Jesus asks this question to you and me. He asks, “Do you love me?” Jesus asked this question three times at one stretch during a conversation with Peter.
What would you honestly reply to Jesus when He asks you? Would you be able to sincerely answer Jesus? This question is very important and the reason you are reading this question is only because you desire to answer it correctly when he asks you. This is not a casual question. Only since the answer is important, Jesus asks this question repeatedly. This is the one question Jesus is eager to know your answer.
Those of you who are married know that your spouse asks a similar question, probably every week. I am happily married, and we have been blessed with nearly three decades of peace and joy.
We have two sons in their twenties, a successful business with nearly three hundred people enjoying the work at the organization – many of them being long-term employees. All these are the tangible fruits of our marriage as both of us jointly manage the business.
Brilliant and capable as she is, she takes up the majority of the business load effortlessly. But when we reach home, every week she asks the question which Jesus likes asking. Do you love me? Like Peter, I affirm to my wife that I love her dearly. Occasionally I express my love to her to preempt her asking. Some weeks I succeed. In other weeks, we succeeded.
Here is the portion from the Holy Bible where Jesus asks this question to Peter
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of [a]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.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of [c] Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [d]love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of [e]Jonah, do you [f]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. ( John 21:15-17 NKJV)
So in case you had any doubt about this question from Jesus, by now it’s cleared.
Jesus was addressing a gathering of people and his disciple told him that his mother and brothers had come to meet him. Jesus remarked that anyone who follows his commands are like his mother and brothers.
Thus in truth, only those who love him are those who follow his commandments. Here are the verses that convey this.
While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”
But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” ( Matthew 12:46-50 NKJV)
From the above verse, we can see that as we do the will of our Father in Heaven we become family with Jesus, His siblings. Isn’t this an awesome privilege to cherish and try and achieve. We can see that the disciples of Jesus, as they obeyed His Fathers commandments, had become His siblings whom He loved dearly.
Many know the commandments, but few keep them. Jesus makes it loud and clear that knowing the commandments don’t help. It’s doing it. And those who obey them, indeed loves Him. Here is the verse.
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”( John 14:21 NKJV)
We can see that as we love Jesus only by virtue of obeying His commandments, then we would be loved by the Father. You just read this in the above scripture. This is a huge additional blessing. The Father God, the creator of the universe, would love us. This is a further upgrade benefit we receive as we obey the commandments.
Things only get better. In reading the verse below we see the blessings increases further. He says that the Heavenly Father and His begotten son Jesus Christ would come and abide with us, i.e. stay with us and make their home with you and me. The verse below makes this clear.
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. ( John 14:23, 24 NKJV)
Stay blessed. Love Jesus. Obey His commands daily. That’s the way we love Him and get the great upgrades which come with it.
I have started my journey in this pathway. Like Jesus, I have to surrender my will from time to time. When I think of the rich rewards and the great blessings, the pain and suffering pale away in significance. The more I focus on the rich rewards, the more I am able to be victorious. All glory to Jesus Christ.
