“[Jesus said] ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’
“Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?’ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’ So, the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?’
“This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.” [1]
“What About Bob?” is a comedic movie produced in the early 90s. Starring Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray, the film follows the antics of a psychiatric patient named Bob (Murray) and his therapist (Dreyfuss) as Bob unwittingly intrudes into the life of his psychiatrist while the psychiatrist seeks respite with his family while on holiday. Bob ingratiates himself to the family of the psychiatrist, and the family continually asks before every venture, “What about Bob?” Ultimately, Bob pushes the psychiatrist beyond his limits, precipitating a complete breakdown of the once noted therapist.
What is described in the text before us is not comedy—it is life. Peter, acting like Peter, reveals far more about us than we may care to see revealed. Through the Kingdom of our Lord, Christians are appointed to service in varied places and to differing positions of service. The great tragedy is that, like Peter, many saints look about them and ask the Master who appointed them, “What about John?”
APPOINTED TO SERVE — “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’” [JOHN 21:15-17].
Peter, impetuous man that he was, boasted of his courage and his allegiance even as the Master spoke of His pending crucifixion. You do recall the incident? It was immediately after the last Pascal Meal. “Jesus said to [the disciples], ‘You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’” Note Peter’s response. “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away” [MATTHEW 26:31-33].
“Well, these other guys may all run away, but I never will!” Peter was bragging of his ability to stand tall against the winds of adversity. He sounded like many saints I have known. However, don’t be too harsh on Peter, and don’t imagine that you might have reacted differently. Until you have been tested, you don’t know how you will respond. You can’t say at what point your resolve will give way to fear. Every individual has a breaking point when they have no more courage. Maybe you’ve reached that point at one time; perhaps you’re at that point today. Here is the good news—though our courage may fail, the Lord’s love for us will never fail.
Our Lord has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” [HEBREWS 13:5b]. Paul reminds those who follow the Lord, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful” [2 TIMOTHY 2:13a]. We need to remember the reality of our situation. As the Apostle has written, “We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-11].
Of course, after the Master was arrested, Peter did flee, terrified that he might be killed. A child’s question was enough to cause him to run. After the resurrection, Peter obviously still loved the Master—he did run to the tomb when it was reported that Jesus was risen from the dead and he continued to hang around with the other disciples. He was even present at most of the Master’s post-resurrection appearances; He witnessed the Lord when He appeared to the disciples. However, it seems that shame over his failure at last overwhelmed the great man.
Peter announced to the other disciples, “I am going fishing” [see JOHN 21:3]. Implied in his announcement was his intent of returning to the trade he had pursued before the Lord had called him. I understand the willingness to give up, to quit, when you feel that you have failed, and so do many of you. You tried, believing that God had appointed you, and you are convinced that you failed. You are ready to quit. The opposition seems so great and your strength seems to have drained away. You cried out to the Lord, but the heavens were brass, and you believed your prayer rose no higher than the ceiling. What was left but to turn to your own ingenuity. A wounded stag will attempt to return to familiar haunts; and the wounded saint will seek to crawl away to what she has known before. Like us, Peter went back to where he had been before he met the Lord—he returned to fishing.
Left to his own dark thoughts, his sense of abject failure and what he saw as cowardice, Peter would have been finished with any possible service to the Saviour in the future. Some who are hearing me now have shut yourselves off from what you should have been doing because you felt you were a failure. The Master didn’t give up on Peter, and He hasn’t given up on you. Though Peter “felt” he was a failure, Christ was at work in Peter’s life; and the Lord is at work in your life since the day you were born from above. God is not a junk dealer; He deals in precious gold. I am encouraged by Peter’s words. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” [1 PETER 1:3-7].
In the final book in the Old Testament canon, the Book of Malachi, God speaks of His redeemed people. The LORD reveals through Malachi, “Those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. ‘They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him’” [MALACHI 3:16-18].
That promise is extremely encouraging; the LORD God thinks of His redeemed people as His treasured possession. And why wouldn’t He feel that way? His redeemed people have been purchased by the sacrifice of His own Beloved Son! The Living God exchanged the life of His Only Son for the life of His redeemed people. As a redeemed son of the Living God, He counts me as His treasured possession. Though I may feel as if I am being consumed in the fire, the refiner is burning away the dross so that something more precious than gold shall be revealed. This is the testimony of each child of God, whether they now understand this testimony or not.
