John 21:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

NIV: When Peter saw him, he asked, 'Lord, what about him?'

NASB: So Peter, upon seeing him, *said to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about this man?'

CSB: When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him? "

NLT: Peter asked Jesus, 'What about him, Lord?'

KJV: Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

NKJV: Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

Peter is seeing John (John 21:20), who mentions himself in roundabout ways (John 13:23; 19:26; 21:24). Peter, John, and James were Jesus' closest followers (Matthew 17:1; Mark 14:33; Luke 8:51). When Jesus made a prediction about Peter's eventual fate (John 21:18–19), Peter would have naturally been curious about what would happen to John.

Jesus' response (John 21:22) is not a rebuke, or even a criticism. It's simply a rhetorical question, meaning "what difference would that make in your faith? Just follow Me!"

One reaction to this comment is ironic. Jesus is neglecting to make a prediction, but some early Christians will misinterpret it as a prophecy, anyway. In the time between Jesus making the statement and John's writing of this account, rumors will spread that John would not die until Jesus returned. John will feel the need to refute that mistake directly (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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/3/2024 6:23:33 AM