Why Did Jesus Ask Simon Peter, "Do You Love Me" Three Times?

Why Did Jesus Ask Simon Peter, "Do You Love Me" Three Times?

John 21:15-17 (KJV)

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.
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.
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.

I'm sure Peter would have wondered what was actually going on when Jesus who knew him very well and that he had forsaking everything to follow Him, would still be asking him, "lovest thou me?" And not just once but three good times, because if anyone should know that Peter loved Him it should be Jesus Himself.

But Jesus very well knew what He was talking about because His sheep meant everything to Him. That's why He would lay down His life for them as a good Shepherd would.

So Jesus already knew that Peter loved Him,
but the question was not if Peter loved Him, but how much Peter loved Him. If Peter loved Him to the extent that he would take His sheep as He took them, and love and care for His sheep the way He did, because He had given His all for His sheep, and was going leave them in Peter's care, so it mattered a whole lot to Him that who He was going to leave His sheep with cared for His sheep as He would.

If Jesus could yet ask Peter who had proven his love for Him beyond any reasonable doubt, if He loved Him three times, I wonder how many times He would ask most of today's church leaders that same question. Because even the love Peter had for Jesus, most of them do not have, so how much more the love Jesus had for His sheep?

Moreover Jesus saying "feed my sheep" to Peter repeatedly on this occasion doesn't mean just giving them food or any kind of food, but the right kind of food, even that which the good Shepherd would feed them with if He were there with them - the kind of food that would lead to eternal life.

May God help us with leaders who would care for the sheep as Jesus did, and do everything they could to ensure that they're not lost to the enemy but preserved til the day the good Shepherd returns for His sheep. Amen!