Some who listen this day may feel they are such abject failures that God cannot use them. Those whom I address will know they have been appointed to some task, and it is more than likely that each is acutely aware that he or she has failed in the appointment each has received. Now, these dear saints wonder how the Saviour could ever use them—they feel they are such a disgrace. Let me remind each one who has trusted the Saviour that Jesus specialises in transforming failures into grand successes. No one comes to the end of days feeling that they are a grand success—there are always unfinished tasks. However, each one can be confident that because Christ is faithful, their labours have accomplished all that He intended should be done.
As he faced the final days of this life, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” [2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8].
Paul could not boast in his accomplishments, but he could boast in Christ who employed him in his great advance of the Kingdom. Jesus, Himself, cautioned His disciples, “So you…, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” [LUKE 17:10].
The Apostle understood this issue very well. You will recall that he wrote the Romans, “On some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written,
‘Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.’”
[ROMANS 15:15-21]
In another letter, Paul confronted some individuals who were boasting of their prowess. They were presenting themselves as though they were apostles, as though they had been appointed to divine service; however, they were mere pretenders at best. Candidly, it is not even certain from what is written that they were saved. After speaking of the trials that accompanied his service, the Apostle spoke of revelations he had received before turning to the physical limitations he experienced. Though he was not specific concerning what those limitations were, he did reveal, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” [2 CORINTHIANS 12:8-10].
Each follower of the Master must remember that we are saved by faith in Him, and not through our own ability to stand firm in the trials of life. Knowing this, I urge each one listening to remember that when God saved you, calling you His own child and giving you an inheritance among the saints, He appointed you to serve Him. God didn’t simply appoint us to a task and leave us to fulfil the appointment we received, He gave us the Spirit of Christ Who gave you a specific gift to be employed in His service. Then, He appointed each one He gifted to a specific place where they were to serve. God entrusted to each believer a vital responsibility and equipped each one to fulfil that responsibility. Fulfilling His appointment is crucial to the success of His Kingdom work. The point of this excursus is to remind each one that as one of the Master’s redeemed people, you are a vital member of the Body of Christ.
God is infinite; because this is true, it should be no surprise that His gifts are infinite. There is no possibility of a complete list of the gifts distributed by the Spirit of God since the Giver is infinite. However, we do have suggestive lists provided in Scripture; and these lists enable us to gain some understanding of the manner in which the Lord equips His people.
For instance, the Apostle Paul, when writing the Church of God in Corinth, testified, “You are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts” [1 CORINTHIANS 12:27-31a].
What we need to understand is that each of us is gifted; and the gifting we have received is not inferior to any other Christian! God Himself chose what He would give—that is why we speak of spiritual gifts rather than speaking of spiritual abilities. Only together are we able to reveal the fulness of Christ. Only together is a congregation the Body of Christ. We must never imagine that we can function on our own and still honour the Master. None of us can ever be so complete that we perfectly reflect the character of the Risen Son of God. Peter understood that he was appointed to serve, but he hadn’t comprehended that serving was in concert with the other disciples. Just so, we need to put into practise the acceptance of God’s work in the Body.
AN UNPLEASANT REVELATION — “[Jesus said], ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me’” [JOHN 21:18-19].
This must assuredly have been an unpleasant revelation for Peter. I mean, few of us would want to know how we were going to die, especially if we were informed that our death would entail humiliation and pain. I cannot imagine that Peter welcomed the words which the Master spoke any more than any of us would welcome such a revelation. Nevertheless, Peter’s death was as Christ described; and from our perspective it was perhaps even more traumatic than Jesus’ words described.
According to an apocryphal account, Peter, knowing of the persecution that was being unleashed against the saints in Rome and at the urging of other believers in the city, determined to save himself and escape the city. However, the Lord appeared to him as he fled the city. In the Latin account we have available, the fleeing disciple inquired of the Lord, “Quo vadis?” “Where are you going?” In this Latin story, the Lord answered, “Romam eo iterum crucifigi.” “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.” Peter, heartbroken that he had fled in disobedience, thereby exposing the Saviour to dishonour, returned to the city to face his fate. [2] Once in the city, Peter was taken captive and sentenced to death. This is the apocryphal account, this is the legend. I don’t mean for anyone to take this as accurate; it is simply to acknowledge that among the early churches, there was an account of how Peter was taken captive.
