Feed My Sheep,  Audio 2

FEED MY SHEEP

This morning’s passage of Scripture takes place at Tagbha – which is along the Sea of Galilee in Northern Israel.  This is where the bulk of Jesus’ ministry took place – in this area in and around Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee. 

Tagbha is where it is believed that the miracle of the loaves and fishes took place.  It is easy to imagine the need for feeding the crowds here, as it would have been easy for the crowds to have gathered from the surrounding towns and hillsides, but it would have been a walk for them to have returned home to eat. 

Let’s look at what the place actually looks like – because as we do, it adds depth to our understanding. 

But this morning’s passage is not where Jesus feeds the five thousand.  Instead, it is where He appears to the Disciples for the third time following His resurrection – where they have returned to Galilee.  In Mark 16, the Disciples are told that Jesus is going before them to Galilee – and that they should go there.

It is here that the story we are looking at today begins.  The Disciples are on the Sea of Galilee, fishing.  Jesus asks them if they have any food.  Their answer is no.  He tells them to cast out their nets, they do, and they have an abundance.  Then they make their way to shore, where Jesus has prepared a meal for them.

Note – it is interesting that they provide the fish for the meal in conjunction with Jesus – as they fish where He tells them to, they catch the abundance. 

But, Jesus, Himself, provides the bread. He has at this point demonstrated the “Last Supper” element of the New Covenant – He provided the bread (through His body), but there is no need for more wine to be provided – the blood, shed once for all, was already offered.

It is here, too, at this point, that Jesus begins to show them how the New Covenant structure will work.  In the past, it was the job of the priest to enter the presence of God through the Holy of Holies.  But now, Jesus, shows them instead what “His man on the scene” will do.

It is here with John 21:15 that we see Jesus restoring Peter – demonstrating the restorative power of the New Covenant – with the Old Covenant, Peter would have still been condemned by the Law.  Here, through the shed blood of Christ, instead Peter finds restoration and a plan and purpose for His life.

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”

And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Now, there are many rich and deep things going on in this passage. There is the restoration of Peter – which is a major point of grace, mercy and redemption.

There are the questions that Jesus asks Peter – do you love Me?

There are Peter’s responses to Jesus – Yes, Lord, I love You.

There are depths of meaning here which are uncovered when you look at the original Greek here.  Most of us have heard the differences in the meaning of the words “love” used here – the agape and phileo differences.

But this morning, what we are going to look closer at are the responses Jesus has to Peter’s response.

It is here, in how Jesus responds to Peter, that we find a demonstration of what Jesus wants for His church.  Especially a church which does as He commands in verse 19 and decides to “Follow me . . .”

Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him (agape), Peter replies that he loves (phileo) Him.  Jesus says to feed (bosko) His lambs. 

Do you agape me?

Yes, I phileo You.

Feed (bosko) My lambs.

The word for feed here literally means 1) to feed

a) portraying the duty of a Christian teacher to promote in every way the spiritual welfare of the members of the church

The words used here for lambs is Lambs – arnion – little lamb – other usage of this same word limited to references in Revelation about Jesus

So, putting these things together, we hear Jesus’ response to Peter’s “Yes, Lord, You know I love You” as “then promote in every way the spiritual welfare of the those who are committed to following Me” - Jesus – to seeing Him glorified and revealed as Who He is in Revelation – as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World

Jesus asks Peter the same question again, and Peter responds the same way again. 

But, this time, Jesus’ response to Peter is different – in spite of the same question and the same response.

Jesus uses different words with Peter.  This is one of the frustrating things about translations.  Sometimes you spend hours digging and it says what it says.  Sometimes you need to look – and there is nothing there which would show you to look.

For me, months ago, God began drawing me to this passage, and when I got here, He started showing me things – and telling me that it was how He wanted me to handle my ministry to  this congregation.

He told me to look at the Greek here – to see what it means.

Feed in verse 16 can be translated “tend.”  The word is actually poimaino - 1) to feed, to tend a flock, keep sheep

a) to rule, govern

1) of rulers

2) to furnish pasture for food

3) to nourish

4) to cherish one's body, to serve the body

5) to supply the requisites for the soul's need

In other words, it means to not only look out for the spiritual nourishment of the church, but also for the physical needs of the Body, and the administrative needs as well.

It is the same word which Paul uses in Acts 20 when he charges the Elders in Ephesus with caring for the Church.

