60 - John 21:18

’Verily, verily I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.’ -John 21:18. An explanation of the words is given by the evangelist: "This spake he signifying by what death he should glorify God." And Peter seems to have so understood it; for presently he says, pointing to John, What about this one? Peter was very ready to ask questions, and they were not always the most pertinent. Jesus answered, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" Should I concede him that privilege, would that be a reason for thee to be the less content with the honour granted thee, the privilege of dying for me? Peter gives the merest glance at the boon bestowed upon him, and is all eagerness to know what his brother apostle is to get. Look well at what has been given thee, Peter. As Jesus, from the very outset of his ministry, foresaw the cross always before him, and knew that every step was bringing him nearer to it, so it was now the privilege of Peter to know that there was a cross before him. He should live many years, and should be enabled to continue steadfast, immovable in the work of the Lord, his treacherous nature should not get the victory over him, the prophecy of his name should be fulfilled, he should be a living stone built upon the stone of life, the Rock of ages, and should seal the testimony of his prolonged discipleship by suffering crucifixion at the hands of Christ’s enemies.

Jesus had seen fit to refer in a very solemn yet loving manner to the thrice-repeated sin of Peter by the thrice-uttered question, Lovest thou me? It was of the utmost importance that Peter should never forget how very near Satan had come to getting the complete mastery of him. The bond of faith that kept him in communication with Jesus was attenuated to a spider-thread, when he declared with imprecations, calling God to witness his lie, that he knew not Jesus of Nazareth. What a dreadful prospect opened before him, when he thought of going forth with such a nature to fight the battle of life! Jesus away in the heavens, how reasonably might the adversary expect, in some opportune hour, to break that spider-thread of faith! Would it help him in any way to forget that terrible lapse? Peter would fain forget it. He had wept bitterly; but his was not a nature that cared to carry such a burden; he needed to turn to something more cheering. Ah, Peter, forget that shameful hour at thy peril; whatever else thou forgettest, forget not this. The recollection of thy weakness shall be thy strength. Peter could not fail to see that our Lord had the thing in mind when he thrice asked him, ’Lovest thou me more than these do?’ These may forsake thee, I will not; my love to thee is such that I am ready to face the utmost hostility of man; this was what he had said. What sayest thou now, Peter, of that love of thine? Is there not something better than saying? What thy Lord wants now is not a declaration in words. We have had enough of this. ’Ah, if I only had some opportunity of proving my love, of doing or suffering for Christ. But alas! the opportunity is gone. Jesus has left the world, and the world has washed its hands of him and his. At rare intervals he reveals himself to us for a few minutes. The time has gone by when I could give him proof of my attachment. A glorious opportunity was given and shamefully let slip. Under the circumstances, what can I do better than try to forget my shameful fall? But this is thy mistake, Peter. Better opportunities of showing thy love to Jesus were never present. Dost thou not remember this word: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me?" There are many in all these villages, upon all these mountains, who have a faith in Jesus as feeble as thine lately was; the smoking flax is ready to be quenched; the bruised reed is ready to be broken; the tidings of the death of Jesus have carried confusion and dismay to their hearts; shall their poor faith go out in everlasting night? Have you not that which would prove an unspeakable consolation to them? Why should you not be telling them that the crucified Jesus is alive for evermore, that you have seen him, spoken with him? Go, feed his lambs. Though the great Shepherd is departing, there is for you, as for all the apostles, a shepherdship. He washed your feet the other day; you may not now wash his, neither may you, like Mary, anoint his head with precious ointment; but the way to his heart is before you; look after his scattered flock. ’Follow me. I have left you an example, and I commit to you my work.’ The last "verily, verily" flings itself over the entire life of Peter, and never leaves him till his breath leaves him. He had been willing to show his love to Jesus by dying for him, but had been taken in the trap of his own wretched selfishness. Well, he shall have this privilege; but only after he has had, through many years, the equal privilege of glorifying Christ by ministering to the flock of Christ. For thirty years or more death should have no power over him; he should be compassed about by the prophecy of Christ, so that his enemies should not prevail to take away his life; but he should not continue till the coming of Christ; others might indulge this hope, he could not. We find him at last writing in his Second Epistle, "Shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me."

"Thou wouldest not;" "thou wouldest;" the latter explains the former. Peter, when the time came for him to suffer, was not unwilling to die. Our Lord does not teach that he would die unwillingly; but simply that there would be a privation of liberty; he should be under the control of others. In his younger days he had liberty, with respect to men; he could gird his fisher’s coat upon him and go a fishing without asking permission from men. But he should eventually fall into the hands of his enemies. The ordinary reader can see this, and there would be no occasion for mentioning it, if commentators had not a passion for obscuring that which is plain.

What effect did it have upon Peter, to know that he should endure unto the end? Did it make him careless? Some say that the doctrine of election, the belief that one’s salvation is assured, will have this effect. Yes, upon those who have no right to believe it. Peter lived a life of genuine consecration to Christ, seeking in all things to be holy as God is holy. And the elect, in like manner, make their calling and election sure. Their faith is not in a future Christ, but in a present One, making them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.