The answer to this question has the power to change the world – for better or for worse! Do you love Jesus?

This is a question Jesus asked St. Peter after His Resurrection. In fact, Jesus asked St. Peter this question three times. What’s fascinating about this Scripture is that to really understand what’s happening between St. Peter and Jesus we need to go back to the Greek translation of the Bible.  Let’s look at the English translation with some Greek words in parenthesis.

From The Gospel of John 21:14-19

“This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  (In the greek translation Jesus was using the word “agape” for love )

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”  (In the greek translation Peter is using the word “phileo” for love.)

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (Once again in the greek translation of this text Jesus was using the word “agape” for love)

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  (Peter is again using the greek word “phileo” for love.)

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (This time Jesus is using the word “phileo” for love)

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” (Peter continues to use the greek word ‘phileo’ for love)

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”  John 21: 14-19

Ok let’s seek to understand.

First we need to understand that agape is an unconditional, self-sacrificing love; it is the love of Jesus Christ.  Phileo is the love that exists between friends; it is not of the same depth as agape.

So here we see Jesus is asking for agape (an unconditional love) and Peter is responding with “phileo” (friendship).  The third time Jesus asks, however, Jesus asks whether he can give him “phileo” love and Peter is sad…Why?  Maybe because He has now asked Peter the same question three times. Remember Peter denied Jesus three times. Perhaps Peter is sad because he wants to give Jesus more than a brotherly love!  Jesus then confirms that Peter will be able to give Him agape because Peter will die for Jesus.

Put yourself in the shoes of St. Peter. How will you answer Jesus? Every sinner has denied Jesus and we are all sinners. Will your life testify that you have an unconditional love for God?

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

“Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” Romans 13:10

Years ago my husband and I purchased a home in a neighbourhood that unbeknownst to us had a reputation of being a ‘swingers neighbourhood.’ Now what was happening in this neighbourhood is a tragedy that is happening all over the world.

One day two little girls (around 7 or 8 years old) knocked on my door. I opened the door to see two beautiful smiling faces. “Hello!” they exclaimed. “Would you like to be part of our secret society?” Their language startled me. I smiled at them and joked ‘you are not freemasons are you?’ They said “Noooo!” in voices that sang in harmony. “Ok come to our house tonight!” they said with excitement. They smiled at me and gave me a little pink paint chip from a book of paint colours that said ‘rose garden’ and they ran off. I stood there holding the paint chip for a moment wondering what was that all about.

Well ‘swingers’ have a sort of ‘secret society’. One of my friends told me this is what happens. Swingers (couples that share their wives and husbands for sexual pleasure) meet at one another’s houses. Sometimes they put their car keys in a bowl and at the end of the evening the men pick a set of car keys that are not their own and take another man’s wife home.

Can you imagine the eyes of Jesus, filled with tears looking at these couples asking ‘Do you love me?’

Now everyone party to these promiscuous sexual transactions is consenting to be part of this ‘secret society’ EXCEPT God does not consent!

Eros is the Greek word for ‘romantic, sexual love’. God intended for Eros to be expressed in marriage.

God is clear that people who are sexually immoral will not inherit eternal life.

“Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people–none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10

Jesus died to forgive all these sins. Jesus wants to bring each and every human being to His home in heaven. What’s needed is REPENTANCE and TRUE SPIRITUAL CONVERSIONS.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18

I often wish that ‘defilement’ the injury done to the soul every time we sin could be seen in the mirror. After a night of ‘swinging’ the men and women would look in the mirror and SCREAM for they would be so horribly disfigured.

Unfortunately the defilement of the soul cannot be discerned by looking in the mirror at our faces. But if we look deeply at our life’s choices we can determine the condition of our souls.

God is a jealous lover and He is not willing to share us with the devil. Every time we sin, we choose to give ourselves to the devil. The devil ‘ensnares’ us in this sinful experience. Imagine horrible ugly hooks placed into your soul that communicate that you now belong to the evil one, Satan. The only way we can be free from this bondage is to come back to God and repent of our sins and pray that Jesus forgives us.

Jesus died to forgive us and to take us to His home, a place called Paradise where there is no pain or suffering of any form, only joy, love, peace, an ecstasy that we cannot imagine.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

In order to truly turn away from sin we need to turn away from temptation. The eyes are a big source of temptation. I remember as a younger woman feeling as though men were undressing me with their eyes. This gaze of lust is a sinful gaze. I have a thesis about how to destroy lust and promote love in our world and I am confident you will agree with this strategy.

My thesis is this:

Temptation ends when a soul falls deeply in love with Jesus Christ!

Do you think that a husband in love would allow another man to have sex with his wife? Can you imagine the kind of battle that would ensue between the husband in love and the ‘swinger’ that wants his bride?

Well that battle is ongoing and it is a battle between Jesus Christ and Satan. Both are fighting for the Bride of Christ! It is a battle between good and evil, love and lust.

My husband used to always ask me this question: “who do you belong to?” Honestly I never really liked it because every time I answered ‘you’ I felt like I was denying some important truth within me. One day, when he asked me ‘who do you belong to?’ I smiled and acknowledged the truth in my soul and I said, “Jesus! I belong to Jesus!”

When we discover that our true identity is that we belong to Our Lord Jesus, we realize that everything that we do and say and think must give Him glory.  Jesus is the husband of our souls. He is the divine husband who died on the Cross so that He could bring us to our eternal home – Paradise!

So let’s get ready for the journey home and let’s turn to Jesus with trust and with humble and contrite hearts and confess our sins. Let us ask for His grace to become the people of dignity and honour that He wants us to be.

Every day at the time Jesus died for us, 3pm, I stop to see my Saviour Jesus dying on the Cross for me. I see the tears in His eyes, I see His anguish and I hear His question, “Do you love me?”

My answer is “Yes! Yes! Yes! I love You Holy One! I love You above all things and all people and I love You within all things and all people! You are my heart’s desire Jesus! Help me to love You as You so deserve to be loved!”

Please join The Mercy Movement, a Christian prayer movement, that is uniting followers of Jesus all over the world, EVERY DAY, in a solemn moment of prayer and remembrance of the Passion of Christ at the time Jesus died for us, 3pm (in our local time zones).  Please pray that all souls come to repentance! More info here