Bird's-eye view
Following the restoration of Peter, the Lord gives him a stark command and a prophecy of his martyrdom. But as is so often the case with us, Peter's eyes wander. He sees John, the beloved disciple, and is immediately distracted from his own high and costly calling. His question, "Lord, what about this man?" is the perennial temptation for every believer. We are constantly tempted to take our eyes off our own assigned cross and to begin comparing our lot with that of another. Jesus' response is a sharp, necessary, and liberating rebuke. It is a command to mind our own business, in the highest sense. Our business is to follow Christ, period. Another man's calling, another man's destiny, is between that man and Christ. This passage is a potent warning against the sins of comparison, envy, and idle speculation, redirecting our gaze back to the one thing needful: our own personal, unswerving obedience to the call, "You follow Me!"
Outline
- 1. The Disciple's Distraction (John 21:20-21)
- a. Peter Sees the Beloved Disciple (v. 20)
- b. Peter's Comparative Question (v. 21)
- 2. The Lord's Rebuke and Re-Commission (John 21:22)
- a. A Hypothetical Correction (v. 22a)
- b. The Personal and Direct Command (v. 22b)
- 3. The Church's Misunderstanding (John 21:23)
- a. A Rumor Spreads (v. 23a)
- b. The Author's Clarification (v. 23b)
Context In John
This brief exchange comes at the very end of John's Gospel, in what is effectively an epilogue. Jesus has been resurrected, has appeared to His disciples multiple times, and has just finished restoring Peter after his three-fold denial. This restoration was not just a private affair; it was a re-commissioning to public ministry: "Feed my sheep." Immediately following this, Jesus prophesies the nature of Peter's death, telling him that he will glorify God by being led where he does not want to go. It is in this weighty context, having just been told he is to die a martyr's death, that Peter turns, sees John, and asks his question. The scene is therefore charged with the gravity of discipleship, its cost, and the singular focus required to finish the race.
Verse by Verse Commentary
v. 20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
Right after receiving one of the most solemn commissions in all of Scripture, Peter gets distracted. Jesus has just told him, "Follow me," and in the very act of beginning to do so, Peter turns around. And what does he see? He sees John. The text identifies John in two significant ways. First, he is "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This is not a statement of exclusive affection, as though Christ did not love the others, but rather John's humble and grateful self-designation. It is how he saw himself; his identity was not "John, son of Zebedee," but "the one Jesus loves." Second, he is identified by his intimacy with Jesus at the Last Supper. He was the one who leaned on Jesus' breast. This detail reminds us of the close fellowship John enjoyed, a fellowship that Peter himself had witnessed and perhaps, in this moment, was comparing to his own turbulent relationship with the Lord.
v. 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”
Here is the question, born of a divided heart. Peter has just been given his marching orders, which include a cross. And his first impulse is to look at the man walking behind him and wonder about his assignment. "Lord, and what about this man?" You can almost hear the subtext. 'What's his story going to be? Is his end going to be like mine? Is his path going to be easier? You were close with him, Lord. What special deal does he get?' This is the seed of envy, the root of comparison. It is the sin of looking at God's dealings with another and demanding an explanation, as though God were accountable to our sense of fairness. Peter is taking his eyes off his own race and trying to become a spectator, or worse, a referee, in John's.
v. 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
Jesus' reply is a thunderclap. It is swift, sharp, and utterly dismissive of the question's premise. He doesn't answer the question because the question itself is illegitimate. First, He posits a hypothetical situation: "If I want him to remain until I come..." Jesus asserts His absolute sovereignty over the life and destiny of every one of His disciples. He could have John live to see the Second Coming if He so pleased. This is a reminder to Peter that the Lord of the Church arranges the lives of His servants according to His own good pleasure, not according to any human standard of comparison. Then comes the piercing rebuke: "what is that to you?" In modern parlance, "That is none ofyour business." The spiritual life of another disciple, his particular calling, his specific trials, and the timing of his death are all matters between that disciple and the Lord. For you to meddle in them is a distraction and a sin. The rebuke is immediately followed by a repetition of the original command, driven home with force: "You follow Me!" The word "You" is emphatic. Forget about John. Forget about comparing lots. Your duty is singular. Your focus must be absolute. You have one job: follow Jesus Christ, all the way to the cross He has appointed for you.
v. 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
John, the author, includes this final verse as a point of clarification, and in doing so, gives us a wonderful lesson on the dangers of ecclesiastical rumor. The brothers took Jesus' hypothetical statement and turned it into a concrete, predictive prophecy. A misunderstanding was born and it began to spread. This is what happens when we fixate on things that are not our concern; we not only distract ourselves, but we often end up distorting the truth and spreading confusion to others. John carefully corrects the record. Jesus did not promise him immortality. He simply used an extreme possibility to make a point to Peter. The point was not about John's lifespan, but about Peter's focus. John's purpose here is to quash the rumor, but in doing so, he reinforces the central lesson: we are to pay close attention to what Jesus actually says, and not to the idle speculations that arise from our distracted, comparative hearts.
Application
The application of this passage is as direct and pointed as the Lord's command to Peter. We live in an age of constant comparison. Through the windows of social media, we are constantly looking into the lives of other believers, sizing up their ministries, their families, their blessings, and their trials. And like Peter, we are forever tempted to turn to the Lord and ask, "What about this man?" Why is he so successful? Why is her life so easy? Why have they not suffered as I have?
Christ's answer to us is the same as His answer to Peter: "What is that to you? You follow Me!" This is a call to the death of all envy and striving. God has a unique, tailor-made calling for every one of His children, and it comes with a unique, tailor-made cross. Your responsibility is to pick up your cross, not to inspect your neighbor's. Your job is to run your race, not to clock the runner in the next lane. To be preoccupied with the life of another is to be derelict in your own duty.
This command is not a burden, but a glorious liberation. It frees you from the exhausting and soul-crushing sin of comparison. It allows you to focus your energies on the one thing that matters: your personal, loving, obedient walk with Jesus Christ. He has given you your portion. He has assigned you your task. Look to Him, listen for His voice, and when He says, "Follow Me," turn your back on all distractions and do it.