Three times had Peter openly denied his Lord, and three times did Jesus draw from him the assurance of his love and loyalty, by pressing home that pointed question, like a barbed arrow, to his wounded heart. Jesus, before the assembled disciples, brought out the depth of Peter’s penitence, and showed how thoroughly humbled was the once boasting disciple. He was now intrusted with the important commission of caring for the flock of Christ. Though every other qualification might be unexceptionable, yet without the love of Christ he could not be a faithful shepherd over the Christian flock. Knowledge, eloquence, benevolence, gratitude, and zeal are all aids in the good work, but without an inflowing of the love of Jesus in the heart, the work of the Christian minister is a failure. {3SP 230.2}

Tre gange havde Peter åbnet fornægtet sin Mester, og tre gange fik Jesus ham til at fralægge vidnesbyrd om sin kærlighed og trofasthed ved at fremlægge for ham dette alvorsfulde spørgsmål, der ligesom en pil trængte ind i hans (231) sårede hjerte. Jesus lod Peters dybe anger komme til syne for at de forsamlede disciple og viste, hvor grundig ydmyget den ellers pralende discipel var. Han gik sig nu betonet det store hverv at sørge for Kristi sår. Skønt han i enhver anden retning kunne være aldeles skikket dertil, kunne han dog ikke være en trofast hyrde for den kristne hjord, undtagen han havde Kristi kærlighed i sit hjerte. Kundskab, veltalenhed, godgørenhed, taknemmelighed og iver er alle nyttige i denne gode gerning; men dersom ikke Jesu kærlighed vælder frem i hjertet, slår den kristne prædikants gerning aldeles fejl.