Lesson 23: “You Follow Me!”

Opening questions:

1. This chapter records a series of very personal interactions between Jesus and His disciples. Why are they so important?
2. What questions do you have from the text?

Shortly before His arrest, Jesus made this statement to His apostles: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15.5). Just a few hours after Jesus uttered those words His disciples would abandon Him (cf. Mark 14.50) and one of His closest apostles would deny Him (John 18.17-18,25-27). How could they possibly bear fruit when they were clearly not abiding in Him? The events of John 21 not only show how Jesus renewed fellowship with His disciples, but prepared them for the work they would engage in. If they would follow Him, they would indeed bear fruit!

Jesus provides for His disciples (vss. 1-14).

• Vs. 1: according to Mark’s account, Jesus had told the apostles to go into Galilee (see Mark 14.28; 16.7).
• Vs. 2: this is the first time that the “sons of Zebedee” (James and John) are mentioned in John’s gospel.
• Vs. 3: There are some who view Peter’s desire to go fishing as a desire to return to his old life, but that cannot be determined from the text. A likelier scenario may be that at this point Peter was unsure if the Lord would take Him back; had his denial severed the relationship?
• Vs. 4: while they caught nothing that night (vs. 3), the case would be quite different during the day (see John 9.4-5).
• Vs. 7: This event was strikingly similar to their earlier call (see Luke 5.4-9) that the “disciple whom Jesus loved” knew that the man was the Lord.
• Vs. 9: recall that Jesus had earlier asked if they had any fish (vs. 5). This would seem to be a miraculous meal, harkening back to when Jesus had fed 5000 (see John 6). Jesus had provided for the needs of the crowd, now He was again providing for the needs of those whom He loved.
• Vss. 10-11: this may harken back to the fact that Jesus had previously told them that they would be “fishers of men” (see Mark 1.17). Jesus had done His work, now they would continue to bring more souls into the kingdom (see John 17.20).
• Vs. 12: “these disciples know it is the Lord, and yet are still so uneasy, so hesitant, so uncertain, that they apparently long to ask him, in effect, ‘Is it really you?’, yet dare not do so” (Carson).
• Vs. 13: “If they were to be free from care as His Apostles, they must trust Him to make provision for them, as He had this morning done.”

Jesus gives Peter work (vss. 15-19).

• Peter had demonstrated his love for the Lord, throwing himself into the sea and swimming to meet Jesus (vs. 7). Now the Lord loving showed Peter that he was in fact fully restored to His fellowship. And so whereas Peter had previously denied the Lord three times, now he is three times given the charge to lovingly care for those who belong to Jesus (see John 10.16; 14.15).
• MUCH has been made of the two words used translated as “love” in this passage (agape and phileo).
  • “the fact is that agapaō and phileō are used synonymously in the Fourth Gospel. For example, both agapaō and phileō are used of the Father’s love for the Son (10:17; 15:9; 17:23, 24, 26/5:20), Jesus’ love for Lazarus (11:5/11:3, 36), the disciple whom Jesus loved (13:23; 19:26; 21:7, 20/20:2), and the Father’s love for the disciples (14:23/16:27)” (Kruse, Colin G).
  • The two words do not differ in intensity of feeling or what actions would spring from them. Rather, they differ in motivation. Phileo is the love of kindred or tribe, while agape is a love that is not based on affiliation, but by choice. It may be that is why Jesus asked Peter if he loved (agape) Him, and Peter responded with (phileo).
• Vs. 15: “‘Lambs’ is used instead of ‘sheep to bring out more strongly the appeal to care, and the consequent complete confidence shown in Peter” (EXGNT).
• Vs. 17: “The record of Peter’s reinstatement stands as an encouragement for all who might crack under pressure and deny their Lord. This is not the same as cold-blooded apostasy, and is not regarded as such by the Lord… Two other things call for comment. First, Jesus’ reference to ‘my sheep’ has a parallel in 10:27, where Jesus refers to believers as ‘my sheep’. Here, then, Jesus was giving Peter a pastoral role towards the believers. Second, similar terminology is used in 1 Peter 5:1–4 and Acts 20:28–29 to urge elders to shepherd God’s flock, suggesting that Jesus’ commission to Peter to feed his sheep here in 20:15–17 was not understood to be restricted to Peter in an exclusive way” (Kruse, Colin G).
• Vss. 18-19: Peter would never deny his Lord again, rather he would suffer and die for Him (see John 15.18-20).

Jesus issues the call: “you follow Me!” (vss. 20-25).

• Vs. 21: “the episode at the last supper (John 13.24-25) calls to mind that Peter signalled to John to get him to ask Jesus a question: i.e. it assumes a certain intimacy between the beloved disciple and Peter. That intimacy makes Peter’s question more comprehensible, if not more justifiable. His own prognosis is not very good: for Peter the cost of discipleship will be high. What about him?” (Carson)
• Vs. 22: Jesus did not belittle either disciple. Peter might die a martyrs death, while John might remain as a faithful witness for many years. Both had work to do for the Lord. Thus, each needed to heed the call; “You follow me!”
• Vs. 23: John is careful to point this out, lest disciples lost their confidence in the Lord’s return when John did ultimately die.
• Vs. 24: see 1John 1.1-4.

  “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25, ESV)