Still, we can be reasonably certain that Peter did give his life because of his testimony. According to Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, Peter was taken captive and executed because he was a follower of the Risen Christ. One bleak day, Peter’s wife was crucified before his eyes. Peter is reported to have called out to his wife as she hung on the cross, “Remember the Lord!” After her crucifixion, he was returned to his own cell where he would await his own execution. His calm demeanour was such that it was reported that the jailer, witnessing Peter’s calmness, his manly acceptance of the Saviour’s will, himself believed and became a Christian. The next day, Peter was led to his own crucifixion. As he neared the cross on which he would be executed, the Apostle stated that he was unworthy to be executed as his Lord had been, so he requested that he be crucified upside down—feet upward and head downward. His request was granted. [3] [4] According to the Lord’s own word, Peter was led where he did not want to go; his hands were stretched out and he thus fulfilled the words that the Lord had spoken to him.
Peter, impetuous Peter, the Apostle who boasted of his willingness to even die in defence of the Master, would at the end of his life meekly submit to death for Christ’s sake. It is important to note that Peter wouldn’t seek death, but for Christ’s sake, he would accept the will of the Lord. Peter would mature to such an extent that he could accept even death on the cross because the Lord appointed him to that death. Peter didn’t accept crucifixion because it was inevitable; he accepted the Lord’s will in this matter because it was the will of the Lord.
I know that most of us, if we are normal, shrink from the prospect of negative experiences. None of us welcome problems or trials. I understand that some among us question whether we should accept assault, accept attacks, accept efforts to injure and harm us because we are Christians. I realise that the prospect of suffering for Christ’s sake demands something that none of us possess. I am convinced that we do receive grace, but grace is never given wholesale.
Preparing His followers for the trials that would mark their path through life, Jesus said, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour” [MATTHEW 10:16-19].
Writing the followers of the Risen Saviour in Salonica, the Apostle Paul reminded them, “When we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s co-worker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know” [1 THESSALONIANS 3:1-4].
It wasn’t all negative for Peter, however. As we have already seen, Peter had disgraced himself. The poor man felt that he was a failure—he couldn’t even stand in the face of an implied exposure of relationship to the Saviour. The Risen Saviour, however, had restored Peter, restoring him as though he had never stumbled. In the same way, the Master has restored many of us when we stumbled. We can beat ourselves up, stand in the shadows and mope, or we can accept His forgiveness and begin again.
I understand that often the greatest opposition we face comes from fellow believers who knew us when… They find it difficult, perhaps even impossible, to forget our failure; and even if they do not throw it back into our face, we imagine that they will throw our failure back at us at any moment. We who follow the Lord need to assess our actions and our attitudes. If we have been forgiven, then we must ensure that we cultivate a heart of forgiveness.
Perhaps you remember an incident that occurred on one occasion when Peter was interacting with the Master. It is likely that Peter was raising a question that had been discussed among the disciples. “Peter came up and said to [Jesus], ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times’” [MATTHEW 18:21-22]. Peter thought that forgiving seven times was commendable, but Jesus said, in effect, “Throw away your black book. Don’t keep track of the number of times you feel offended. If there has been repentance, forgive!”
Perhaps we need to frequently recite the prayer that Jesus gave His disciples, giving careful thought to what we are asking and the basis for our requests. Jesus taught His disciples to pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”
[MATTHEW 6:8-13]
The Master didn’t merely instruct disciples to say the words, He insisted that what was requested must be incorporated into life. He continued by teaching, “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” [MATTHEW 6:14-15]. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Our relationship with the Father hinges on our relationship with our brothers, and that is difficult.
Dr. Vernon McGee used to recite a poem,
To dwell above with saints we love, oh, that will be glory;
To dwell below with saints we know, well, that’s a different story!
Charles Schulz portrayed Linus as saying, “I love mankind… It’s people I can’t stand.” There are far too many Christians who sound as if they learned from Linus to say, “I love the church! It’s Christians I can’t stand!” Church would be heavenly, if it weren’t for those pesky Christians. We would be well advised to take to heart Peter’s admonition issued to the Christians of the Diaspora: “Love the brotherhood” [1 PETER 2:17b]. Later, in that same letter, Peter will instruct believers, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly” [1 PETER 4:8a].
