Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
On the shore in Galilee after Peter was restored and appointed to care for Christ's flock and told that in old age he would be carried where he would not, signifying death by crucifixion, as he walked beside Jesus he saw the beloved disciple following and turned from his own future to ask what duty, work and fate would be assigned to John. The question was one he should not have asked, reflecting undue concern and anxiety about another when he should have trusted Jesus to reveal all that was best for him to know. Christ's conditional word about willing John to remain till He comes gives no assurance that John would live until the Second Coming, but asserts His supreme authority over John's future and shows that it would not change Peter's duty to follow Him. His answer redirects Peter from another's assignment to his own duty with the command to follow Him, teaching everyone to follow Christ in obedience without undue anxiety about the work given to others, because each one's future is in the Lord's hands. Each person is therefore to stop watching others and talking of their faults and comparing and criticizing, and instead to guard the own heart, attend faithfully to the work God has entrusted to himself, and earnestly seek the Lord to know and do it.
Context and Meaning
The question was asked at the meeting by the Sea of Galilee where much of Christ's ministry had been passed, where the disciples could gather undisturbed amid reminders of His words and deeds. It was the place where He had walked upon the billows to rescue them from terror in the fierce storm and where the tempest had been hushed by His word, within sight of the beach where above ten thousand had been fed from a few small loaves and fishes, and not far from Capernaum the scene of many miracles. There Jesus met with seven disciples together in Galilee, clothed in the humble garb of fishermen, poor in worldly goods but rich in the knowledge and practice of the truth which gave them the highest rank as teachers in Heaven's sight. They had not been students in the schools of the prophets, but for three years they had been taught by Christ as the greatest educator the world has known, and under Him they had become elevated, intelligent and refined agents to lead men to a knowledge of the truth.
At this final meeting Peter was restored after Jesus tested his love, was appointed to care for the Lord's flock, and received the personal direction to follow Jesus. This came after he was told that when old he would stretch forth his hands and another would gird him and carry him where he would not, signifying the death by crucifixion by which he would glorify God. As Peter walked beside Jesus and saw the disciple Jesus loved following, he turned from what he had just been told about his own future and suffering death for his faith to ask what John would do. His inquiry was about what duty, work and fate would be assigned to John and what would happen to the other disciple.
Peter should have trusted that Jesus would reveal to him all that was best for him to know without inquiry, so the question reflected undue concern and anxiety about another disciple and was one he should not have asked. Jesus' conditional statement about willing John to tarry till He comes gives no assurance that John would live until the Second Coming, but asserts Christ's authority and supreme power over John's future. It shows that whatever Christ willed for John would not change Peter's duty to follow Him. In fact John lived to old age and witnessed the desolation of Jerusalem.
Peter's restoration, honor and authority did not make him supreme over his fellow apostles, and he carried that lesson into later service by exercising influence while not claiming to rule over the church. Peter was not disconcerted by the foretold death but felt willing to suffer any death for his Lord, becoming humble enough to understand without further questioning. The restless, boastful, self-confident disciple became subdued and contrite and indeed followed the Lord he had denied, finding light, comfort and blessing in the thought that Christ had not denied and rejected him. He felt he could be crucified from choice but with his head downward, and as a close partaker of Christ's sufferings he will also be a partaker of His glory when He shall sit upon the throne of His glory.
Following Christ Personally
Christ's answer turns Peter away from concern about another person to his own duty with the command to follow Him, teaching the duty of everyone to follow Christ in obedience without undue anxiety about the work assigned to others. Peter had just been told what would come upon him because of his faith, even that he would suffer death for following Christ, and seeing John following he asked what John's future, duty, work and fate would be. He should have trusted that Jesus would reveal to him all that was best for him to know, and followed his own calling without inquiry into another disciple's assignment. The conditional word about willing John to remain until His coming gives no assurance that John would live until the Second Coming, but asserts Christ's authority and supreme power over John's future and shows that it would not change or affect Peter's duty to follow Him, for the future of each was in the Lord's hands. John lived to old age and witnessed the desolation of Jerusalem, while Peter's forgiveness, restoration and commission did not make him supreme over his fellow disciples. The rebuke reaches to today, forbidding being like Peter by being interested in the affairs of others and anxious to know their duty while in danger of neglecting one's own, and forbidding dwelling on the mistakes and defects of others instead of looking to Christ and following Him.
The command to follow is a commission given to all, meaning no one is to be curious to know what another will do but each one's work is to follow Christ. It was spoken just after Jesus foretold that when Peter was old he would stretch forth his hands and another would gird and carry him where he would not, signifying the death by crucifixion by which he would glorify God, when Peter turned to see the disciple Jesus loved following and asked what that man would do.
