"Do you love me?"

It in many ways is the most touching vignette in the Gospel of John, which is my favourite book of the Bible. The apostles are in a boat fishing, and Jesus turns up on the shore, telling them to pull in their nets, and row in. When they return to shore, they find that he is cooking them breakfast.

For the first time since Peter's threefold denial in Annas' courtyard, he has a chance to talk to Jesus privately. And the words that Jesus uses no doubt seem like a rebuke to Peter, but they are not.

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." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."

A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep."

He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)

No, what Jesus offers Peter is a threefold opportunity to affirm, to reverse Peter's denials; his fear for his own safety, his uncertainty about the future in the court of Annas. Don't let your last words of me be denial, Peter, he might say. Let your last words to me while I am here be of love, it serves us both. Because each time, Jesus responds to Peter, who is retaking his discipleship by the power and grace that come from love.

Jesus asks Peter to take up the shepherd's staff – if Peter loves much, much will be forgiven. And much would be – through Peter's ministry the whole church spread, taking God's message of forgiveness outside of Jerusalem, and off to Antioch, even to the very heart of the Roman Empire in Rome.

For Jesus continues:

Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.)

After this he said to him, "Follow me." (John 21:18-19)

Yes, Jesus tells Peter how his life will finish. Is this cruel? It might seem that way at first, but no, no, it is not. Very few of us know the way, place, and time at which we are going to check out. And yet we all have that certainty – it will happen. Jesus gives a gift to Peter; he tells him exactly where he is going, but then says, "Follow me" – trust me! I await you – as he says earlier in John, I go to prepare a place for you.

Give your life in service to him. When the day starts, you do not know how it will end. I certainly did not expect my early morning insomnia to be used this way, when I started writing. ;-) But at the end of every day, he waits for you on the other side. He is the Prince of Peace, and his response to your love is peace, peace that the world cannot give. It was certainly thus for an oft-frightened fisherman that day.

And just as Peter would never show any timidity again, but boldly proclaim the gospel from everywhere, even the inside of jails from Jerusalem to Rome, give over your trust. Be bold.

Be not afraid.