DO YOU LOVE ME

Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19

3rd Sunday of Easter,  May  4, 2025

Pastor Ritva H Williams

This morning’s reading is the epilogue to John’s Gospel. It’s a second-ending that ties up loose ends and gives us a glimpse of how the story will continue. We meet the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias/Galilee. Easter is done and they are back where it all started. Peter says, “I’m going fishing.” The disciples respond, “We’re going with you.” They fish all night but catch nothing. 

We wonder, whatever happened to the commission the risen Christ gave them? Why aren’t they going about proclaiming the gospel, healing, and forgiving sins like Jesus said? Perhaps they are still too shell-shocked by the roller-coaster ride Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Peter’s failed fishing venture makes it clear that going back to the way things were won’t work. Although, they don’t know how to move forward they do know everything is better together, even failure. 

In the early morning hours, a stranger on the shore calls out the disciples. They take the stranger’s advice, and haul in a net overflowing with fish. In that moment, the beloved disciple realizes that the stranger “is the Lord!” 

Amazing abundance is a hallmark of Christ’s presence beginning with the wine at the wedding in Cana. For the beloved disciple, this is an aha moment that ushers in a new kind of discipleship, a new way of following Christ. Jesus may not be physically in the boat with them, yet just as Jesus promised the sheep will recognize the Good Shepherd’s voice (John 10:4). Listening for and to Christ’s voice will enable  them to accomplish their mission and ministry. 

Peter jumps into the sea and wades ashore as the disciples come after him in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. Once they land, they see a charcoal fire with fish and bread cooking over it. Christ asks for more fish. Peter hauls the net ashore full of 153 fish. They must have counted them while Jesus finished grilling. Christ invites the disciples to come have breakfast: takes the bread, breaks, blesses and gives it to them, then repeats with the fish. 

This scene recalls Jesus feeding a crowd of 5000 with bread and fish. That crowd declared Jesus a prophet and wanted to make him their king. Now Jesus is the Risen Lord who will continue to invitethe invites and nourish them whenever and wherever they gather in community.  

The scene on the shore culminates with the Risen Christ asking Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Each time Peter replies, “Yes. Lord, you know I love you.” Christ follows up each of those responses with a command: Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. 

The traditional understanding of this scene is that Peter is undoing his denial of Jesus. But we when we look closely at what happened on the night of Jesus’ arrest, we discover something slightly different. Peter was asked twice, “Are you one of this man’s disciples?” And twice answered, “I am not.” The third time, he was asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter responded with a definite no. 

Peter didn’t deny Jesus. He denied his relationship with Jesus. Peter denied his identity as a disciple of Jesus. Weeks later, Peter is still trying to come to terms with that. We all deny our identities at one time or another because we are afraid of what others will say and do to us. We don’t want to be judged or rejected. We are convinced that we are not worthy of being liked or loved. We worry that we can’t live up to other people’s expectations.

Face-to-face with Christ, Peter affirms his love, thus admitting he is, or at least wishes he could be, a disciple, despite failing to live up to expectations. To borrow the words of Professor Karoline Lewis,

Jesus shows up on that shore, hosts a meal one more time, and tells Peter, tells us, “I believe in you. I know who you are and I love you. And yes, you are exactly the disciple I need, the disciple the world needs …

Even though Peter doesn’t feel worthy or ready, he is charged with feeding and tending, inviting and gathering people around Christ’s table, or grill, as the case may be. Listening for and helping others hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. Reminding each that together is better for discipleship, mission and ministry. 

Decades later, the first readers of the Revelation were still struggling with questions of identity. As refugees and immigrants in a foreign land they faced hostility and suspicion. They couldn’t go back home, but weren’t sure how to move forward. They were both fearful of and bedazzled by the splendors of Greco-Roman culture, seduced and coerced into idolatrous practices. Revelation counters that reality scenes of heavenly worship.  

The ancient Greek word for worship proskuneo literally means to kiss toward. To worship was to show honor, homage, devotion, reverence, and adoration by kissing the hand, the ring, the hem of the robe, the feet, or the ground before a superior being human or divine. Ordinary people worshiped those who controlled their lives. Early Christian worship featured a kiss of peace — on the lips or cheeks — a kiss exchanged between equals, friends, and family members. 

In John’s vision he sees and hears a different kind of worship: thousands upon thousands of angels, fantastic living creatures and white-robed elders singing about the worthiness of the Lamb; every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the seas joining the chorus praising God and the Lamb. 

Heavenly worship fills the universe filled with music that originates in, emanates from, and resonates with divine love. Every being in heaven and earth, under the earth and in the seas responds to the music of divine love with song. Divine love is passed on from angels in heaven to people on earth, from human to human, from creature to creature. All sing together to lift up, support, and encourage one another. 

The focus of the song is a little lamb standing as if slain. This image of the lamb who was slain yet lives stands is the primary image of the crucified and resurrected Christ in John’s Revelation, and reveals that the power of the Risen Christ is what Professor Barbara Rossing calls “lamb power.” She writes:

Lamb power is a lifestyle centered around Jesus’ self-giving love. It is the power of nonviolent resistance and courage in opposition to injustice; it is the power of solidarity and forgiveness.”

Peter was called to rely on Lamb power to feed and tend Christ’s flock. It is lamb power that enables us to tend and care for each other as our gifts and strengths permit. The good news is “we have the Lamb’s power in us.” It goes with us everywhere like Mary’s little lamb in the children’s nursery rhyme” (p.112).

Please pray:

Lord, there’s a whisper inside us: 

Most of the time we can ignore it if we so choose,

often we neglect it; 

But it’s insistent, compelling voice reminds us 

that our lives have meaning, 

that we have a contribution to make, 

that we are called. 

Lord, this call is hard to accept. 

We’re sure we’re not worthy. 

We’ve denied you, we’ve denied ourselves, 

We’ve failed to live up to our promises. 

We’re sure others are more faithful, 

more responsible, more organized, 

more committed, more able than we are.  

But, you don’t really hear our objections, 

our excuses, do you? 

All you ever say is “follow me” 

So Jesus, help us trust our love 

so we can say yes to your call. 

Amen.