What is That to You? You Follow Me (John 21:20-23)

Children's Lesson (click here)

I. One More Lesson from John

Turn if you would to John 21, a passage from Our Bible Reading Plan this past week. What a blessing to complete this Gospel! But before we leave the book, let's consider one more lesson.

II. The Passage: “You Follow Me” (21:20-23)

Look with me at verse 20-23. This is what John writes in the closing paragraphs of his gospel...

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” [21] When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” [22] Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” [23] So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Let's take a moment and think about what we find in this passage. The first thing to clarify is that...

John is talking about himself here. He tells us that in very next verse, verse 24. Though he was an important part of Christ's ministry (we might say, an important character in the story), he only wants to be known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (a phrase used four times in the book—what if when you woke up each morning, that was the primary way that you thought of yourself... as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”?--imagine if you thought about yourself in those terms, before any other title). As he indicates here, John is that disciple who (in chapter 13) “leaned back against [Jesus] during the supper” and asked about the betrayer. So why does John speak here about Peter and Jesus speaking about him? Well he explains that in verse 23. A “saying had spread abroad among the brothers [that is, among the churches] that this disciple was not to die”. But John (the only one of the Twelve not be martyred; the only who seems to have survived until old age... John) wants to clarify where this rumor had come from and that it isn't what Jesus said. But this story also serves to tell us something about Peter.

Peter is needing more redirection here. When we consider the context of these verses here in John 21, we're reminded that Jesus has just reaffirmed and redirected Peter in verses 15-19. Why the need for this reaffirmation and redirection? Because Peter had recently denied even knowing Jesus, not once, but three times (as recorded in chapter 18). In his heart, fear had overcome faith the night Jesus was arrested. But how does Christ respond to those denials? He lovingly restores and reorients Peter here in 21:15-19. Three times He asks Peter to reaffirm his love, and three times he tells Peter to care for his flock. But I want you to notice the wording of Christ's first question in verse 15: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Who are the “these”? It has to be the other disciples who are there. Now connect that with our main passage. Peter seems more concerned about John's path, rather than his own path as a disciple. You see, Peter needs redirection here because, at times, other people seem to be more important to him than Jesus. Peter must absolutely care for about his brothers and sisters. Jesus has just charged him with that very thing. But if his shepherding is to be effective, he has to be focused on Jesus first. The key question is found in verse 22: “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” Think with me for a minute about how Peter is struggling here. It isn't simply that Peter is too curious. It isn't that he's distracted or distractable, or that he tends to care too much about what other people think of him. As we just heard, Jesus redirects him in two ways:

First, Jesus has a question. “What is that to you?” Peter has wrongly told himself, “that is some-thing to me”... and that is something to me... something critical... something necessary... some-thing I must know; something I must change”. But Jesus corrects such thinking. In essence, Jesus tells him, “What happens to John is not your concern. It is my concern. He is my disciple. You don't need to know where his path leads in order to love him as a spiritual brother.” Through-out the ministry of Jesus, Peter has struggled with this tendency; a tendency to insert himself, to control, to question. Why? Because too often, Peter believes, “That is something to me... and that is something to me.” But Jesus calls him to think again: “Really... what is that to you?”

Second, after the question, Jesus also has a command. The ultimate issue here is not that Peter is too concerned about others, or that he's too concerned with getting his own way. It's that he's not concerned enough about Jesus. “What is that to you? You follow me.” What's helpful in the context here is what Jesus tells Peter about his own path in verses 18 and 19. Look back there, if you would. This is what Jesus tells Peter, that then leads to our passage...

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” [19] (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

What is Christ describing here? Well, John explains it in verse 19: Jesus was telling Peter, albeit in a cryptic way, that his path would eventually lead to suffering—even death—at the hands of others. The phrase “you will stretch out your hands” may in fact be a reference to Peter's death by crucifixion (according to some church traditions). That part isn't clear. But what is clear is that Peter pivots from what Jesus has revealed to him about his own path, and now wants to know what will happen to John; maybe in order to determine if John will suffer the same fate; maybe because Peter wants a different path; maybe he wants someone else's path.

