"What's it to You?"

What’s It To You?

Read John 21:18-23 (NASB)

There must have been a rivalry between Peter and John. Both were part of the “inner circle” of Peter, James and John … they had a special place in the heart of Jesus.

Peter always wanted to be first. He didn’t like to lose, much less come in second place. Have you ever known anybody like this? Being competitive isn’t all bad … but it can be a hindrance, if you let it control you.

Peter wasn’t about to let John outdo him again, especially after what happened on the way to the tomb. You can imagine Peter standing there soaking wet thinking to himself – “Hah! I beat you this time didn’t I John. Oh, you may have beaten me to the tomb a few days back, but I beat you today!”

You can see a sense of rivalry, of competition between Peter and John (at least of Peter’s part). And I will tell you that Jesus saw it too. And that is why Jesus said to Peter what He did.

Peter wanted to know what was in store for John … if he was going to have to die for his faith as well.

MAYBE … Peter was hoping that John wouldn’t get off easier than Peter … that he would have to die also. Or MAYBE … Peter was hoping that John wouldn’t have to die for his faith …. that way Peter would give God the greater glory. Peter never wanted to be “one-upped” by anybody … especially John. Or MAYBE … Peter wanted to divert the focus off himself … and onto someone else. After all, Peter had boasted about how much he loved Jesus … then denied knowing Him 3 times.

MAYBE Peter didn’t want all this attention … he wasn’t able to live up to the expectations of Jesus before … maybe he didn’t want the other disciples to focus on his life and ministry … if he failed Jesus again. For whatever reason, Peter asks Jesus about John … “What is in store for John?”

Say what you will about Peter, but I really like him! I like Peter because Peter would always ask the questions or make statements that the other disciples only dared to think in their minds! Peter would often blurt out questions or utter declarations that would, at first glance, make him appear foolish. 

But in reality, Peter was not the Lone Ranger; he just had the nerves or maybe the lack of common restraint to verbalize what the others would also be thinking! Call him impulsive if you will, but it is because of Peter that we have some insight into the Master’s mind that perhaps we, otherwise, would not have been privileged to, had it not been for the impulsiveness of Peter!

It was because of Peter’s impulsiveness that he spoke out when Jesus was telling the disciples that they all would forsake him and flee. Peter said that although the others might forsake Jesus, he would stay him, even if it cost him his life! It was then that Jesus revealed that before the cock would crow, Peter would deny him three times! 

Well, those of us who are familiar with the details of our Lord’s journey know that it turned out exactly as Jesus said it would! Our Lord was taken, his disciples forsook him and fled, Peter vehemently denied him, not once, not twice, but three times, just as Jesus said he would!

Now, the setting of our text is after the resurrection. Jesus had appeared to his disciples before, but it seemed as if he appeared this time specifically for Peter. No doubt, Peter was very disappointed in himself for his gross failure, and perhaps he wondered what the Lord thought of him. 

In this text, Jesus confronted Peter with his failure in order to restore him. And so, he asked the question; “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” (v15) Now, I’m not going to expound upon that part of the conversation because that is not the focus of this preaching moment. But he asked Peter about that three times! Many Biblical scholars seem to think that it was to correspond with Peter’s three denials. 

In verse 18, Jesus has already forgiven Peter completely and now He is telling Peter what will happen to him and how he will die in serving Christ’s cause. Jesus has forgiven and commissioned him, and he tells him that he will be crucified like I was. He would die a martyr’s death! History says that Peter was indeed hung on a cross.

Then after Jesus had revealed this to Peter, it seems from the context of the text, that he got up and began to walk away, telling Peter to follow him. When he began to follow, Peter noticed that John was also following behind them and so he asked Jesus: “But Lord, what about this man?” In other words: “You have told me what is going to happen to me, but what I want to know is; what’s in store for this man? Will he die a martyr’s death also?’

It is remarkable to know that Jesus is always up front with His disciples. He never said that in following Him that you wouldn’t have any trouble – just the opposite. And He never said that in following Him you would not be persecuted – just the opposite; in John 16:33 Jesus had already told the disciples that they would face troubles but not to worry about it because with Him they could overcome it. So when we face difficulties in serving Christ and the church, don’t think it odd or unusual…

Then in verse 19, Jesus caps off his honesty by simply saying to Peter – “Follow Me.” Jesus tells Peter; “…look I have been honest with you, I have told you what to do and I have told you that you are going to face a hard end, but now all you have to do is follow me.”

He had given Peter his job (verses 15-17) and he is simply telling Peter to do what He had told him (even in spite of what the end would be). That is hard for us to swallow.

You may hear Jesus calling you to a specific task, a specific ministry but along with that, you can see the risks it might involve, the frustrations, the possible dangers, you wonder why he didn’t call someone else to do it or you decide on you own that it is just too hard and so you hesitate.

But the call is still the same, it is personal. Jesus says, “YOU – just follow me…”

Now in verses 20-21 you can appreciate what Peter did. Whether it was envy or jealousy that motivated Peter’s question to Jesus, we don’t know but what we do know is that there was a little rivalry going on with Peter.

So Peter did something that we have all done at some time and here is where it gets interesting. He had heard what Jesus had told him, and he nervously looks over his shoulder and spies John (his competition, his race opponent, his ministry rival) and says – “Hey Jesus, what about him?” Will he have a hard ministry like I will?

