John 21:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!"

NIV: Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

NASB: Jesus *said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!'

CSB: "If I want him to remain until I come," Jesus answered, "what is that to you? As for you, follow me."

NLT: Jesus replied, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.'

KJV: Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee follow thou me.

NKJV: Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

This comes immediately after Jesus has restored Peter after a painful fall (John 13:36–38; 21:17). The prophecy about Peter's death, in a way, also serves as a prediction that Peter's faith will never fail. John, James, and Peter were Jesus' closest followers (Matthew 17:1; Mark 14:33; Luke 8:51). Jesus has just predicted the nature of Peter's death, with John standing nearby (John 21:18–20). Out of natural curiosity, Peter has asked about John's fate (John 21:21).

Jesus' response is not harsh, but it is direct. He gives no prediction, but only points out that what happens to John has nothing to do with Peter's faith. Peter doesn't need to know what will happen to John—now that he's been restored, he just needs to obey: "you follow me!" Even if John were to live from that moment until Jesus' second coming, it would not change Peter's calling or his need to obey Christ in faith.

That principle applies, more broadly, to Christians even today. It's good to care about the fate of others. We should seek to meet their needs. But whether others "win" or "lose," and even whether they live or die, doesn't change our obligation to focus on personal obedience.

Ironically, even though Jesus is refusing to comment on John's death, rumors and misinterpretation will arise. In the very next verse, John repeats the precise words used. He does this to counter an incorrect assumption that he would not die until Jesus returned (John 21:23).

John 21:20–23 comes immediately after Jesus delivers a prophecy about Peter's death. Peter asks about John, wondering if Jesus will say anything about his fate. Jesus sets the question aside, saying it would have no impact on Peter's need to follow Christ. John recounts this moment to correct a misunderstanding about that response; early believers misstated Jesus' words to imply that John wouldn't die until Jesus returned.

After Jesus' resurrection, a group of disciples goes fishing while they wait in Galilee. From a distance, a figure appears and tells the men to cast again. Despite a fruitless night, they obey, and the net is immediately overflowing with fish. This confirms that the man on the shore is Jesus. As the disciples eat a meal with Christ, He presses Peter to reaffirm His faith. Jesus then predicts the nature of Peter's death; He does not do so for John. The gospel of John ends with an affirmation of its source, and a reminder that no single book could contain every detail of Jesus' ministry.

The final chapter of the gospel of John evokes the recent trend of a "post-credits scene" from films. After the main story has been told, John includes one last scene to further add details about what is to come. After Jesus' resurrection and appearances, He meets with the disciples near Galilee. A major outcome of this meeting is Peter's restoration to his former status. No finite work could fully explain Jesus' ministry, so John's eyewitness account is only part of those truths.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.