The Triune God: The Son viii

"Simon Peter, do you truly love me?"
Jesus asked. "Lord, you know that I love you,"
Came the answer, alongside Galilee.
"Take care of my sheep is whar you must do."
Peter was hurt because the Son asked him thrice;
"You know all things; you know that I love you!"
But three times he'd disowned Jesus, not twice;
And the Lord wanted to be affirmed true!
"What of John?" asked Peter, jealous a bit;
Answered the Son, "What matters John to you?
If he lives till I return, what is it
To you? You must do what you must do!"
A rumor began that John would not die
Till Jesus returned, but it proved a lie!

The day-by-day scenario of the 40 days that Jesus remained on earth after He resurrected is not determined with certainty, but John 21 describes the Son meeting with His apostles at the Sea of Galilee after the Sunday of resurrection but before their waiting in the upper room for the Holy Spirit after His ascension (See Acts 2). Peter had decided to go fishing, perhaps for good, and most of the 11 went with him. They had fished all night without success and were wearily rowing to shore when they saw a man there cooking fish over a small fire. John recognized the Lord who, I believe, had come to Galilee to restore Peter to leadership and rejuvenate His followers.

As the two, Jesus and Peter, were walking along the shore that day, the Son asked His chief apostle three times if Peter loved Him. Each time He was answered in the affirmative, and Jesus told him each time to "Feed my sheep". Believers have always been called "sheep" by Jesus, because sheep need a shepherd. They happen to be exceedingly dumb and thoughtless, unable to care for themselves. Jesus called Himself the shepherd; He left His apostles as undershepherds for followers. Today the pastor of a church is often referred to as the "undershepherd". In asking Peter three times if he loved Him, Jesus was reaffirming Peter's loyalty and restoring him to leadership. because the disciple had denied Him 3 times the night Jesus was arrested. In effect, He was reaffirming the apostles in their role and mission of spreading the gospel. As a result, they all returned to the ministry, which began in Jerusalem on Pentecost (See Acts 2).

All of them died as martyrs of Jesus. Even so, by 325 A. D., Christianity had spread over the known world by then and been adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Peter died in 64 A. D., being crucified upside down by the Romans at his request. John lived the longest, until 103 A. D., dying imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, just offshore from Ephesus, where he had served as pastor. He took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as he was asked to do from Jesus on the cross.