of Jesus. And Peter had insisted, “I am not” (18:17, 25). And Peter had denied Jesus in this way three times.

So, sure, it’s easy to say we love someone, and even to repeat it. It’s easy to go to public worship and sing songs of praise and confess our Christian faith when it’s safe, and when everyone agrees with us. The true test of faith, the true test of our love for God is remaining faithful to Him even when our faith makes us unpopular, or when standing up for Him and His Word becomes positively dangerous. That’s what Peter discovered, as he was eventually killed because of his faith (21:19).

But there’s another way to demonstrate that our love for Jesus is real: to feed and take care of His sheep (21:15-17), those whom He has called to be His own. In other words, the best way we can express our love for Jesus is to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

For isn’t that what Jesus told Peter and the rest of the disciples on the night He was betrayed? “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (13:34-35). And Jesus also said this that same night: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (14:21).

So, do you love Jesus? Do you want to make your love obvious to Him and to others? Be faithful to Him. And take care of His sheep.

John 21 (NASB)

After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.
2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out, and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch.” They cast therefore, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.
7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” And so when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea.
8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.
9 And so when they got out upon the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid, and fish placed on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.”
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came and took the bread, and gave them, and the fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
15 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.”
16 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.”
17 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.
18 “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.”
19 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!”
20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
21 Peter therefore seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
23 This saying therefore 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?”
24 This is the disciple who bears witness of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true.
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written.