The question exposes the temptation and mistake of turning attention to another disciple's assignment instead of faithfully doing the work God has entrusted to oneself, and teaches each person to attend to their own responsibility. Peter turned from the position Christ had described for him and from his own calling to ask what work John would do and what would happen to him and what course was appointed for him. Christ's reply makes clear that Peter was not to concern himself with John's assignment, but to follow Christ and listen to Christ's direction for himself and faithfully carry out his own responsibilities and the work entrusted to him.
Each person is to keep attention on Jesus and receive orders from Him rather than compare with others or dwell on their own interests, looking to Christ and patterning character after His and becoming transformed by beholding His perfection. Jesus turned Peter away from concern about that man and directed him to follow Christ, gently correcting the asking what work another disciple would have. Each one's work is to follow Jesus, not to concern himself with another's calling.
Each one must stop watching others and talking of defects of character, mistakes and faults, and instead examine and guard oneself, keep watch over the own heart, and examine the own heart rather than compare, criticize or condemn others. Christ warns as He warned Peter, what is that to thee, follow thou me, so Christians must not inquire what shall this man do. Each one must stop watching others, keep his own soul in the love of God, and follow Christ himself. Christ's command to follow Him regardless of another forbids looking at another to talk of defects of character, and directs believers to be watchful over their own hearts and faults.
People are not to take responsibility for planning or judging God's dealings with others nor base their own response on what happens to another, so another person's or a leader's rejection of a message does not make it false or excuse anyone else from receiving it. Each person is individually responsible to God for his or her own salvation and for seeking and accepting truth for themselves. Each is to follow Christ and do God's will, with concern to follow Christ rather than turning attention to John or another disciple.
Following Christ is an individual work that requires keeping the eye single to the glory of God, meaning letting the world and earthly things go out of the reckoning and bringing eternity and eternal realities in, and proving it by being a Christian at home in the family as in the church. Believers are to keep themselves and keep the own soul in the love of God and of the truth, being individually responsible for all the good they can do, redeeming lost time by redoubled exertion and working as best they can wherever Christ's cause has a claim as in the sight of the heavenly universe, working tirelessly to bring souls to the Saviour. The asking what another person is to do is wrong and must be set aside, and each must earnestly seek the Lord for himself to know and carry out what he himself must do in God's service and in service for God. Christians must not look to one another instead of looking to the Lord, nor look at another person and question what that person should do.
On the shore in Galilee after Peter was restored and appointed to care for Christ's flock and told that in old age he would be carried where he would not, signifying death by crucifixion, as he walked beside Jesus he saw the beloved disciple following and turned from his own future to ask what duty, work and fate would be assigned to John. The question was one he should not have asked, reflecting undue concern and anxiety about another when he should have trusted Jesus to reveal all that was best for him to know. Christ's conditional word about willing John to remain till He comes gives no assurance that John would live until the Second Coming, but asserts His supreme authority over John's future and shows that it would not change Peter's duty to follow Him. His answer redirects Peter from another's assignment to his own duty with the command to follow Him, teaching everyone to follow Christ in obedience without undue anxiety about the work given to others, because each one's future is in the Lord's hands. Each person is therefore to stop watching others and talking of their faults and comparing and criticizing, and instead to guard the own heart, attend faithfully to the work God has entrusted to himself, and earnestly seek the Lord to know and do it.
Context and Meaning
The question was asked at the meeting by the Sea of Galilee where much of Christ's ministry had been passed, where the disciples could gather undisturbed amid reminders of His words and deeds. It was the place where He had walked upon the billows to rescue them from terror in the fierce storm and where the tempest had been hushed by His word, within sight of the beach where above ten thousand had been fed from a few small loaves and fishes, and not far from Capernaum the scene of many miracles. There Jesus met with seven disciples together in Galilee, clothed in the humble garb of fishermen, poor in worldly goods but rich in the knowledge and practice of the truth which gave them the highest rank as teachers in Heaven's sight. They had not been students in the schools of the prophets, but for three years they had been taught by Christ as the greatest educator the world has known, and under Him they had become elevated, intelligent and refined agents to lead men to a knowledge of the truth.
At this final meeting Peter was restored after Jesus tested his love, was appointed to care for the Lord's flock, and received the personal direction to follow Jesus. This came after he was told that when old he would stretch forth his hands and another would gird him and carry him where he would not, signifying the death by crucifixion by which he would glorify God. As Peter walked beside Jesus and saw the disciple Jesus loved following, he turned from what he had just been told about his own future and suffering death for his faith to ask what John would do. His inquiry was about what duty, work and fate would be assigned to John and what would happen to the other disciple.
