jesus as agent of change and guiding

Jesus as Agent of Change and Guiding 1

Running Head: JESUS AS AGENT OF CHANGE AND GUIDING

Jesus as Agent of Change and Guiding

Wilbur A. Reid

Regent University


Abstract

The final chapter of the fourth gospel provides insights into the type of leadership that

Jesus modeled for his disciples. A socio-rhetorical analysis of John 21 shows Robbins’ inner

textual analysis that includes repetitive-progressive, opening-middle-closing, narrational,

argumentative, and sensory-aesthetic sections. The dialogue between Jesus and Peter

demonstrates the repetitive-progressive pattern as Jesus restored Peter to leadership. This

exegesis shows that Jesus demonstrated a high-exchange, dyadic, transformational, and servant

leadership as he prepared the disciples for ministry and leadership after he left them. These

leadership styles can be seen as Jesus prepares breakfast and serves the disciples and can also

be seen in the restoration of Peter.


Jesus as Agent of Change and Guiding

Jesus spent 3 years teaching and mentoring his disciples, some of which is recorded in

the four gospels. The disciple that Jesus loved wrote a biography of his savior and friend that

would later be divided into 20 chapters (Johnson, 1886). He concluded the original text by

stating that his purpose in writing the gospel was so that the readers “may believe that Jesus is

the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31,

New International Version). However, after some time had passed, it appears that John decided

that more of the story needed to be told, so the 21st chapter of John was an addendum to the

original text (Morgan, 2004). This addendum of John 21 contains insights into the leadership

style of Jesus, and is the subject of this study. This study uses the inner textual analysis of

Robbins’ socio-rhetorical model of exegesis. Robbins identifies “five kinds of inner texture in

texts: (1) repetitive-progressive; (2) opening-middle-closing; (3) narrational; (4) argumentative;

and (5) aesthetic” (Robbins, 1996).

Background

Jesus appeared to his disciples twice in Jerusalem after his resurrection, and then

instructed them to wait for him in Galilee (Matt 28:7, 10). While they were waiting, seven of the

disciples decided to go fishing (John 21:3). The 21st chapter of John is the story of that fishing

expedition and the subsequent conversation after they came to shore. A key topic in this

chapter is the relationship between Jesus and Simon Peter. Based on Simon’s declaration that


Jesus was the Christ (Matt. 16:16), Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means rock (Matt

16:18). Peter had boasted at the Last Supper that “even if all fall away, I will not” (Mark 14:29).

Jesus replied that Peter would disown him three times before the rooster crows twice, but

Peter “insisted emphatically, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you’” (Mark

14:30). After the prophecy was fulfilled, Peter wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). There must have been

some concern in Peter’s mind about whether Jesus would accept him back after this disastrous

failure of support.

There seems to be a subtle rivalry between John and Peter. In the fourth gospel, which

John authored, there is a tendency to exalt the “disciple whom Jesus loved” at Peter’s expense

(Droge, 1990). John and Peter are cast a number of times as rivals in John’s gospel in episodes

that are not included in the synoptic gospels (DeSilva, 2004). Examples include (1) John

outrunning Peter to the tomb, seeing and believing (John 20:3-10), (2) Peter asking John to ask

Jesus who was going to betray him (John 13: 23-25), and (3) in the text of this study John

recognizes Jesus from the boat first (John 21:7), Peter responds impetuously (John 21:7), and

Jesus told Peter that it was none of his business what happened to John (John 21:20-23). Peter

is consistently portrayed in John’s gospel as misunderstanding Jesus (Droge, 1990). Relying

solely on John’s account of the leadership interaction between Jesus and Peter may not be as

complete and unbiased as also considering texts from the synoptic gospels, Acts, and the

epistles.


Inner Texture

Repetitive-Progressive Texture and Pattern

Robbins (1996) describes repetitive-progressive texture as being able to answer

questions such as “What patterns emerge from the repetition of certain topics in the text? Is

there continual repetition of the same word throughout the unit, or is there slight modification

at almost every progressive stage?” (Robbins, 1996, p. 50). The text of Peter’s reinstatement in

John 21:15-17 may be used to illustrate repetitive-progressive texture. Table 1 shows the

progression of the key words of this conversation.