The Master’s revelation to Peter was a rebuke—gentle, perhaps, but nonetheless a rebuke. To this point, Peter had not been broken, he had not yet discovered what it was to be submissive. A pony may be a great pet, but it will never be useful pulling a wagon or useful for riding, until that pony is broken. Broken doesn’t mean that the pony’s spirit is crushed; it means that the pony permits itself to fulfil the tasks assigned. In a similar manner, a Christian will never fulfil the purpose for which she has been saved until she is brought to the point of being willing to be useful to the Master. Peter would have to come to the point of accepting God’s will rather than asserting his will. At issue was not what Peter thought he might do for Christ’s glory; rather, it was what God wished to do through Peter. In the same way, until you are fully submitted to the will of the Master, your usefulness will always be truncated, limited.
Reaching the point of submission to the Master is never easy. The human spirit rebels at the thought of anyone other than the self being in control of life. Even though an individual may understand that it is the Son of God who will reign supreme in life, surrendering to His rule over life is not easily achieved. Peter would need to receive the Holy Spirit and then he would need to be humbled so that he could learn to say with conviction, “Not my will, but Yours.” Fortunately for us, the Spirit of God has come, and He takes up residence in the life of each child of God at the point of salvation. Though we possess all of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God must possess all of us for us to be useful in the Master’s work. Growing in Christ, we learn to surrender full control of our lives to Him.
The natural man wants to be self-sufficient, as described by the poet. The natural man sees himself standing proud in the face of the darkness. By nature, we want to be able to say,
“I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.” [5]
However, we who have been redeemed realise that such a stance defies the call to bring ourselves into submission to the Risen Saviour. We cannot at the same time be in control of our life and expect that Christ will reign over life.
We who follow the Master are being prepared for something far greater than this moment we call “now.” At this time, Christ is working in each of our particular situations, transforming each of us into the glorious creatures we are destined to become. That work will be completed at His return. Of this we are confident, for He has promised. Recall the words that John recorded, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” [1 JOHN 3:1-3a].
THE COMMON RESPONSE OF THOSE WHO WAIT FOR CHRIST’S RETURN — “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?’ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me’” [JOHN 21:20-22]!
When He spoke to Peter, the Lord revealed the price the Big Fisherman could expect to pay in order to follow the Son of God. I certainly don’t want to exaggerate the cost of following the Saviour, but neither do I wish to depreciate the cost of following Jesus. Individuals considering coming into the Faith need to know that this life as a follower of the Risen Saviour is not for wimps, not for those seeking an easy path. Christ does not offer a cushy life without trials or without challenges; He calls us to inure ourselves to hardship and deprivation.
Do you recall an incident when some expressed their wish to follow the Master? We read, “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God’” [LUKE 9:57-62]. Following the Master requires a sense of urgency, commitment regardless of perceived hardship.
As He sent His disciples out two-by-two to declare the Kingdom of God, Jesus warned, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” [MATTHEW 10:34-39].
After the disciples of the Baptist had come to question Jesus, the Master spoke to the crowd standing nearby. “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’’”
[MATTHEW 11:7-10]
Be assured that following the Master will be demanding. Christ Himself will demand your best service. The world will not love you; it will oppose you just as it opposed the Master. However, the Master was not focused solely on the cost of following Him, Jesus was telling Peter that he could expect a transformation in his character. The longer we walk with the Master, the more we are being changed. Do you recall this teaching found in Paul’s Letter to the saints in Corinth? “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” [2 CORINTHIANS 3:18a].
This is an iteration of something that Paul wrote on another occasion. Writing the congregation in Rome, you will recall that the Apostle stated, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” [ROMANS 8:28-30]. Focus on that TWENTY-NINTH VERSE that informs the people of God that we are “predestined to be conformed to the image of [God’s] Son.” We are predestined to be glorified!
The process, which will culminate with our metamorphosis, the anticipated transformation of all who are twice-born at the return of Christ the Lord, is even now in process. As we walk with the Risen Saviour in this life, we are being transformed. Think about that! Even now, a change is taking place in the life of each follower of the Christ. Often, the people of God focus on what they imagine the transformation will be, focusing only on the physical aspects of that transformation; we seem especially mesmerised by the visual aspects of what will take place when we are at last changed into His image. Some, perhaps in a fit of spirituality, will think of the suspension of physical limitations. However, I suggest that the transformation that is now taking place is revealed through our attitudes and character as the Spirit of Christ works in our lives. We are more-and-more reflecting the Person of Christ in our confidence, in our demeanour, in our response to the challenges of this life. Who we are is now being brought into conformity with the Person of the Master; God is at work in our lives now.
