Jesus tells Peter to serve him faithfully
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. He said, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these other disciples love me?’
Peter answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know that I love you.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’
16 Jesus asked him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’
Peter answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know that I love you.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Take care of my sheep.’
17 Jesus asked him a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’
21:17Jesus asked Peter three times, ‘Do you love me?’ Before Jesus died, Peter had said three times that he did not know Jesus.
Peter was sad because Jesus asked him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ So he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, you know everything. You know that I really love you!’
Jesus said to him, ‘Take care of my sheep. 18 I tell you this. When you were young, you put on your own clothes. Then you went to any place that you wanted to visit. But when you are old, it will be different. You will hold out your arms and someone else will tie your clothes for you. Then they will take you to a place where you do not want to go.’
19 When Jesus said this, he was showing how Peter would die. His death would give honour to God. Then Jesus said to Peter, ‘Follow me.’
21:19Jesus was saying that Peter would die as punishment, possibly on a cross.
21:19When Jesus says ‘Follow me,’ he means that Peter should continue to serve him faithfully as his disciple.
20 Peter turned round and he saw the disciple that Jesus loved. He was the man who had been very near to Jesus at the supper. He had asked Jesus, ‘Lord, who will sell you to your enemies?’ Now this disciple was following behind them. 21 When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, ‘Lord, what will happen to him?’
21:20Supper was the meal that people ate in the afternoon or the evening.
22 Jesus answered him, ‘Perhaps I might want him to live until I return to this earth. But that should not matter to you. You must follow me!’
23 At that time, people began to talk about these words that Jesus had said. Some disciples thought that Jesus meant that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say, ‘He will not die.’ Instead, he said to Peter, ‘Perhaps I might want him to live until I return to this earth. But that should not matter to you.’
This book records what is true about Jesus
24 I am the disciple who saw these things. I am the one who wrote them down. We all know that what I have written about them is true.
25 Jesus also did many other things. If people wrote about all those things, there would be very many books. I do not think that the whole world would have enough room for all those books.
