“FOLLOW ME!“

John 21:15-19                                      (ESV)

“15 When they had finished breakfast, JESUS said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love ME more than these?" He said to HIM, "Yes, LORD; you know that I love you." HE said to him, "Feed my lambs."

16 HE said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love ME?" He said to him, "Yes, LORD; you know that I love YOU." HE said to him, "Tend MY sheep."

17 HE said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love ME?" Peter was grieved because HE said to him the third time, "Do you love ME?" and he said to HIM, "LORD, you know everything; you know that I love YOU." JESUS said to him, "Feed MY sheep.

18 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."”

There have been many sermons by people who were far more qualified than I expounding on the passage of Scripture above.  My take on this passage today is as follows: JESUS was recently resurrected from possibly the most brutal death ever known, and yet HE was telling Peter to “FOLLOW ME”?  Did JESUS really mean for Peter (and us) to die a death as brutal as HIS, all for the sake of GOD being Glorified?  

Scripture doesn’t tell us precisely how Peter died.  However, JESUS says in John 21:19 “This HE (JESUS) said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify GOD”.  A commentary states that “In spite of the gruesome details Peter heard about his death, he must have taken comfort and joy in hearing that his death would glorify GOD. Peter’s love for JESUS and his desire to obey and glorify HIM were evident throughout the rest of his life and ministry”.  

To be assigned death by crucifixion would NOT be something that most would put on their “bucket list”.  Yet Peter, along with all of the disciples (including Paul) with the exception of John the Revelator, were “sacrificed” for the Glory of GOD!  And John was exiled to the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation.  All of these people GLADLY accepted that THIS WORLD was NOT their home, and that their PEACE and JOY would only become reality when they saw JESUS on HIS THRONE!

Why don’t I have that kind of VISION and conviction?  JESUS has said “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION. But take heart; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD" (John 16:33)!  JESUS was committed to Glorifying the FATHER, but I live as though my physical life is the most important thing in the world!  NEWS FLASH,  none of us our going to escape here (this world) alive!  We had better be preparing for the next world while we can!  The ONLY WAY to do that is to “FOLLOW ME”, especially when our time comes to Glorify the FATHER!