Here we also see a different word for who this action is applied to.  Instead of “arnion,” the word is “probaton” which is literally a flock – but not necessarily just a flock of sheep or lambs.

So, putting this all together, we hear Jesus saying that Peter is to tend to, administer, cherish and meet the physical as well as spiritual needs of the flocks entrusted to him – both those who are sheep and those who may not yet be sheep, but are flocks Peter is responsible for.

In the third exchange, we see Jesus asking Peter if He even likes Him.  In response, Peter is told to “Feed my sheep.”  Here the word is bosko for “feed” and the word for “sheep” is probaton.  So, now Peter is given the command to feed spiritually those who may or may not yet be sheep, but are under his care.

So, what does all this mean?

First, we see a very clear distinction between feeding and tending.  Clearly, for Jesus, the first responsibility given to Peter is to spiritually feed those most committed to Christ. 

First and foremost, responsibility for the spiritual growth and nourishment of this congregation rests on the shoulders of those in the position of spiritual leadership in this congregation.

You need to know that – because if you are not growing spiritually, we need to talk about that.  What do lambs, especially, do when they are hungry – they let someone know.  That is your job.

But, at the same time, it is also your job to eat what is offered.  To not just graze here and graze there – but to eat fully and deeply and to take what is preached and taught and apply it to your life.

That is what Jesus desires – for you to grow spiritually more like Him – to resemble His sacrificial portrayal offered in the book of Revelation.

Second, Jesus desires that Peter tend to the physical as well as the emotional needs of the flock.

In fact, in Acts, that responsibility is given to the elders as well as to Peter and the Disciples. 

But here, it is obvious that Peter is given this charge as well.

In other words, just because the charge is delegated later, it does not take away from the clear direction given to Peter.  There can be no question.  Peter is given the command by Jesus to make sure that the sheep or the flocks are cared for physically as well as spiritually.

Now, the final charge given to Peter is to spiritually feed all the flocks.

There is no doubt that Jesus wants Peter to spiritually nourish all those who are under his care.

That’s a lot of responsibility.

But I want you to think about something.

What is it that makes more sheep?

Is it the nourishment of the flock or the meeting of the flock’s needs that brings about more sheep?

No.

That simply positions a flock for growth.  An unhealthy flock isn’t going to grow.  A healthy flock will grow.

You see, it is the sheep themselves who make more sheep.

Now, we’re not limited to physical reproduction here.  Instead, the flocks – the physical bodies – are all around us – outside these walls- in our schools, our factories, our grocery stores, down the street from our homes.

The change that happens is when the transition from “probaton” to “armion.” 

How do we grow more sheep?  We become more like Jesus – more like the lamb of God – and the growth in us will attract them.  The growth in us will increase the impact of our witness, the strength of our testimony. 

And as this happens, God moves in their lives and they become sheep.

Finally, look at the end of verse 19.  At that point, Jesus says simply, “Follow me.”

As a church – that is what we do first and foremost.  We follow Jesus.

It is my job to make sure that I am following Him – seeking Him, listening to His voice, obeying Him and “feeding” this congregation what He has for us. 

It is your job to follow Him, too.  To take to heart what He says – to do what He asks – to go where He leads. 

I want to end with one more set of pictures. 

In order to fully grasp what I think He is asking us to do, I want you to envision sheep walking through a mountainous pasture.  There are hills and valleys.  There are places where every spreads out and there are places where the sheep must walk single file, because the way in narrow.

In those places where the way is narrow, sheep walk behind one another.  In those places, the sheep isn’t necessarily following the shepherd.  Instead, the shepherd may be nowhere in sight.  Instead, the sheep is following his sister or brother ahead of him.

As a body, we need to follow Jesus.  But we also need to know one another well enough to trust that we are not being led astray by someone in our own flock – that we have each other’s backs – and each other’s best interests at heart.

How do we do that?  We’ll be looking at that in the weeks ahead.

But more than ever, I want to ask you this week to pray for me as I continue to learn how to “feed” and “tend.”

I also want to ask you to pray for one another.  Look around.  Do you know everyone’s name?  Do you have any idea of their testimony?  If not, pray for ways to find out.

We know Jesus is our leader.  Let’s determine to “follow Him.”  Let’s pray for one another that we feed – that we eat – that we follow.

Invitation for anyone who has never decided to “follow” or who needs to recommit to “follow” Him today.

John 21

Breakfast by the Sea

 1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah,^[b] do you love Me more than these?”