"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” (vv.18-19)
Here Jesus spoke of Peter’s past, reminding him of his younger days when he had less responsibility and could do (more or less) as he pleased. Most of us know what these younger years were like. Jesus also spoke of Peter’s future, when another would bind him (gird you) and carry Peter to a place he would not want to go – a place with stretched out hands, crucified on a cross. It would be by this death he would glorify God.
Ancient writers have documented that, about thirty-four years after this, Peter was crucified; and that he deemed it so glorious a thing to die for Christ that he begged to be crucified with his head downwards, not considering himself worthy to die in the same posture in which his Lord did.
After speaking to Peter about his death, Jesus gave these last words to him, "Follow Me." Peter had followed Christ, but not continuously in the past. Scripture tells in Johns’ gospel that Peter even denied knowing Jesus three times shortly after His arrest in the garden, and he even went back to his former occupation of fishing. However he was later restored by Jesus at the Sea of Tiberias and called to follow steadfastly in the ways of the Lord and to Feed His Sheep (vv.15-25).
We too, despite our pasted, are to keep following Jesus. The command ‘Follow me’ is a present imperative, which literally means Keep on following me. Even though we may have denied Christ in the past, He knows His children - His Spirit calls us to repentance, and to keep following Him, giving our attention to; His Word, His calling, exhorting and serving others, and exercising the gifts God has given us. Then in so doing we like Peter become restored in Christ.
The Truth: "Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. (1 Timothy 4:13-16)