Table 1

Who Do you Response Action Object

Simon, Son of Johnlove (agapao)

more than these I love (phileo) Feed LambsSimon, Son of John love (agapao) I love (phileo) Take Care Sheep

Simon, Son of John love (phileo)

You know all things… I love

(phileo) Feed Sheep

It is interesting to note that the name by which Jesus calls Simon Peter does not

progress. Jesus had given Simon the name of Peter, or the rock (Matt 16:18), and the narrator,

John, refers to him as Peter or Simon Peter throughout the chapter. However, all three times

that Jesus asked him if he loved him, he called him “Simon son of John” (John 21:15-17). To

fully understand the progression of this passage, it is important to understand the two Greek

words that are used for love in this passage. Agapao refers to an unconditional love or “higher,


spiritual devotion” (Butler, 1961, p. 454), while phileo refers to the “lower type of … brotherly

love” (Butler, p. 454).

Jesus asked Peter if he loved him 3 times in John 21:15-17, but all 3 were slightly

different. The first two times that Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, he used the term agapao.

Peter responded with a disappointing “you know that I phileo you” (John 21:15-16). In the first

question, Jesus added the phrase “more than these” (John 21:15) to allow him to reaffirm his

love after his boasts at the last supper that he would be faithful, even if the others that were

sitting with him were not (Mark 14:30). When Jesus asked the question the third time, he

seems to lower the bar and simply ask if he loves him like a brother (John 21:17). In response to

the first two questions, Peter responds with exactly the same answer: “Yes Lord, you know that

I love (phileo) you” (John 21:15, 16). In response to the third question, Peter is hurt, and

perhaps frustrated, when he adds the phrase “you know all things” (John 21:17). After Peter

confirms his phileo love three times, Jesus follows with a command that is very similar in all

three cases, but slightly different each time. First he says “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15), then

“Take care of my Sheep” (John 21:16), and finally “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). Therefore,

there is a progression in the words of Jesus in how he asks Peter if he loves him and his

commands to be a good shepherd.

The frequency of the use of certain words can also provide insight into the text. In the

New International version of John 21, the most frequently used words are: you (29

occurrences), Jesus (21), said (17), Peter (11), him (10), Simon, (8), fish (8), lord (8), love (7), and

disciples (6). With the top five words containing two proper names, two pronouns, and the


action verb said, it is clear that there is a dialogue. The entire 21st chapter of John can be

mapped to evaluate the repetitive-progressive structure. Table 2 shows the mapping of the

chapter:


