“Love is a many splendored thing”…so the song says…
“…It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring, Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living…”
“There is only one happiness in life -- to love and to be loved.”
“Once you have learned to love, You will have learned to live.”
You know quotes from humans can be so great, they can really speak to us at times, encourage us, cause us to stop and think, we can at times relate…but I know that nothing is greater than hearing from the Word of God.
Did you know that there are 393 scriptures that mention, or contain, the word love in them. Obviously God finds this word to be very important. So important that He packaged it throughout His word starting with His amazing gift that He called good…all His creation—all the way through to the final Wedding Feast with Him in Heaven...with His promise of, “Yes, I am coming soon” Rev. 22:20
John 21:15-17
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, 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, "Tend My sheep.
Have you ever had someone, or you yourself ever felt so passionate about something that you keep repeating over and over again, just to make sure the person you are speaking with really gets what you are trying to say? Like your children? You keep telling your kids over and over and over what is best for them, and you get this...
"I know mom/dad look" from them...this is what I see happening in these verses above.
I hear in Christ’s heart a deep longing for Peter to really "get" Jesus question of love...yet in His voice I hear a deflating and saddening in His voice...in these verse’s as He speaks to Peter…
1.“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” (said with great longing)
2."Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" (again…with subtle slowing)
3."Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" (saying it in a way that shows Peter just doesn’t get it)
Did you hear the intensity in Jesus heart yet the sadness in His voice? Did you hear the longing, the “Please Peter think about what I am asking you! Think about what you are saying! Think about Who you are responding too! Remember “I am the way the truth and the life, I am the Bread of Life, I am the Light of the world, I am the Door, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the resurrection and life…”
Now in our modern English, we may not hear what Jesus is really asking, but if we look at the passage in the original Greek, it does make a difference.
There are two different words translated as 'LOVE' in this passage. Listen closely
15 "Simon, son of John, do you agapao Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I phileo You."
16 "Simon, son of John, do you agapao Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I phileo You."
17 "Simon, son of John, do you phileo 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 phileo You."
If you look closely, there are two Greek Words used for the Word "Love".
Agapao - This is a very special and deep kind of love. It means to love dearly.
Phileo- This is a friendly kind of affection.
~In Strong's Exhaustive Concordance it states the difference between agapao and phileo is that agapao is more of a heart love and phileo is more of a head love.
Listen again closely. You will see:
15 Jesus asks Peter, "Do you LOVE me more than these?" Peter says, 'yeah I like you Lord.'
16 The second time, Jesus simply asks, "Do you LOVE me?" Notice that Jesus lessens the level of love. Sigh... Peter still only responds... 'yeah I like you Lord.'
17 Finally, Jesus asks, 'Peter...do you like me?' And Peter agrees, 'yeah I like you."
**Remember Peter has walked, talked, eaten, lived, seen, experienced SO MANY THINGS WITH JESUS AND YET his response is… “Yeah, I like you”
Today, what is your response to this question? Really, stop and think about it…
Jesus is standing in front of you, gazing into your eyes, you can feel His breath, you can see the love in His eyes, you can hear the tenderness in His voice…What is your response…would He have to ask you more than once to get the answer HE so longs to hear from all of His children… “I (agapao) love you (Abba) Daddy…Father” I LOVE YOU!
Here is what 1 John 3:1
“1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
LAVISHED! Do you hear that intensity again…HE LAVISHES ON US! That is why when I speak about my teens I never just say, I love them, but that I get to LOVE ON THEM…there is a difference…there is a sense of pouring out, emptying out of oneself for another’s sake…just as Christ Loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Eph. 5:25 says…
These last couple of months I have been speaking to the teens about how they need to move from just a belief in God to a conviction. Researchers show that by the age of 7rs old, many children today have already come to a conclusion about God…7years old!! I took a survey at the beginning of this year asking questions like, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He rose from the dead, questions like do you believe that Jesus is the only way, do you believe that all religions have the same God…and many other Q’s. It was absolutely SHOCKING to me when I read the surveys….I would say 80% of the teens answered completely contrary to the Word of God…People they are not getting it…they do not Know this love...Why you many ask?
The world today has become so full of information, so many spiritual belief systems, and they have access to it. But it’s also because many people say they believe in God, but are not completely convinced that He is who He says He is, that nothing or no one could ever change their heart, soul, and mind because many adults today do not really KNOW HIM, many do not KNOW THIS LOVe! Some of you may think I am talking about “people out there” but I am talking about people in the Christian church around this nation who truly do not KNOW THIS PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING Phil.4:7
Many have heard Rom. 10:9
9 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Many believe that the “believe” part is just a professing it…then moving on with your life, business as usual. But Belief and Love must go beyond…just a “yeah I believe in Jesus or yeah I like Jesus” it must move to a “I am desperately in love with my Jesus, because I KNOW my Jesus because I have walked, talked, eaten, lived, seen, experienced SO MANY THINGS WITH JESUS, just like Peter had…
Let me close with our youth ministries mission verse for you today:
Eph. 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
