Why Did Jesus Tell Peter THREE Times To Feed His Sheep?

You are listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call.Still ahead, Dave and Tom continue their weekly in-depth study of the doctrine of salvation, please stay with us.Now,

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.Here is this week’s question:Dear Dave and Tom, What was the Lord saying to Peter when He toldhim three times to “Feed my sheep.”I guess it’s the three times part thathas me wondering.

Tom:

Dave, let me read John Chapter 21, Verses 15 to 17:“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah,lovest thou me more than these?He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me?He saith untohim, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest 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 thee.Jesus saith unto him, Feedmy sheep.”

Dave, why three times, why is he pushing this?

Dave:

Yeah, some passages of scripture are not easy to interpret, this would be one of them.We could say, and probably most preachers would say, Well, it’s because Peter denied his Lord three times.But on the other hand, whether he denied him three times or not, it’s emphasis, so you can look at it both ways.Peter, do you really love me?Well, you just denied me.Now, Peter had sworn his undying devotion and loyalty at the Last Supper not too long ago and, “Lord, though all forsake thee, yet willnot I—Lord, I’ll die for you rather than deny you.”Jesus says, “Peter, the cock isn’t going to crow until you deny me three times,” and that really distressed Peter.So, Peter, do you really love me?How much to you really love me?Well, if you really do—now you’ve had a little bit of experience here, Peter, you have sworn your affection and your love and you denied me, maybe you can teach that lesson to the sheep, Feed my sheep.But of course the Lord is going to inspire Peter also with part of the scriptures.Well, it’s a very solemn thing, Tom, Feed my sheep, Feed my lambs.We don’t have a one track mind but that brings us back to psychology.What are they feeding the sheep with?Well, you just mentioned that a lot of the preachers, their sermons are—who is the authority that they are quoting?Certainly, the Christian psychologist they are quoting secular psychologists as the authority about human behavior.

Tom:

Dave, I was in a mega church, and the person that brought me theresaid, Well, Tom, you probably are not going to like this because rarely does this pastor preach from the scriptures because it’s a seeker friendly service.But he had a really, I thought, a pretty good sermon.It was on integrity, it was on telling the truth, and I began to get encouraged, Dave.You know what?He supported what he had presented by quoting M. Scott Peck, psychiatrist, unbelievable!

Dave:

Not a Christian.

Tom:

Not a Christian.Well, he says that God, whoever he, she or it may be, you know, more Buddhist certainly than—although he was one of the darlings of the evangelicals for quite a while.

Dave:

Yes, he was and still is, they still refer to his books.So, Tom, Feed my sheep, what are we going to feed them with?Well, quotes from so-called authorities, because they are psychologists.

Tom:

Let’s give ourselves some credibility here.

Dave:

Right.No, I’m going to feed them from the Word of God.What do we mean by that?Well, Jesus quoted it in the wilderness, and it comes from Deuteronomy chapter 8.God said through Moses, and this really relates to Peter.God says in Deuteronomy:8:3And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
See All...:“I led you through the wilderness, I caused you to thirst and to hunger to see what was in your heart and to teach you that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”And then of course, Jeremiah said:“Thy words were found and I did eat them, and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.”So, what am I going to feed the sheep with?What should Ibe feeding myself with?Tom, most Christians, I’m sorry, are nutritionally deficient.

Tom:

Anemic.

Dave:

Yes, because they have not been feeding upon the Word of God, and this is our life, this is our guidance, doctrine is the container of truth, and truth sets us free, and this is what we need.This is a great lesson— Peter, Feed my sheep.Now, what are you going to feed them with, Peter?Well, Peter, you are going to be at a big disadvantage because Freud, Jung, Rogers and Maslow, all these guys haven’t been born yet, you won’t even know about them.How are you going to quote them in your sermons, Peter?I mean, you will be so dull, all you’re going to have is doctrine, and the church is going to have to get along like that for nineteen hundred years before these atheists, these anti-Christians come along and show Christians how to understand the Bible so that we can integrate theology and psychology, and then we will really have what the church needs?Tom, I’m sorry, I’m starting to get red around the neck again, but it is bad!I will say it is wicked, it is evil.You are going to pull the nutritious morsel out of the babes, or the sheep, or the lamb’s mouths.That’s the Word of God and you’re going to thrust in it’s place something from Freud and Jung, and so forth.Tom, it’s wicked!