Table 2

Chapter 21, verse Places Objects Animals Actions When

Jesus Peter John Others / group

Miraculous Catch

of Fish

1 Jesus disciples Sea of Tiberius appeared Afterward

2 Simon Peter

Thomas (Didymus),

Nathaniel, sons of Zebedee, Two Other Disciples Cana in Galilee

3 Simon Peter we go, fish that night

4 Jesus disciples shore stoodEarly in the

morning 5 He friends, they fish called

6 He theynet, right side of

boat fish throw, haulwhen they threw

nets

7 LordPeter, Simon

Peterdisciple whom

Jesus lovedouter garment,

water

said, heard, wrapped, taken,

jumped As soon as

8 other disciples,

they shore boat, net fish followed, towing

9 theyfire of burning

coals, bread fish landedwhen they

landed

10 Jesus them fishsaid, bring,

caught 11 Simon Peter ashore net 153 large fish climbed, dragged

12 Jesus, you, the Lordthem, none of the disciples breakfast Come, knew

13 Jesus bread fish came, took, gave 14 Jesus disciples appeared, raised

Jesus Reinstates

Peter

15 Jesus, Lord

Simon Peter, Simon son of

John they, these lambseating, said, love,

feedwhen they

finished eating

16 JesusSimon son of

John sheepsaid, love, take

care of

17 he, me, LordSimon son of John, Peter all things sheep

love, hurt, know, Feed

18 I you truth, hands

tell, dressed, went,

stretchdress, lead

when you were younger… when

you are old

19 Jesus, God Peter deathsaid, glorify,

follow

20 Jesus, Lord Peterdisciple whom

Jesus loved supper

turned, saw, following,

leaned, betray 21 Lord Peter him saw, asked

22 Jesus youanswered,

return, follow until I return

23 Jesus you this disciple brothers rumor

spread, die, say, remain alive,

return

Evidence of

Gospel

24 disciplethese things,

testimonytestifies, wrote,

know

25 Jesus

things, whole world, room,

booksdid, written

down

People


Opening-Middle-Closing

John 21 can be neatly divided into three sections: an opening, a middle, and a closing.

The opening is the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples on the shore and helping them with

a miraculous catch of fish, in John 21:1-14. In this opening, Jesus was able to show his power by

enabling the miraculous catch of fish (John 21:6), his friendship by inviting them to breakfast

(John 21:12), and his servant leadership by serving breakfast to them (John 21:13). The end of

the breakfast is the transition to the middle section of the text, which is the conversation

between Jesus and Peter (John 21:15-23). In addition to the discussion of Jesus asking Peter

three times if he loved him as described in the section on repetitive-progressive, Jesus also told

Peter about his death (John 21:18, 19). Perhaps one of the reasons that John added this chapter

to his gospel some time after the original writing was to clear up the misconception mentioned

in verse 23: “Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this brother would not

die” (John 21:23). The purpose of the closing section for this chapter is to provide

overwhelming evidence to confirm the validity of the entire gospel (Butler, 1961). The closing

section is only two verses (John 21:24, 25), and ends with hyperbole.

Narrational

The apostle John provides the narrative for the text based on his eyewitness account of

the activities of that day (John 21:24). Table 3 shows the dialogue of John 21, including the

identification of voices in the text and the sequence of the narrative.


Table 3

John 21

A John 21:1-14

Narrator "Afterward, Jesus appeared again to his disciples…"Simon Peter "I am going out to fish"Disciples "We'll go with you"Narrator "So they went out and got into the boad…"Jesus "Friends, have you caught any fish?"Disciples "No"Jesus "Throw your net on the right side of the boad…"Narrator "When they did, they were unable to haul…"John "It is the Lord"Narrator "As soon as Peter heard him say…"Jesus "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."Narrator "Simon Peter climbed aboard…"Jesus "Come and have some breakfast."Narrator "None of the disciples dared ask him…"

B John 21:15-23

Narrator "When they had finished eating…"Jesus "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"Simon Peter "Yes Lord, you know that I love you"Jesus "Feed my lambs"Narrator "Again Jesus said"Jesus Simon son of John, do you truly love me"Simon Peter "Yes Lord, you know that I love you"Jesus "Take care of my sheep"Narrator "The third time he said to him"Jesus "Simon son of John, do you love me"Simon Peter "Lord you know all things; you know that I love you"Jesus "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were..."Narrator "Jesus said this to indicate the type of death…"Jesus "Follow me."Narrator "Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved…"Simon Peter "Lord, what about him?"Jesus "If I want him to remain alive until I return…"Narrator "Because of this, the rumor spread…"

C John 21:24, 25

Narrator "This is the disciple who testifies to these things…"


Although the general scene for all of John 21 is “by the sea of Tiberius” (John 21:1), the

scene can be further identified into more specific scenes:

1. Scene 1: John 21:1-3 By the sea of Tiberius

2. Scene 2: John 21:3-8 Fishing in the boat

3. Scene 3: John 21:9-14 Breakfast by the campfire

4. Scene 4: John 21:15-23 Jesus walking with Peter

The plot of the narrative of John 21 provides additional insight into the resurrected Christ by

showing his interaction with his disciples and his restoration of Peter. The plot of the story

begins with the disciples going fishing while they are waiting for Jesus to meet them. After a

frustrating night with no fish being caught, Jesus guides them to a miraculous catch and invites

them to breakfast. After they finished eating breakfast, Jesus has a conversation with Simon

Peter. By giving Peter the opportunity to affirm his love for Jesus, he was able to reinstate him

to a life of service. John also took the opportunity to correct an incorrect rumor that he would

not die.