But Jesus redirects Peter back to his own path, and that path is the path of discipleship. What is fundamental for every disciple, the very thing that everything boils down to in the end, is what Peter is reminded of here: it's about him and Jesus. Full stop. That is something to him; some-thing which should inspire everything else in the world to be questioned. “What is that to you... or that... or that, compared to following Christ?”. Peter's path is not up to him, and it will not be determined by what happens to John or any other disciple. It will be determined by Jesus. (vs. 22-23) “If it is my will,” says Jesus. Discipleship means following King Jesus, wherever the path leads.

III. Walk That Beach with Jesus

Okay. As we've seen there's a number of things going on in this passage, right? John is trying to put to rest a rumor about his own path (i.e. that he would live until Christ returned). Peter is being reaffirmed and redirected by Jesus after denying Christ three times. And... Peter is reminded that, in spite of where his path will eventually lead (when he is “old”), he cannot forget where it all began. On this beach, Jesus is reminding Peter of another beach, several years earlier; that beach where Peter first heard the call of Christ; the call to “follow”. And now he hears it again, from the very same lips. “What is that to you? You follow me.” Brothers and sisters, fellow disciples, it is very easy to get to lose our way, isn't it?

To misplace our focus. I think the commentator Matthew Henry captured it well...

[Peter] seems more concerned for another than for himself. So apt are we to be busy in other men's matters, but negligent in the concerns of our own souls; quick-sighted abroad, but dim-sighted at home; judging others, and prognosticating [predicting] what they will do, when we have enough to do to prove our own work, and understand our own way.

But this morning, I want to encourage you to get more specific. Think for a minute, brother, sister; think about being on that beach with Jesus. If it were just him and you, and you were looking around, looking back... to what would you be looking? At whom would you be looking? Wherever else you are turning (and all of us are vulnerable to this), Jesus is responding this morning to you and me with this same question: “What is that to you?” (2x) That thing. That person. That memory. That lack. That feeling. That job. That dream. That wound. That comment. That break-up. That failure. That rejection. That plan. That expectation. That goal. That insecurity. That strategy to protect yourself... to get what you believe you need... to remain in control.

“What is that to you?” Jesus is asking... you. It may be important. It may be painful and hard to ignore. It may be desirable and worthwhile. But it should not and cannot define your path. Because in the end (and literally, in the End—captial “E”... in the end) disciple, it all boils down to this and this alone: it's just you and Jesus. “You follow me.” Around whatever else you have constructed your faith, be it ministry busyness, or family legacy, or relationship building, or worldview defense, or even therapeutic support and self-improvement, please do not lose the glowing center of saving faith, which is you and Jesus. Do you hear Him this morning? Do you hear Jesus speaking to your heart. “You follow me”.

Not “you follow my principles”. Not “you stand up for me in a corrupt culture”. Not “you help others follow me”. Not “you protect my teaching”. Not “you think highly of me”, or “you feel better because of me”. No. It's “You follow me.” During my break in June, God used this verse to get my attention; to help me acknowledge that my faith had become way too concerned with ministry faithfulness and knowledge and productivity and being who I need to be for everyone else. But then I heard Jesus... and he said, “What is that to you? (what have you made these things—leave these to me—You...) You follow me.” And though it sounds strange for someone who's been a Christian for decades and involved in full-time ministry for decades, I'm working even now to reclaim my discipleship to Jesus. To listen to His voice, first for the sake of my own heart... my own path. And only then, to give what I've received and lead as I'm led.

You have a path, believer, and that path is yours and yours alone. To be clear, you are not alone. We do walk together, but I cannot walk your path, nor you mine. And your path is not defined by our common journey (by simply what everyone else is doing and how they're doing it). It's defined by Jesus and his will for your life. He is there with you. Please hear me: I'm not trying to encourage some kind of radical individualism. I'm trying to encourage your faith as first a radical and individual pursuit of Christ, not as a church activity or a spiritual checklist or a community experience. Here's the good news: this same Jesus, the same Jesus who spoke to Peter, crucified for us and raised to life for us, wants to take a walk with you this morning along the beach of your heart. And he wants to speak with you, He says, “What is that to you (or that or that)? You follow me.” He knows the path won't be easy. And he knows you will often stumble. But as was this case with Peter, He is a King who restores. He graciously reaffirms and redirects his struggling disciples. Do you need to reclaim your discipleship to Jesus this morning? Be encouraged by Peter's own words to disciples like us: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)