John 13:36, commentary and pictures

As He was about to leave His disciples for His death and their coming trials and conflicts, Jesus told Peter that he could not go with Him yet but would follow Him afterward. Peter asked where He was going because he did not yet understand and was shocked by the separation, yet confidently offered to lay down his life without knowing to what heights and depths Christ's path would lead. Jesus answered that self-confidence by foretelling that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed, showing that without reliance on God and watchful loyalty temptation cannot be withstood. The promised later following meant that after a life of usefulness, when old age weakened him, Peter would indeed follow his Lord in death by crucifixion to glorify God, being taken where he did not wish to go and stretching forth his hands, at his own request with his head downward, after Christ renewed the call to follow to strengthen him for the final test.

Setting and Meaning

Jesus spoke as He was about to leave His disciples, telling them of their coming separation as He went to His death and left them to face trials and conflicts. His departure was approaching, and in that setting He told Peter that he could not follow Him then but would follow Him afterward. The promise of a later following stood in contrast to Peter's confident claim that he would lay down his life for Jesus, which was answered by foretelling Peter's three denials before the rooster crowed.

Peter asked where Jesus was going because he did not yet understand what Jesus meant by going away. His question arose from uncertainty about the approaching separation, and he wanted to know why he could not go with Him then. The words were a great shock to the disciples, whose hearts Christ read as He answered. Peter confidently offered to die for Jesus, but he soon denied knowing Him.

Jesus answered by distinguishing two times: Peter could not follow Him at that time, but would follow Him later. He was going to a place Peter could not follow Him to then, and His going away pointed to His death. Peter's later denial made clear that he was not yet ready to follow Jesus through the coming trial, yet Jesus' words also pointed to Peter following Him later, even to death.

The verse belongs to the teaching of John 13-17 where God's will is plainly set out. Believing it and living by it is a privilege and duty, especially for those who minister to others.

Peter's Later Following

Jesus told Peter that he could not follow Him then but would follow Him afterward, pointing to His approaching departure and death and to Peter's own future after a life of usefulness and service, when old age weakened his strength, of suffering death for his faith by crucifixion and thereby glorifying God. The promise was given before Christ's death in answer to Peter's claim that he would lay down his life, and Peter's later denial made clear that he was not yet ready to follow through the coming trial. Jesus later explained that future and renewed the call to follow, making Peter's whole future, through a life of service to a martyr's death, part of following Christ.

That following afterward extended even to the manner of death, that after useful service and in old age he would be taken where he did not wish to go and would stretch forth his hands upon the cross. It was remembered and fulfilled when, after denying his Lord and being converted, he died for the Master he loved by being crucified with his head downward at his own request, thus following his Lord even in the manner of death.

Christ opened this future to Peter to give him another opportunity to prove his love and to strengthen him for the final test, renewing the command to follow him. Peter received it with willingness to suffer any death for his Lord. Peter had not understood the words at the time but confidently offered to die for Jesus, then soon denied knowing Him, and afterward remembered Jesus' words with deep remorse and was converted. He remembered his shameful denial when brought before his persecutors, when the promise was fulfilled in his martyrdom.

Warning Against Self-Confidence

Peter did not know to what heights and depths the path of Christ would lead, yet he confidently offered to lay down his life for Jesus when Jesus was about to leave His disciples and go to His death to a place Peter could not then follow. That confident claim showed he did not understand the words spoken to him and that he was not yet ready to follow through the coming trial, though the promise that he would follow afterward pointed to his later following even to death. When the test came he failed, and afterward he remembered the words with deep remorse and was converted.

Jesus answered the confident claim by foretelling that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter soon denied knowing Him, failing when the test came.

The exchange shows the danger of self-confidence when facing temptation, warning that self-confidence cannot withstand temptation without reliance on God and faith able to stand the test. Peter needed to receive the words about his coming denial rather than trust his own loyalty, to admit that he did not know himself and to ask Christ to save him from denying his Lord. Had he done so, Christ would have sought help for him from the Father and helped him remain watchful and loyal under temptation.