Argumentative Texture

The argumentative texture of John 21 is best illustrated by the discussion between Jesus

and Simon Peter in the 15th through 17th verses. The argumentative dialogue follows the same

pattern three times:

1. Jesus asks question about Simon Peter’s love for him


2. Simon Peter affirms his love for Jesus

3. Jesus commands Simon Peter to take care of his flock.

The tension in this dialogue must have been building with each successive question and

command of Jesus. John notes that this style of questioning hurt Peter. The tension was also

high for Peter because this discussion was being held within the hearing of John, and perhaps

the other disciples. This could have been an embarrassing scene for Peter, especially since the

lead question asked if he truly loved Jesus “more than these” (John 21:15). This must have

made Peter and the others remember Peter’s boast in the upper room when he claimed that he

would follow Jesus, even if all of the other disciples fell away (Mark 14:30). The things that

Jesus did not say are also important to consider. It would have been natural for Jesus to ask

Peter about what happened the last evening they saw each other and to demand an apology.

However, Jesus extends grace (Buchanan, 2006).

Sensory-Aesthetic Texture and Pattern

It is interesting that Jesus told the disciples to meet him in Galilee. The sensory

experience of the fishermen to return home among the boats and nets must have been strong.

After the troubling events that they had just been through in Jerusalem, the sights, sounds and

smells of Galilee would have been comforting. The darkness of the night matched the

frustration of fishermen fishing all night without catching anything, but the rising sun in the

morning also paralleled their enthusiasm of joining Jesus. The experience of catching the 153

large fish (John 21:11) may have reminded the disciples of when Jesus first called them as

disciples. Luke 5:1-11 records the story of Jesus instructing Peter to let down the nets after a


fruitless night of fishing and the resulting catch of fish that almost broke the nets. Since it was

early morning (John 21:4) and the boat was a hundred yards off shore (John 21:8), the disciples

did not recognize Jesus (John 21:4). However, when they experienced that familiar miracle with

the fish, John realized who was on the shore (John 21:7).

Jesus as Leader

The interaction between Jesus and Peter in John 21 correlates to three contemporary

leader-follower theories: (1) leader-member exchange (LMX), (2) transformational leadership,

and (3) servant leadership.

Leader-Member Exchange

The conversation between Jesus and Simon Peter shows a high-exchange dyadic

relationship in the leader-member exchange model (Yukl, 2006). Peter was in the inner circle of

the followers of Jesus and would be one of the great leaders of the New Testament church after

Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 2). As such, he was privy to insights and counseling that most

followers of Jesus could only imagine. In this text, he was able to walk and talk with Jesus. Jesus

used the opportunity to reinstate Peter and concluded the conversation by saying twice “Follow

me” (John 21:19, 22). Jesus used that high-exchange relationship with Peter on several

occasions to mentor him to grow to become a great leader in the early church. These occasions

include walking on the water (Matt. 14:29), the transfiguration (Matt. 17:2), and catching a fish

with a coin in its mouth to pay taxes (Matt 17:24-27).


In addition to the specific direction that Jesus gave to Peter to feed his sheep, leaders of

the 21st century church can also heed the command that Jesus gave. “Jesus' words to

Peter in John 21:15-19 remind us that we are intimately and inseparably

connected to Jesus in what we do, and that the work we do is the work that

Jesus started (9:4; 14:12)” (Lewis, 2008).

