“Simon Son of John, Do You Love Me?”
(John 21:15-17)

Today is the day of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost as promised by Jesus, His disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and able to achieve the mission of preaching the gospel.

1. The encounter with Jesus
1) “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

2. The events Peter experienced
1) Five barley loaves and two fish ? five thousand people
2) The Lord who walked on water
3) The mountain of transfiguration
4) The resurrection of dead Lazarus
5) The event of quieting down wind and waves

3. The meeting with the risen Jesus
1) Peter met the risen Jesus by the Sea of Tiberias.
2) Jesus gave Peter a mission.
- “Simon son of John, do you truly love (agape) me more than these?”
“You know that I love (phileo) you.” ? twice
- “Simon son of John, do you love (phileo) me?”
“You know that I love (phileo) you.”
3) Peter was changed after receiving the Holy Spirit.

Simon followed Jesus for three years and a half and clearly realized that the Lord is the man of God as he witnessed the wonders and miracles Jesus performed. Still, he was thoroughly Simon, the Reed, and never became Peter, the Rock. He denied Jesus three times and ran away like the other disciples. Though he could not leave Jesus, nor he had the strength to believe in Jesus risking his own life.
After receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, however, he was changed inwardly becoming Peter the Rock following the presence of the Holy Spirit. We are all Simons. We can become rocks only when we receive the Holy Spirit.