You can hear Peter’s tone… “Come on Jesus… what about him, he is supposed to be the one you love. If I have to suffer, he should too. Will you tell him the same thing your telling me? Why does he get to stay in Jerusalem?” You would think that Peter would just be grateful that Jesus had just forgiven him for a horrible sin…

But have you ever felt that way? Maybe you have asked the same questions. Have you felt God calling you to do something and you have said – “Hey God, what about so and so? I don’t see them doing anything; I don’t see you telling them they are going to have to work hard.

Listen, we get into trouble when we look at other people … at what God is doing in their lives, don’t we?

Now, what is so interesting about this text is that it reveals that Peter was a lot like many of us! Look at his immediate response! Jesus had just told him how he was going to die, yet the first thing he wants to know is what’s going to happen to John! Now one might ask: What was Peter’s motivation in asking this question? Perhaps he couldn’t stomach the thought that he would be the only one to die a martyr’s death! You do know that misery loves company, don’t you? 

Somehow or another, we feel a little better when we know that we are not the only ones suffering or going through something! We take comfort in the thought of knowing that other folk are going through experiences similar to ours! And if we are not careful, we will let other folk’s experiences serve as an excuse for us not to do anything about our experiences. 

Let me show you what I am talking about: There are many people who don’t do, simply because other folks are not doing! When they are confronted about their neglect of duty, the first thing they say is: “Well, Sis so-in-so is not doing it either!” 

We look at how God is blessing brother so-and-so … and we wonder why God isn’t blessing us that much. We look at sister so-and-so … and we wonder why she has it so much better than we do. We think or say, “It’s just not fair! I’m just as good or even a better Christian than they are … God’s not treating me as good as I deserve.”

We fail to understand that God is not going to judge us based on what Sis so-in-so did or did not do! Our judgment will be based on what we did or did not do! Every man will have to see God for himself! My father used to say that every tub would have to sit on its own bottom! What others do not do is not a valid excuse for our failure to do what we should do!

Perhaps Peter wanted to know whether or not his experience would be unique or whether it was something that John would suffer also. There is a natural human tendency to always try to compare one’s experience with the experience of someone else! Sometimes we do this to make ourselves feel better than others! You remember the self-righteous Pharisee, don’t you? The Bible says that when he prayed to himself, he was thankful that he was not sinful like other people! No! He wasn’t sinful just like other folks; he had his own unique set of sins! 

Sometimes we make this comparison to try to make sure others are doing as much as we are doing! You remember when Jesus went to visit Mary and Martha’s house? The Bible says that Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, attentive to his words, but Martha was busy with much service. Martha complained to the Lord that Mary was shirking her responsibility and leaving all the work on her! 

Sometimes, if we are not careful, we can develop a bitter spirit when we make comparisons and surmise that we are the only ones doing right or that we are doing more than anyone else! We use that comparison to justify what we do or don’t do!

Listen to how our Lord responded to Peter’s inquiry!  (and He speaks to us as well) In verses 21:22 He said, (in our common everyday language) You can now hear Jesus’ tone – “Peter I wasn’t talking to John, John will have his own work, I was talking to you!”

 “If I chose to let him stick around until I come back, what business is that of yours? You follow me!” In other words, “Peter, don’t you worry about what is going to happen to John, that’s none of your business! Your business is to just follow me!” 

That’s the message the Lord has for you and me today! There are some folks who think that it is their God-ordained duty to make sure that others are doing right! Many people don’t do what they are supposed to be doing because they are too busy worrying about other folks.

What Jesus is doing in anybody else’s life is none of my business …or your business. If God wants to bless your cranky old neighbor with a new car, and you drive around in a junk heap … that’s God’s business. If God wants to bless brother/sister so-and-so with good health and you can’t stay out of the hospital … that’s God’s business.

Everybody is trying to watch and see what everybody else is doing and as a result, no one is minding their own business!

God doesn’t make any mistakes … He knows what he’s doing in your life … Amen? The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can trust him with what he’s doing in our life. Let’s just keep our eyes on Jesus … and off others.

Now, notice how rumors get spread in verse 23. They took what Jesus said (21:22) and started telling everybody that Jesus said that John would be around for the Rapture.

Have you ever been misquoted? Or misunderstood?

I recently got into trouble because a Pastor misunderstood something I said to him. Instead of coming to me and getting an explanation, he told others what he thought I said. When word got back to me, I called him and straightened it all out … and he contacted those who he had misinformed. No harm done, but it was unfortunate.

Sometimes our tongues get the best of us, don’t they? We put our mouth in motion, before we put our mind in gear! Let’s make sure our “testimony is true” before we start repeating something that may be damaging to others.

Conclusion

And so, my brothers and sisters, as I conclude today, I want to conclude by saying that we should be thankful for Peter! Peter was a prime example of our own vanities! In Peter, we can see ourselves! We can see ourselves boasting about what we would never do, only to end up doing what we said we would never do! 

In Peter we can see our restoration from the fall that follows after our pride! For just like Peter, the Lord seeks to restore us and bring us to the point of loving him more than anything else! And in Peter, we can see the error of our being overly concerned about what he has given others to do! Though your fellow Christian may seem to be prosperous while you are suffering, God is not unjust! You don’t know what that brother has been and is going through! Don’t worry about him: You just make sure that you are doing what the Master has assigned for you to do!