Transformational Leadership

Burns describes transactional leaders as those that appeal to followers self-interests,

while transformational leaders appeal to their moral values (Burns, 1978). Transformational

leaders instill “trust, admiration, loyalty, and respect toward the leader, and they are motivated

to do more than they originally expected to do” (Yukl, 2006). When Peter denied that he knew

Jesus three times, his relationship with Jesus may have been irreparably damaged, as Judas’

relationship with Jesus was destroyed (Matt 27:3-5). However, Peter desired to restore the

relationship and Jesus used the opportunity on the lake shore to transform Peter’s life. Peter’s

loyalty to Jesus changed the world. The transformation in Peter’s life can be seen in other New

Testament texts. Peter is the one that led the preaching on the first day of the church on the

day of Pentecost, which resulted in three thousand baptisms (Acts 2). He healed the sick (Acts

3:1-10), provided leadership for the church (Acts 15, 1 Peter, 2 Peter), and boldly spoke about

Jesus wherever he went (Acts 3:11-26, 4:1-22, 8:14-25, 10)

Servant Leadership

The life of Jesus exemplified the nature of being a servant (Wright, 2008). Servant

leaders establish trust “by being completely honest and open, keeping actions consistent with


values, and showing trust in followers” (Greenleaf, 1977). Paul instructed the Philippians that

their “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking

the very nature of a servant” (Phil 2:5-7). As the ministry of Jesus was coming to a conclusion,

John records two occasions that Jesus was with his disciples and modeled servant leadership.

The first was in the upper room at the last supper when Jesus demonstrated servant leadership

by washing his disciples’ feet (John 13). He then instructed them to do likewise (John 13:14). In

John 21, Jesus invited the disciples breakfast on the shore and once again demonstrated

servant leadership by preparing breakfast and serving it to them (John 21:12, 13). The

leadership that Jesus modeled for the disciples was revolutionary for his time (Agosto, 2005),

but his disciples learned from him and this small group of men changed the world by

implementing servant leadership in churches (1 Peter 5:1-6).

Conclusion

John 21 provides a glimpse into the transformational and servant leadership of Jesus,

specifically as it relates to his high-exchange dialogue with Peter. The inner textual analysis of

this text illustrates the style that John used to tell the story and provides insights into fully

understanding Jesus’ mentoring of the disciples on his last days of earth. Though the culture of

the 1st century is significantly different than the culture of the 21st century (Okaiwele, 2009),

there is much that we can learn from the restoration of Peter to the point that he was a

significant positive impact on the church and the world (Acts 2). Jesus continued utilizing the

servant leadership that he had modeled for the disciples throughout his ministry on earth (Phil


2), as well as transformational leadership that caused his followers to “feel trust, admiration,

loyalty, and respect” towards him (Yukl, 2006).


References

Agosto, E. (2005). Servant Leadership: Jesus and Paul. St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press.

Bekker, C. (2006). Exploring Leadership Through Exegesis. Virginia Beach, VA: Regent University.

Buchanan, J. (2006). Grace at Breakfast. Christian Century , 3.

Burns, J. (1978). Leadership. New York City, NY: Harper and Row.

Butler, P. (1961). The Gospel of John. Joplin, MO: College Press.

DeSilva, D. (2004). An Introduction to the New Testament. Contexts, Methods, and Ministry Formation. Nottingham, England: Apollos.

Droge, A. J. (1990). The Status of Peter in the Fourth Gospel. Journal of Biblical Literature , 307-311.

Greenleaf, R. (1977). Servant Leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press.

Johnson, B. (1886). Commentary on John. Des Moines, IA: Christian Publishing Company.

Lewis, K. (2008). "Shepherd My Sheep": Preaching for the Sake of Greater Works than These. Word and World , 318-324.

Morgan, G. (2004). The Gospel According to John. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company.

Okaiwele, G. (2009). John 21: An Exegetical Study of Leadership within the Mediterranean Context and the 21st Century. Emerging Leadership Journeys , 43-53.

Robbins, V. (1996). The Tapestry of Early Christian Discourse. New York, NY: Routledge.

Wright, D. (2008). The Leadership of Jesus in the Succession Process of the Disciples: A Dual Focus of Servanthood in Small Groups. Biblical Perspectives .

Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in Organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

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