WEAK THINGS
Go deeper
Lovest Thou Me?0/7

Scripture Story Sketch Notes · John 21:1–25

Lovest
Thou Me?

“Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” John 21:17

A night of empty nets, a voice from the shore, a breakfast by a fire of coals, three questions and one call. Come down to the beach, and hear Him ask you too.

Go down to the shore ↓ Read John 21:1–25 first
Hand-drawn doodle map of the Sea of Galilee shore: Peter and other faceless disciples pushing a fishing boat out at night; empty nets under the stars; at dawn the risen Savior, shown only as soft glowing light, standing on the shore and calling to them; the net so full of fish they cannot draw it in; Peter jumping into the water to swim to shore; a small fire of coals with fish and bread as the light serves breakfast; the light and Peter sitting together by the fire talking, a few lambs nearby; and the light walking along the beach with Peter following.

Before you begin

The story in brief

After the Resurrection, Peter and six other disciples were together by the Sea of Galilee. Peter said, “I go a fishing,” and the others went with him. They fished all night and caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but they did not know it was Him. He called, “Children, have ye any meat?” They answered no. He told them to cast the net on the right side of the ship, and they could not draw it in for the multitude of fishes. John said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” Peter wrapped his coat around him and jumped into the sea.

On the shore they found a fire of coals with fish and bread. Jesus said, “Come and dine,” and served them. After they had eaten, He asked Peter three times, “Lovest thou me?” Each time Peter answered that he did, and each time Jesus gave him work to do: “Feed my lambs,” “Feed my sheep,” “Feed my sheep.” Peter was grieved at the third question, but he answered from his heart: “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” Then Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

Who’s who

  • Jesus: the risen Lord, waiting on the shore
  • Peter: the senior Apostle, who had denied knowing Him three times
  • John: the disciple whom Jesus loved, who first knew Him

Where and when

The shore of the Sea of Tiberias, also called the Sea of Galilee, at dawn, some days after the Resurrection.

Watch for the Savior

Watch how He fixes breakfast before He asks a single question, and how every question ends with a call to serve.

Read it yourself: John 21:1–25

Part 1 of 7

The shore, mapped

Eight stops, from the empty night to the walk along the beach. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.

    Part 2 of 7

    The story, plainly

    Four scenes: the empty nets, the full net, the fire of coals and the three questions. Look for how He turns Peter toward the future.

    Read it plainly

    The words that trip people up

    Tap any dotted word for its meaning. The scripture stays exactly as written.1

    1. John 21:1 “at the ”
    2. John 21:5 “, have ye any ?”
    3. John 21:7 “he his fisher’s coat unto him”
    4. John 21:8 “as it were two hundred ”
    5. John 21:12 “Come and . And none of the disciples ask him”
    6. John 21:18 “thou thyself”

    Part 3 of 7

    Look closer

    Small details tell the story. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from prophets. Each card says which.

    0 of 9 turned

    Part 4 of 7

    Where are you today?

    Some of us drift back to old ways, some carry a past mistake, some keep comparing, and some are ready to serve. Which feels most like you right now?

    Try it

    Three questions on the shore

    Tap each question to hear Peter’s answer and the Savior’s reply. Then answer the question He asks you.

    “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17

    Part 5 of 7

    Their world, their words

    A little background helps us sit by that fire with them. Outside sources are labeled.

    Apostle · Holland

    A turning point

    Elder Holland called this exchange “the crucial turning point of the apostolic ministry”.4

    From this morning on, Peter never went back to his nets.

    Apostle · Talmage

    A triple confession

    Elder Talmage: “as the man had three times denied, so now was he given opportunity for a triple confession”.5

    The Lord gave Peter a way to say it three times again.

    Apostle · Soares

    A charge, not a rebuke

    Elder Ulisses Soares: “Because the Lord was deeply concerned with the welfare of our Heavenly Father’s children, He gave Peter the special charge of feeding the sheep.”6

    He did not take Peter’s calling away. He gave it back.

    Outside · lexicon

    Feed and tend

    In verse 15 and verse 17, “feed” translates a word meaning “to pasture”10. In verse 16, it is a different word, “to tend as a shepherd of”.11

    Feeding and shepherding: giving food and also watching over.

    Word study · Greek

    agapaō · phileō ἀγαπάω · φιλέω · “love” (John 21:15–17)

    Bible Hub: phileō means “to be a friend to”8, and agapaō is “to love (in a social or moral sense)”.7 Outside · lexicon

    Two Greek words for love appear in these verses. Students discuss what the change means, but in English and in Greek the heart of it is the same: “thou knowest that I love thee.”1

    Word study · Greek

    anthrakia ἀνθρακιά · “fire of coals” (John 21:9)

    Bible Hub: “a bed of burning coals”. It appears only twice in the New Testament: John 18:18 and John 21:9.9 Outside · lexicon

    Peter denied Him while warming himself at “a fire of coals”.2 Now, by another fire of coals, Peter is invited to say three times that he loves Him.

