Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” John 21:15b
At the end of the Gospel of John, we find a most intimate and poignant moment. It's between Jesus and His disciple Peter. Had Pete failed Jesus? Yes and this was after Christ's resurrection,
Jesus posed a question that reverberates not just in Peter’s ears but in the hearts of every Bible-loving believer.
Jesus challenges Peter to reflect on the depth and sincerity of his love. It is not simply a matter of affection, but a matter of priority: Do you love Me more than anything else in your life?
This question echoes the greatest commandment that Jesus shared earlier in His ministry, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
In both of these moments, the call is clear: God desires a love from you and me that is above all other loves. He wants a love that surpasses the affection we hold for people, for possessions, or even for our own lives. This is not merely an emotional attachment but a deep devotion that touches every part of our being—our heart, soul, and mind.
Jesus’ question to Peter is deeply personal. “Do you love Me more than these?” What or who are “these” in Peter’s life?
Perhaps it is his career as a fisherman, the comfort of his familiar surroundings, or even the camaraderie of his fellow disciples. But the beauty of Jesus’ question is that it transcends time and place—it is a question He asks each of us. The Bible wasn't written to us, but for us. There are transferable truths we can take to heart and apply.
What are the “these” in our lives that compete with our first-love relationship with Christ? Is it our job, our relationships, our ambitions, or even our ministry? Jesus’ words invite us to pause and consider what truly holds the highest place in our hearts.
This call to loving God above all else is not an isolated request upon people—it is the very foundation of the greatest commandment in His Word.
When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This commandment demands full devotion.
To love God with all my heart is to give Him my whole heart, emotions and affections. To love Him with all my soul is to surrender my very person and essence to him -- the core of who I am to Him.
To love God with all our mind is to engage our intellect for His glory, to think on His truth, and to align our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors with His.
Yet this love is not something we can generate on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to help us daily.
"We love him, because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 kjv
Our ability to love God flows from His love for us. He is the Initiator and I am the responder. The cross is the ultimate proof of God’s initiating kind of agape love, a love that sacrifices, that gives away, and that redeems. It is this sacrificial kind of love that calls us to respond in kind, to love Him above all else because He has loved us with an everlasting love.
God says, "It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them in My arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them." Hosea 11:3-4
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:44
"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion." Jer. 31:3
"Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee." Song of S. 1:4
In the end, Jesus’ question to Peter—and to us—is not just about words, but about action. After Peter affirms his love, Jesus responds, “Feed My sheep.” Love for God must be lived out in service to others. True love is always accompanied by obedience and action. For Peter, this meant shepherding the early church, a calling that would eventually lead to his martyrdom. For us, it means living out our love for God in our daily lives, serving those around us and placing His will above our own.
As we reflect on Jesus’ words, may we be inspired to love God more deeply, more fully, and more sacrificially. Like Peter, we are called to declare, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You”—and to prove that love by living in a way that places God above all else.
When asked the greatest commandment, Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). In other words, God wants your love for Him to exceed all other loves in your life.
In John 21, Jesus uses the word agape—the highest form of love, the kind that transcends feelings and emotions. The Greeks had multiple words for love: eros (physical love), phileo (emotional love), and agape (spiritual, unconditional love). When Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, He was asking about this deeper passion, a divine love not generated from self.
When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, the first was clear: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Deut. 5:7). Just like that, you’re to have no other loves above God. So when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love Me more than these?” it’s like He’s asking, “Where do I fall in your list of priorities?”
What exactly were the “these” Jesus referred to? Perhaps it was the love of ambition, success—maybe Peter’s former career as a fisherman. Jesus had called Peter away from that life, saying, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). There’s nothing inherently wrong with fishing, or hobbies, or passions. The problem arises when those things start taking priority over our relationship with God.
Peter had been fishing all night without catching anything, and then Jesus performed a miracle, filling their nets. This is the ultimate win for a fisherman—a pinnacle of success. So, Jesus might’ve been saying, “Do you love Me more than the best day in your career? More than your goals? More than your wildest dreams?”
Many lose out on intimacy with God because they have other loves. It’s not that they don’t love Him—it’s that they love other things more.
At the Last Supper, Peter had boldly claimed that even if everyone else fell away, he would remain faithful. Yet, he denied Jesus three times. So when Jesus asked, “Do you love Me more than these?” it may have cut deep, reminding Peter of his failure. And here was Jesus, giving him a chance to reaffirm his love as many times as he had denied it.
Imagine if Jesus asked you today: “Do you love Me more than these?” What would He be pointing at? Is it a career, a relationship, a personal ambition?
Some are in relationships that lead them away from God. They don’t want to let go of that person, but do they love them more than the Lord? Are they willing to sacrifice their faith for this relationship?
This is the question we all face at some point—what price would we pay in exchange for our relationship with Jesus? He told His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:24, 26). Sadly, many choose temporary pleasures over eternal joy.
