EXPLANATORY AND CRITICAL NOTES
John 13:36-38. “Thou canst not now be a Peter, for the Petra (or Rock) has not yet consolidated thee with His Spirit; but thou shalt follow Me by dying on the cross as I shall die for thee” (Augustine in Wordsworth’s Greek Testament) (John 21:18-19). “Peter imagined that he could lay down his life for Christ, whereas Christ had come to lay down His life for all, among whom was Peter. Peter imagined he could precede his Guide. Presumptuous supposition! It was necessary that Christ should first lay down His life for the salvation of Peter, before Peter could be able to lay down his life for the Gospel of Christ” (Idem).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— John 13:36-38
The self-confident apostle: “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed.”—The man who spoke here so confidently was Simon son of Jona, not Peter, the Rock. He was still the impulsive fisherman of Galilee, still slow of heart to believe all that was written in the prophets, etc., concerning Christ. He was to learn by sad experience to forego for ever that self-trust and to put his trust in the Saviour. To strengthen his faith the Redeemer foretold him of what would happen; for the remembrance of this and of the kind and gracious words, “Thou shalt follow Me afterward,”. “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:32), would keep the apostle from falling into Judas-like despair.
I. The impatience of Peter.—
1. The apostle was not content to receive our Lord’s words with implicit trust in His wisdom and love. Where will his Master go that they cannot follow Him? Had they not the promise that He would appoint the disciples a kingdom, that they should sit on thrones (Luke 22:29)?
2. Our Lord’s gentle reply only increased the apostle’s impatience. Afterwards! Why not now? Why wait for some to-morrow when we have to-day? The apostle in this is a type of many. They would be men before they are prepared for the work of life. They would clutch at joy to-day, would seek to leap to the summit in place of slowly toiling upward, or waiting till the means of transit are ready.
3. Peter was not yet ready to follow Christ. Christ must first do His work for him on the bitter cross, and in him by the Galilean lake and at Pentecost, ere the impatient apostle could be fitted to follow Him. So may Christian men who are impatient to enter on such and such work, or to occupy some other position, learn not to fret impatiently that their prayers are not at once answered. The Lord will prepare us to follow Him, if we are His, in His own time and way. Peter had a glorious work to do, far other than he thought. So may we have. Let us rest trustingly on the divine wisdom and love.
II. Peter’s rash self-confidence.—
1. “I will lay down my life,” etc. Here he showed his want of true self-knowledge. He over-estimated greatly his own strength. The others may fail—he will not. However dark the way Christ has to tread he will follow, even though it should be to death. Had he not come with the Master to Judæa in face of danger (John 11:16)? No, he will not fail,
2. What must have been his thoughts then when Jesus spoke solemnly, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee,” etc.—I, whom you believe to be the Son of God? Did he say in his heart, “Is thy servant a dog,” etc.? At all events his voice led in the asseveration of all the disciples. “Though I should die with Thee,” etc. (Matthew 26:35).
3. “What the song says with fine sentiment,
‘If all should be unfaithful,
Yet I’ll to Thee be true,’
is in Simon’s style, not in Peter’s, and must have been composed before the hour of trial” (Besser). Men need a stronger arm than their own to lean upon in this world of trial and temptation. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed”; “Watch and pray,” etc.
III. Peter’s ardent love and zealous devotion.—
1. The apostle, though weakly over-confident, was really devoted to the Redeemer, and at the moment meant what he said. He believed Jesus to be the Son of God, and was willing to bring Him the highest offering in his power—his life.
2. And the Lord received the imperfect offering, and blessed him with the promise, “Thou shalt follow Me afterward” (John 21:18-19).
3. Like love and devotion will be followed by like promises. Let but our love and zeal in Christ’s service be genuine, and we too shall be strengthened in weakness like Peter, and be enabled also, though far off, to follow Christ through life and in death.
ILLUSTRATION
John 13:37. The folly of over-self-confidence.—Even the best should not think themselves absolved from the duty of self-examination, for even the best are not clean, the best cannot be certain of themselves. Even a John dare not be confident overmuch, even a Peter has his hours of weakness, a Nathanael his spots, a Paul glories not as if he had attained, and a Demas can again love this present world. Therefore genuine disciples of the Lord must ever be on their guard, must ever watch, ever prove themselves and ask, “Lord, is it I” whom Thou dost charge? And for such earnest self-examination the Lord’s Supper gives a special opportunity; there ought to be true friends of Jesus around Him, there He will give us of the best that He has for us. No unworthy one should be there, no foe, no traitor, not even one who is indifferent. And even the best should there look within and ask, “Lord, is it I?” hast Thou aught against me?… When you ask your own hearts, you will not do it thoroughly. The answer will be quickly forthcoming, No, it is not thee; thou art no Judas, no betrayer of the Master; thou art a good Christian, better perhaps than many hundreds of others, an honest citizen, a skilful workman, a diligent housewife; thou canst hold up thy head before God and men. And when you ask men, there also you will get no reliable judgment. Your names may stand well in the world, your walk may be blameless. The world will speak well of you if you will of it. Its balances are other than those of the high and holy places. So many are self-deceived their whole life long, are their own eulogists, have the best of witnesses as to their good name in the world; and behold! when they reach eternity those witnesses are of no avail, and their calculations are found to be false.—Karl Gerok, “Predigt.”