    What the text does not say

    The text does not say Jesus scolded Peter for denying Him. It does not mention the denial at all. He made breakfast, asked three questions and gave Peter work to do. And it does not say Peter answered perfectly. He was grieved, and he simply said, “thou knowest that I love thee.”1

    Part 6 of 7

    Look to Him

    He is the risen Lord who calls us back from our old nets, feeds us before He asks anything, and turns our love for Him into care for His sheep.

    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before.”

    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment,” October 20124
    “the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty”
    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland4
    “We can’t quit and we can’t go back.”
    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland4
    “as the Host at the meal, He divided and distributed the bread and fish”
    Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ5

    Peter, years later

    He fed the flock

    “Feed the flock of God which is among you” 1 Peter 5:2

    His promise

    Love and obey

    “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

    Part 7 of 7

    Seek Him today

    A question to ask yourself

    “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” John 21:16

    If He asked you this question this morning, what would you answer, and whom would He ask you to feed?

    Try it today

    One small way to feed His sheep each day. It saves on this device, one day at a time.

    0 of 7 today

    This week:0 of 7 days

    A quiet moment

    “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.”

    Read John 21:15–17 slowly, and put your own name where it says Simon. Then write what He might be asking you to do. John 21:15–17

    A verse to hold

    Talk about it

    1. Why do you think Peter went back to fishing?
    2. Why might Jesus have made breakfast before He asked Peter anything?
    3. Why do you think He asked the same question three times?
    4. Who are the “lambs” and “sheep” He might ask you to feed?
    Open

    For adults and deeper study

    Go deeper

    Longer readings, harder questions, and where to study next. Each one says what it is before you click.
    Apostle

    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment” (2012)

    Peter, the empty nets and the question God may ask each of us: did you love me?4

    Read the talk →
    Apostle

    Elder Talmage, Jesus the Christ, chapter 37

    The morning by the Sea of Tiberias, the fire of coals and Peter’s triple confession.5

    Read chapter 37 →
    Scripture

    John 18:15–27; 1 Peter 5:1–4

    The night Peter denied Him by a fire of coals, and Peter’s later counsel to feed the flock willingly.2

    Read John 18 →   Read 1 Peter 5 →
    To ponder

    Harder questions

    • Elder Holland suggests Peter may have remembered three earlier questions. How does the Lord help us move past our failures without pretending they did not happen?
    • What are the “these” in your life that could compete with your love for Him?
    • Peter asked about John’s future. Why does comparing ourselves with others make it harder to follow Him?

    Sources

    Every quotation, gloss, and piece of background on this page is listed here: scripture first, then Church sources, then outside scholarship (labeled).

    Scripture

    1. John 21:1–25: “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?”
    2. John 18:15–27: “a fire of coals; for it was cold.”
    3. 1 Peter 5:1–4 and John 14:15: “Feed the flock of God which is among you.”

    Church leaders and Church resources

    1. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment”, general conference, October 2012.
    2. Elder James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, chapter 37, Gospel Library.
    3. Elder Ulisses Soares, “Feed My Sheep”, general conference, October 2005.

    Outside sources (labeled on the page)

    1. Strong’s 25, agapaō, Bible Hub lexicon.
    2. Strong’s 5368, phileō, Bible Hub lexicon.
    3. Strong’s 439, anthrakia, Bible Hub lexicon.
    4. Strong’s 1006, boskō, Bible Hub lexicon.
    5. Strong’s 4165, poimainō, Bible Hub lexicon.

    Quotations checked against the linked pages on October 7, 2026. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version as published in the Gospel Library.

    “Feed my sheep”

    He did not ask Peter to prove anything. He asked if Peter loved Him, and then gave him people to care for. He asks you the same question. Your answer shows up in how you feed His sheep. John 21:17

    Back to this week: June 21–27 Earlier: The Road to Emmaus Next story: The Day of Pentecost All New Testament Story Sketch Notes
    Inside pages of the Lovest Thou Me? printable sketch notes

    Printable sketch notes

    Lovest Thou Me?, ready to print $3.99

    Everything on this page as an 11-page letter-size PDF: the map, scenes, cards, activity, word studies, tracker, Go deeper and sources. For home, class or a quiet Sunday.

    See the printable · $3.99All New Testament sketch notes

    Independent study notes from Weak Things, not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. This story is told in the words of John; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.