John 21:15-17 KJV
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Apostle Peter in chapter 5:2, did a short rendition of the lesson in John 21:15-17 in Jesus inquiry if Peter truly loved him, he would feed his sheep. Peter is now teaching the elders and church, he writes in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,(I Peter 1:1) to also feed the sheep as Jesus taught. Had he when among them taught to feed the sheep, I suspect the answer is yes and this letter is only a reminder to feed the flock/church.

What does Jesus actually say to Peter, he ask Peter if he loved him. Peter said you know I love you, Jesus says feed my lambs. Lambs are the infants in Christ, not the babies of flesh but of the spirit of Christ. New born christians. It does not mean you do not teach children of human birth about your faith, this is about discipleship, about raising the church from the basics of faith into maturity. It starts with the lambs. Then the duty of faith is to teach the sheep. Jesus ask Peter a second do you love me, and he said you know I do, then feed my sheep. We got to remember Peter was catching fish right before this scene in this chapter. He was busy about the work of man and not the work of God. Jesus ask Peter(simon) a third time do you love me. Peter says you know all things, you know I love you. Jesus said feed my sheep.

There are three groups of people to ministers too, disciples of Jesus need to feed, they are the lambs(infants in Christ), the adults(sheep) and the church(group of sheep). A good minister knows how to speak to all three groups and sometimes even at the same time so the message of faith is clearly given to all in attendance. Yet occasionaly there things that have to be thought out before understanding can come. It okay to have a good meaty sermon that must be ponder upon, or wrestled with for a time, yet there needs to be milk and baby food as well. It is when no one understand a message that the minister, teacher, or student of the word gets in trouble, because they not sharing in a language understood by any group of people. Their wordy with no meaning.

Jesus was telling them this to prepare the disciples for his leaving, and yet it still some time off. He was preparing his disciples for what they must do when he was no longer with them, to teach the children of faith about His Father, himself and the Holy Spirit. There things we are taught from scripture that allows us to know God is the one speaking to our hearts. Jesus would teach the disciples 40 days after the resurrection, but he mainly was instilling in them to pass it on what he teaches, to teach about who he was as the Son of God, the Word of God, the Great Shepherd, the Creator, the second part of the Trinity. The second part of the Godhead bodily. If I could stress anything to you, the Holy Spirit will teach you things about not only himself but about all parts of the Godhead bodily(Trinity) that no one else will but it will be scripture base. There other things taught about scripture that the whole Bible must be taken into account for a full understanding of what God is speaking truly about. Why does God's word seem to differ here and something else happened in another book that implies the opposite. What, who, where, and when are often key factors to finding out the mystery of it. Yet sometimes it takes time to grasp it, especially if you are going through something you want to apply a verse too, but can not because it does not seem applicable, or doesn't seem true, without closer study in one's personal life. You have to examine yourself when reading scripture, no one can do that for you. Many people can tell you what sin in scripture is and what others thought sin was to sin God states as law being sin. God's whole point of the law is to show no one lives perfectly to God's law, but that we all are sinners falling short of the glory of God and in need of his salvation, for we can not earn salvation, or his grace, it is something freely given that we must grab a hold of and/receive. The job of a minister is just to teach, just to preach, just to share the teaching of Christ, and to do their best to demonstrate Christ love to the sheep/church.

Peter thought it was important enough to pass this teaching on in a letter, that God saved for you and me, that it was able to be copied in our language. That is God's grace for man, to give us something tangible we can learn from, not just His Spirit. Yet it does not stop there we learn from all types of people and must weigh the teachings by the word of God. Some things seem not to matter and other things is a strict no no. God is able to teach us all things, by his Spirit and word. Ministers are only there to help us learn. Or that should be their purpose to share, and to teach the love of God and Christ Jesus by His Spirit. In truth it all disciples of Jesus job to teach, but everyone has to find their way of teaching lead by God's Spirit and do it.

Dear Heavenly Father, teach how to feed your sheep, to be your disciple, to feed the lambs and the mature believers. Let us not forsake those that are lost that need to be restored to you, and those in need of you without knowledge of you. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Acts 1:1-3 KJV
1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

1 Peter 5:1-4 KJV
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.