Image, if you will, having a sheep as a pet that you love dearly. Think about your pet. What would you name it? My imaginary sheep, I'll call Sweater. Without a doubt, Sweater would be very special to me, and I would love and show it by loving and taking good care of him; this love and care leads to our Wonderfully Weird Command: "Feed My Sheep."
Jesus' command resides in the Bible in John 21:15-17, where Jesus instructs Peter to care for God's people, not once, not twice, but three times. Each time Peter responds appropriately. By doing so, it successively commissions him to tend and feed Jesus' sheep based on the trinity of Jesus' instructions. The first ask of Jesus is "feed my lambs (v.15)." It is no secret humans have been referred to as sheep, and we see this throughout scripture. Hence, when Jesus speaks of sheep, he's speaking of people, particularly his people, Christians. Therefore, the first ask of Jesus to Peter is to tend, feed, and care for the new and young Christians, the lambs. Defining Jesus' people as lambs communicates new believers in Christ and how mature believers are responsible for providing love and care for them in their new faith.
The second ask of Jesus to Peter is "tend My sheep (v.16)". In this dealing, Jesus stresses the love and care for growing people in the respect and knowledge of God in the sheep's pen of life. Here, Jesus implies that Peter should continue to love and care for God's people in order of Jesus' footsteps in the ministry of life to increase God's mercy and grace. We see Peter's obedience to this dealing in his first pastoral letter, 1 Peter 5:2, when he says, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers." This exchange emphasizes the importance of leaders in the faith to feed God's people properly, leading to a healthy and well-lived life through Jesus, carrying out God's Way.
The third ask of Jesus to Peter, "Feed My Sheep (v.17)", implies the sum of the command itself and emphasizes continual care for Jesus's mature people. Full-grown sheep need love, respect, and understanding to stay healthy, wise, and well. It's the undershepherd of Jesus, like Peter, who are responsible for keeping the nourishment and support going for the mature souls of God. It's clear through Jesus' three-fold command that it is not for the faint of heart but for those who strive to think, feel, and act like the Good Shepherd, a good undershepherd who merges with God's character where skill (symbolized by the shepherd's staff) is used to tend and care for the flock of God.
When a Christian accepts this triune command, the roles and responsibilities of a Christian expand to a new realm of maturity. A fullness where life and death are not imaginary like my pet, Sweater, but true to an extraordinary life where roles and responsibilities are fulfilling just as God intended them to be in the beginning. Beginnings where God's Love and care flourish in Life's Eternal sheep pen where mature people in Christ, like Peter, are faithful to the Wonderfully Weird Command: Feed My Sheep.
With love and care,