Peter is one of the most fully developed characters in the New Testament. His journey of growth and discovery is pretty well documented throughout the Gospels and into Acts. Even Paul, who offers us most of the New Testament text, doesn't have the journey that Peter does. And in this passage, we are given keen insight into where Peter has come and where Peter is going.
Jesus first asks Peter "Do you love me more than these?" Therein lies the strongest temptation to the disciples. They have always fought over who is the best, who is the fittest to lead, who loves Jesus most. If there is an opportunity to stand up for his faithfulness, now is the time.
But Peter has had a pretty big week. He recognizes the limits to his faithfulness, culminating in the denial of Jesus on Good Friday morning. He knows that his faith alone cannot carry him. So Peter's response is not "Of course I love you more than these," but "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." The competitive edge to be the "best" disciple is gone from Peter, replaced with a sense of humility that only comes from following Jesus Christ.
The second and third questions reinforce Peter's faith (although they are painful), giving Jesus the opportunity to encourage Peter.
And then comes the relapse- Peter questions the faith of another disciple, giving Jesus another opportunity to remind Peter that his job is to follow Jesus, not critique the followership of others.
This story here teaches me something about "getting there." Namely, I don't plan on "getting there" anytime soon. Also, I am already there. The journey of following Jesus isn't a move from darkness into light. Through the cross and resurrection, that's already happened. I am there. God's grace has a firm, unbreakable hold on me. I do not worry that God will reject me at the end of all things. The journey of following Jesus is about exploring this new land of the light and learning along the way. Yes, some of that lack of learning will have a significant impact on myself and others, and there is real impact for me to deal with along the way. That being said, there is also grace to sustain me as I clean up negative impact and try to learn forward into a new way of being, one that manifests Jesus, who did so much in this world that there aren't books enough to contain His works.
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