John 21:16

He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. HE SAITH TO HIM AGAIN THE SECOND TIME, SIMON, SON OF JONAS, LOVEST THOU ME? HE SAITH UNTO HIM, YEA, LORD; THOU KNOWEST THAT I LOVE THEE. In this repetition of the question, though the wound was meant to be re-opened, the words, "more than these" are not repeated; for Christ is a tender as well as skillful Physician, and Peter's silence on that point was confession enough of his sin and folly. On Peter's repeating his protestation in the same words, our Lord rises higher in the manifestation of His restoring grace. HE SAITH UNTO HIM, FEED (OR 'KEEP') MY SHEEP. It has been observed, particularly by Trench, who has some beautiful remarks on this subject in his 'Synonyms of the New Testament,' that the word here is stu...

16._Feed my sheep. _Christ does not give to Peter and others the office _of feeding _all sorts of persons, but only _his sheep _or _his lambs. _He elsewhere describes who they are whom he reckons to belong to his flock. My sheep, says he, hear my voice, and follow me; they hear not the voice of a stranger, (John 10:5.) True, faithful teachers ought to endeavor to gather all to Christ; and as they cannot distinguish between _sheep _and wild beasts, they ought to try by all methods if they can tame those who resemble wolves rather than _sheep. _But after having put forth their utmost efforts, their labor will be of no avail to any but the elect _sheep; _for docility and faith arise from this, that the heavenly Father delivers to his Son, that they may obey him, those whom he elected before t

15-19 Our Lord addressed Peter by his original name, as if he had forfeited that of Peter through his denying him. He now answered, Thou knowest that I love thee; but without professing to love Jesus more than others. We must not be surprised to have our sincerity called into question, when we ourselves have done that which makes it doubtful. Every remembrance of past sins, even pardoned sins, renews the sorrow of a true penitent. Conscious of integrity, Peter solemnly appealed to Christ, as knowing all things, even the secrets of his heart. It is well when our falls and mistakes make us more humble and watchful. The sincerity of our love to God must be brought to the test; and it behoves us to inquire with earnest, preserving prayer to the heart-searching God, to examine and prove us, whether we are able to stand this test. No one can be qualified to feed the sheep and lambs of Christ,...

FEED MY SHEEP - The word here rendered “feed,” as has been remarked, is different from the word in the previous verse. It has the sense of governing, caring for, guiding, protecting - the kind of faithful vigilance which a shepherd uses to guide his flock, and to make provision against their wants and dangers. It may be implied here that the care needed for the young in the church is to instruct them, and for those in advanced years both to instruct and govern them. MY SHEEP - This term commonly denotes the church in general, without respect to age, John 10....

EXPOSITION JOHN 21:1 3. The epilogue, answering to the prologue. The post-resurrection life corresponds with the pre-incarnate energy of the Logos. 1. Long and sustained controversy has prevailed on the question of the authenticity and apostolic authorship of this chapter even among those who admit the Johannine authorship of the rest of the Gospel. 2. Among those who accept to the full the authenticity, there are many critics who urge that it is not an integral portion of the Gospel, but a later appendix, that the document terminated, on its first composition, with John 20:30, John 20:31, and that the chapter before us is dictated f

HE SAITH UNTO HIM AGAIN THE SECOND TIME,.... Willing to have the expressions of his love repeated and confirmed; SIMON, SON OF JONAS, LOVEST THOU ME? he leaves out the words, "more than these", though Nonnus expresses them; he saw Peter's heart, and observed the modesty of his answer, and would not urge him any more in that comparative way, only required a repetition of his sincere and hearty love to him: HE SAITH UNTO HIM, YEA, LORD, THOU KNOWEST THAT I LOVE THEE; expressing himself in the same language as before; and it is, as if he should say, Lord, what can I say more? I can say no more than I have done, and by that I abide: HE SAITH UNTO HIM, FEED MY SHEEP; both the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and his other sheep among the Gentiles, whom the Father had given him, and he had paid a price for, and must be brought in; these being called, he would have fed with the word and or...

John 21:1. _After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise showed he himself._ Jesus loved to show himself to his people. Of old, his delights were with the sons of men; so, now that he had risen from the dead, he was not ashamed to visit his brethren, and he did not disdain to make himself known to them, and he will still show himself to us after a spiritual fashion, if we sincerely desire to see him. John 21:2. _There 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._ As John was the writer of this record, he did not put his own name there, but merely mentioned «the sons of Zebedee.»...

LOVEST (Greek, "agapaō", "deeply love"; used of "divine love") (John 14:21); and of that love which the law demands (Luke 10:27). LOVE (Greek, "phileō", "am fond of"). It is a lesser degree of love than agapas. FEED See (1 Peter 5:2)....

CHAPTER 21 _ 1. At the Sea of Tiberias. The Third Manifestation. (John 21:1 .)_ 2. Peter's Restoration and Ministry; the manner of His Death Predicted. (John 21:15 .) 3. Tarry Till I Come. (John 21:20 .) 4. Conclusion. (John 21:24 .) This chapter has often been looked upon as an appendix to the Gospel of John. It is not. Quite true, John states in the last two verses of the preceding chapter the purpose of this Gospel, but that does not mean that the twenty-first chapter has no connection with the Gospel itself. John 21:14 shows t

FOLLOWING AND TARRYING. According to the earliest Christian tradition, Marcan and Pauline, an appearance to Peter was one of the earliest if not the earliest event after the Resurrection. If this section is historical it must be interpreted as teaching the leaders, and especially Peter, in terms which clearly recalled his former failure, their duty to the whole body of faithful disciples, scattered by the Crucifixion. They cannot return to their former occupations and wait for the Parousia. The work of the Good Shepherd must be carried on. Lambs must be fed, sheep must be shepherded, and fed also. In early life young men can choose their calling. Later on they must follow it, wherever it leads them, even as the old man, who is getting to need assistance, lifts his hands and has his girdle arranged for him. So Peter must follow. Later Christian thought found in the words a prediction of h...