Thoughts on the Gospel of John (132) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, where are You going? Jesus answered him, Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward. Peter said to Him, Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake. Jesus answered him, Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
John 13:36–38

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (132)
Did the new commandment Jesus had just given make no impression on Peter? To love one another as their Lord loved them – this sounds very challenging. Peter once again dares to speak up. For whatever the cause might be, he does not want to lose his Lord; he wants to follow Him. That is why he asks this question.

In His answer, the Lord points to His atoning death and resurrection – in this no one can follow Him. He alone could bring about redemption. But in a broader sense, some would follow the Lord, including Peter. We learn more about this in the 21st chapter of our Gospel. There Jesus predicts that Peter would die a martyr’s death (vv. 18–19).

But Peter is not satisfied with a “later”. Instead of trusting the Lord and accepting His answer, he becomes presumptuous. He loses sight of the Lord’s love and thinks only of his own love for the Lord – which he considers to be great and permanent. He wants to lay down his life for the Lord!

How little Peter knows himself! He has to learn this bitterly a few hours later. He fails as soon as a maid addresses him because she recognises him as a disciple of Jesus. He denies even knowing Jesus. When he is approached for the third time, he fears for his life so much that he denies his Lord with oaths and curses.

Let us be warned: self-confidence leads to defeat!

Today’s reading: Deuteronomy 12:1-19 · Matthew 25:14-30