Jesus doesn’t want empty words or passive affection. When Peter responded to Jesus, he used the word phileo—a lesser form of love, like fondness or friendship. He didn’t claim the deeper agape love Jesus was asking for. Twice Jesus asked, “Do you agape Me?” and twice Peter said, “You know I phileo You.” Then, in the third question, Jesus adjusted His word, asking Peter if he even had phileo love for Him, and this grieved Peter. It stung.
Jesus was looking for a deeper kind of love from Pete, but He came down to Peter’s level. He starts where we are at, on our level. Not partaking of sin, but on our level. There was no spiritual compromise with Jesus and His walk of obedience. For you and me this is to be all about His grace in our lives.
The Lord meets us where we are at and starts there if we are willing and humble, but He desires a different type of love than those of this world have—He wants us to rise to the heights of agape love, the kind that gives everything to obey the Father, that holds nothing back.
But if you find yourself compromising, falling short of His standard, know this: Jesus is always calling you back home. Come admit it and quit it. The sin.
He’s asking today, “Do you love Me?” On a scale of 1 to 10, where’s your love for God right now? What’s holding you back from loving Him supremely? So often we chase other loves—careers, relationships, status—only to find them empty. And then we run back to God, but we’re fickle. We get distracted again.
Does the Bible teach that love is love? Nope!
What was the relationship between David and Jonathan? A close friendship.
What does it mean to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)?
What is love? What is the definition of real love?
What does the Bible say about self-hatred?
The Bible speaks about real love!
What does the Bible say about self-love, loving self?
Why is the love of money the root of all kinds of evil?
What are the different types of love mentioned in the Bible?
Holy is happy. God's word is his will for you. If you’ve been walking in compromise, now is the time to return to your first love. In Revelation 2, Jesus tells the church of Ephesus to repent and do the things they did at first. He’s calling you to that deep, unshakeable agape love.
The Greeks had five words for love, and each one captures a different facet:
Mania is an obsession, a kind of wild, possessive, all-consuming fixation. It’s not good and not really a healthy kind of love. This is more of a lust that burns without control.
Storge is familial love, the kind that’s tied to dependency, like a parent’s love for a child. It’s foundational, but it can fade when the circumstances change. So.. what is storge love?
Eros is passionate love, the kind that feels like electricity in your veins. It’s exciting, but fleeting. It’s the butterflies, the chemistry, the spark. So what is eros love?
Philia is brotherly love, a deep friendship that grows brick by brick. It’s built on shared experiences, mutual respect, and time. So what is phileo love?
Agape is the love that Jesus calls us to. It’s selfless, sacrificial, the love that gives without expecting anything in return. It’s the kind of love we are called to have even for our enemies, because it’s not based on feelings but on commitment. So what is storge love?
Eros might make life thrilling, Philia might be essential for our well-being, but it’s Agape love in Christ that sustains us and helps us go the distance home to heaven. It’s Agape we must build our lives on starting now, for that’s the kind of love God has for us today. His grace is sufficient.
And if you feel a disconnect in your life, where one or more of these loves feels disjointed—whether in friendships, family, or your relationship with God—it might be worth examining where things went off course. Maybe you’re in a relationship that feels more like Mania than Eros. Maybe you’re struggling with jealousy, or your friendships lack depth.
Matthew 19:6s - Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.
Romans 12:10 - Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Philippians 1:3 - Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
Song of Solomon 4:10 - Your Love delights me, my treasure, my bride. Your Love is better than wine, your perfume more fragrant than spices.
Proverbs 31:10 - Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.
Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ Loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Pure Love, in all its forms is so important. Learning to daily walk in love with holy fear is imperative for believers -- in the Bible this is worth grappling with. And at the center of it all is Agape—God’s perfect, unchanging love for you. Go forward spiritually with Jesus leading, not backwards!
Come back to Him now, come to know Him well, and His love firsthand, not secondhand. God has no grandkids, He has children he loves. Lost people (who He created and really loves enough to do something costly..) haven't chosen to become his children yet, but they could right now. We want you in His family. Come home! God is love. Jesus gave it all for you so that you will live with Him. Will you respond with that same love in return?
Reflect on the dangers of miss prioritizing, of unacceptable (nonbiblical) worship, of misguided devotion, and misplaced love—whether it’s obsession (mania), reliance (storge), or prioritizing feelings (eros) over sacrificial devotion (agape). For a flourishing born-again Christian living, we must know Jesus and put Him first. We need to build our vertical relationships on agape love—God's pure, selfless love that transcends circumstances. Go again check out Revelation 2, where Jesus calls the church of Ephesus to "return to your first love." Challenge readers to examine where their heart lies today. Have other loves taken priority over Jesus? Encourage repentance and a return to a passionate, committed relationship with Christ. Remind yourself and others that God wants a close relationship daily that's based on agape—a supreme, all-encompassing love that leads us back to Him when we stray. How can I reiterate the importance of this enough, the significance of loving Jesus Christ more than all other loves in our life. There's really not time to play around with idols of any type. Be honest with Him and He can help you learn to love Him and others properly.
