The one who has been fully restored now passes on the torch to us with words of wisdom. As Christ told him “when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old…” Peter is now in advanced age as he writes and seeks to pass on to us the vital words of wisdom he learned on that seashore experience that we too might carry the torch to the world.
Jesus had three tasks for Peter and they are the same three tasks for us as well: Feed “MY” Sheep, Shepherd “MY” Sheep, Tend “MY” flock. This task encompasses and challenges our “Do you love ME?” question. To fulfill these words, Peter reminds us that we are anointed, “chosen, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ’s blood.” It has come with a price and that price is the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross. Just as Jesus faced the trial we too will face trials but each one will “show the proven character of our faith, which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire…”
Even though we do not, like Peter, see the risen Christ face to face, yet we believe and because of that we love him. We love him for he bore our sins on that cross and paid our ransom fee for entrance into the Most Holy Place and thus we rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy. This is the Christian walk of faith which leads to our attaining the goal of our faith – the salvation of our souls.
One last piece of wisdom from Peter: “like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct,”
Beloved, you are special this day because of the price Christ paid for your salvation. You were “chosen before the foundation of the world, that you would be holy and blameless before Him” [Eph 1:4]. He has inscribed your name upon His nail pierced palms so that you might carry the torch of His love to His flock. Do you love ME rings forth in our ears. Will you as the chosen, elected, called, step up the task that He has prepared for you?