Peter should have trusted that Jesus would reveal to him all that was best for him to know without inquiry, so the question reflected undue concern and anxiety about another disciple and was one he should not have asked. Jesus' conditional statement about willing John to tarry till He comes gives no assurance that John would live until the Second Coming, but asserts Christ's authority and supreme power over John's future. It shows that whatever Christ willed for John would not change Peter's duty to follow Him. In fact John lived to old age and witnessed the desolation of Jerusalem.
Peter's restoration, honor and authority did not make him supreme over his fellow apostles, and he carried that lesson into later service by exercising influence while not claiming to rule over the church. Peter was not disconcerted by the foretold death but felt willing to suffer any death for his Lord, becoming humble enough to understand without further questioning. The restless, boastful, self-confident disciple became subdued and contrite and indeed followed the Lord he had denied, finding light, comfort and blessing in the thought that Christ had not denied and rejected him. He felt he could be crucified from choice but with his head downward, and as a close partaker of Christ's sufferings he will also be a partaker of His glory when He shall sit upon the throne of His glory.
Following Christ Personally
Christ's answer turns Peter away from concern about another person to his own duty with the command to follow Him, teaching the duty of everyone to follow Christ in obedience without undue anxiety about the work assigned to others. Peter had just been told what would come upon him because of his faith, even that he would suffer death for following Christ, and seeing John following he asked what John's future, duty, work and fate would be. He should have trusted that Jesus would reveal to him all that was best for him to know, and followed his own calling without inquiry into another disciple's assignment. The conditional word about willing John to remain until His coming gives no assurance that John would live until the Second Coming, but asserts Christ's authority and supreme power over John's future and shows that it would not change or affect Peter's duty to follow Him, for the future of each was in the Lord's hands. John lived to old age and witnessed the desolation of Jerusalem, while Peter's forgiveness, restoration and commission did not make him supreme over his fellow disciples. The rebuke reaches to today, forbidding being like Peter by being interested in the affairs of others and anxious to know their duty while in danger of neglecting one's own, and forbidding dwelling on the mistakes and defects of others instead of looking to Christ and following Him.
The command to follow is a commission given to all, meaning no one is to be curious to know what another will do but each one's work is to follow Christ. It was spoken just after Jesus foretold that when Peter was old he would stretch forth his hands and another would gird and carry him where he would not, signifying the death by crucifixion by which he would glorify God, when Peter turned to see the disciple Jesus loved following and asked what that man would do.
The question exposes the temptation and mistake of turning attention to another disciple's assignment instead of faithfully doing the work God has entrusted to oneself, and teaches each person to attend to their own responsibility. Peter turned from the position Christ had described for him and from his own calling to ask what work John would do and what would happen to him and what course was appointed for him. Christ's reply makes clear that Peter was not to concern himself with John's assignment, but to follow Christ and listen to Christ's direction for himself and faithfully carry out his own responsibilities and the work entrusted to him.
Each person is to keep attention on Jesus and receive orders from Him rather than compare with others or dwell on their own interests, looking to Christ and patterning character after His and becoming transformed by beholding His perfection. Jesus turned Peter away from concern about that man and directed him to follow Christ, gently correcting the asking what work another disciple would have. Each one's work is to follow Jesus, not to concern himself with another's calling.
Each one must stop watching others and talking of defects of character, mistakes and faults, and instead examine and guard oneself, keep watch over the own heart, and examine the own heart rather than compare, criticize or condemn others. Christ warns as He warned Peter, what is that to thee, follow thou me, so Christians must not inquire what shall this man do. Each one must stop watching others, keep his own soul in the love of God, and follow Christ himself. Christ's command to follow Him regardless of another forbids looking at another to talk of defects of character, and directs believers to be watchful over their own hearts and faults.
People are not to take responsibility for planning or judging God's dealings with others nor base their own response on what happens to another, so another person's or a leader's rejection of a message does not make it false or excuse anyone else from receiving it. Each person is individually responsible to God for his or her own salvation and for seeking and accepting truth for themselves. Each is to follow Christ and do God's will, with concern to follow Christ rather than turning attention to John or another disciple.
Following Christ is an individual work that requires keeping the eye single to the glory of God, meaning letting the world and earthly things go out of the reckoning and bringing eternity and eternal realities in, and proving it by being a Christian at home in the family as in the church. Believers are to keep themselves and keep the own soul in the love of God and of the truth, being individually responsible for all the good they can do, redeeming lost time by redoubled exertion and working as best they can wherever Christ's cause has a claim as in the sight of the heavenly universe, working tirelessly to bring souls to the Saviour. The asking what another person is to do is wrong and must be set aside, and each must earnestly seek the Lord for himself to know and carry out what he himself must do in God's service and in service for God. Christians must not look to one another instead of looking to the Lord, nor look at another person and question what that person should do.