The Love Question

¹⁵ Now when they had ^(A)finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you ^[a](B)love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I ^[b]love You.” He *said to him, “Tend ^(C)My lambs.” ¹⁶ He *said to him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you ^[c]love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I ^[d]love You.” He *said to him, “^(D)Shepherd My sheep.” ¹⁷ He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you ^[e]love Me?” Peter was ^[f]hurt because He said to him ^(E)the third time, “Do you ^[g]love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, ^(F)You know all things; You know that I ^[h]love You.” Jesus *said to him, “^(G)Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

¹⁸ Truly, truly I tell you, when you were younger, you used to put on your belt and walk wherever you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put your belt on you, and bring you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Now He said this, ^(H)indicating by ^(I)what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had said this, He *said to him, “^(J)Follow Me!”

²⁰ Peter turned around and *saw the ^(K)disciple whom Jesus loved following them—the one who also had ^(L)leaned back on His chest at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who is betraying You?” ²¹ So Peter, upon seeing him, *said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” ²² Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain ^(M)until I come, what is that to you? You ^(N)follow Me!” ²³ Therefore this ^[i]account went out among ^(O)the brothers, 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 ^(P)until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who ^(Q)is testifying about these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ But there are also ^(R)many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, ^(A)Satan has ^[a]demanded to ^(B)sift you men like wheat; ³² but I ^(C)have prayed for ^[b]you, that ^[c]your faith will not fail; and ^[d]you, when you have ^[e]turned back, ^(D)strengthen your brothers.”

⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” And immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And then ^(A)the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “^(B)Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” ⁶² And he went out and wept bitterly.

³⁴ “^(A)Do not think that I came to ^[a]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to ^[b]bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to ^(B)turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and ^(C)a person’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷ “^(D)The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And ^(E)the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ^39 (F)The one who has found his ^[c]life will lose it, and the one who has lost his ^[d]life on My account will find it.

³³ But Peter replied to Him, “Even if they all ^[a]fall away because of You, I will never fall away!”

³⁵ Peter *said to Him, “^(A)Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” All the disciples said the same thing as well.

⁹ I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything ^[a]through us.