Easter! Do you love me?

(My Reader Friends,

As this Lenten season comes to an end with the joyful resurrection of Jesus, I am wishing you all the blessings of this Easter day! For me, these weeks have certainly had a Lenten feel, but not always a Lenten focus. I often found myself distracted by the fear, the isolation, and the uncertainty of this virus. But now, as I reflect on our times together, I feel as if we have journeyed with Jesus and one another through a new and unexplored wilderness.  And so, I will count this difficult season as a gift today.

As we now celebrate, perhaps in simpler ways with fewer people, may we all feel a universal connection through the Spirit, and may we all experience the sheer joy of the resurrection. In Jesus, resurrection is guaranteed. After every death, every hardship, every loss, there will ALWAYS be a resurrection. I hope this helps you to rejoice today!) 

Do you love me?

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 NRSV)

Happy Easter! Jesus is risen!

What a wonderful, glorious, happy day for all of us! 

We are jumping ahead just a little bit today with this passage. A week or so after Jesus has risen, the disciples find Jesus on the beach, cooking fish over a charcoal fire. He is making breakfast for them! I find this so incredibly beautiful. And on this glorious Easter Sunday, Jesus’ question seems especially meaningful. Three times he asks Peter, “Do you love me?”

Three times, Jesus is asking us, “Do you love me?”

Do you love me?

Do you love me for the life I lived as your teacher, your mentor, your guide? Do you love me for the stories I told, the parables I taught, the lessons I shared? Do you love me for the challenges and trials I took you through? Do you love me for the feeding, healing, touching, comforting and blessing I gave so generously? Do you love me because I became one of you?

Do you love me?

Do you love me for the terrible suffering I endured in these past few days? Do you love me because I never wavered from being God’s son, but continued to love and live as God wanted me to do, all the way to my death? Do you love me for forgiving even those who killed me? Do you love me for continuing to love you, in spite of all the times you doubted, denied, or lost faith in those awful and uncertain days?

Do you love me?

Do you love me because you have witnessed my glorious resurrection? Do you love me for the hope, joy, and salvation you can cling to because of this day? Do you love me because I live forever- and I live in you?

Jesus has been resurrected. After breakfast, Jesus resurrects Peter (from the grief and guilt of his previous denials) with his questions and his words. Now Jesus is also offering us new life- a present resurrection- as he asks us, “Do you love me?”

Are you talking to ME?

Today Jesus is asking, “Do you love me?”

Do you love Jesus for all of him- his life and teaching, his suffering and death, and his resurrection? Will you continue to love Jesus by loving others in our world? Will you do all you can to feed his sheep? Do you need to be resurrected from a certain loss, death, or pain today ? Are you ready for him to resurrect you into new life, right now?

Do you love me?

Photo by Kimson Doan on Unsplash