There is more that we must explore. Almost immediately, the rumour began to be bruited about that John would never die. Perhaps some individuals had stood nearby eaves-dropping as the Master spoke to Peter. Perhaps they had imperfectly overheard what was said; or perhaps Peter had told a few others what was said, and like a game of “telephone,” the message was progressively garbled as one person related what they thought they heard to another and so forth. Thus, as John penned the Gospel that bears his name, he was compelled by the Spirit of God to append the addendum, “So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you’” [JOHN 21:23]? So there would be no further misunderstanding, John then included this testimony, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true” [JOHN 21:24].
It is a common defence mechanism that when we hear something unpleasant concerning our own life, we immediately look at others. “I may be a scoundrel, but I’m not as bad as her!” “Well, that may mean something about me, but what about…” “Why should I experience pain! Others are much worse than me!” You get the picture. We transfer onto others the unpleasantness we see ourselves encountering. We attempt to deflect what is coming, hoping that another will share in our misery, hoping that another will receive the dreadful experience rather than ourselves.
I’ve spoken to people who are in the process of being conformed to the image of the Master. God is performing His perfect work in you now. Though none of us have arrived, some have moved closer to a perfect reflection of the Saviour while others are still pretty rough. All of us who began this journey, however, need to know that God is moving us toward perfection in a deliberate fashion and at a pace of His choosing. His work is thorough, and His timing is perfect. Knowing this, the plea delivered by the Apostle Paul assuredly applies to each follower of the Christ. Paul wrote, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” [ROMANS 12:1-2].
This is what I know to be true—Christ the Lord has promised that He is coming again. Jesus has left His people with the charge that we are responsible to live holy, godly lives until that day He returns and calls us to His side. The Master had spoken of His coming again, but it is fascinating to note that the emphasis was on Peter serving until God was finished with His work. Here is a truth that is easily overlooked—Peter was immortal until God called him home. Likewise, as a follower of the Saviour, you are immortal until God calls you home. That is a good concept for each Christ-follower to grasp. In fact, let’s say that together speaking out boldly. “I am immortal until Christ calls me home!”
Because I am immortal, my life has purpose. Perhaps you imagine that because you are weak or perhaps stricken with some malady, you are thus unable to fulfil all your aspirations. However, your condition is known to God and it was known to Him when He called you. It has pleased Him to work in your life to accomplish His will through you. Others among us may think that you have never fulfilled all that was in your heart to do. However, God was walking with you throughout your days, accomplishing His perfect work, a work He will bring to completion only at His return. Until that day, your first responsibility is to serve Him, to seek His glory through your life.
Peter would serve for some years following this conversation with the Master on the shore of the lake; he would be busily engaged doing the work that God had assigned throughout his allotted days. Then, in God’s own time, Peter’s work would be finished, and he would be called home. In the same manner, you are appointed to do the particular work God has assigned until that day He calls you home.
What Christ does in the lives of others is not your concern; your responsibility is to serve Him with your whole heart. You are accountable to be godly, to remain focused on fulfilling His will for your life, to tell others of His grace and to reveal His power at work in your life. Christ the Lord is coming again, and when He comes, let each Christ-follower determine to be found in Him. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] “The Acts of Peter,” XXXV, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspeter.html, accessed 26 October 2018
[3] See Kirsopp Lake, “Preface,” in The Ecclesiastical History and 2: English Translation, ed. T. E. Page et al., trans. Kirsopp Lake and J. E. L. Oulton, vol. 1, The Loeb Classical Library (William Heinemann; G. P. Putnam’s Sons; Harvard University Press, London; New York; Cambridge, MA 1926–1932) 269
[4] See Eusebius, The Ecclesiastical History and 2: Greek Text, ed. T. E. Page et al., vol. 1, The Loeb Classical Library (William Heinemann; G. P. Putnam’s Sons; Harvard University Press, London; New York; Cambridge, MA 1926–1932) 268
[5] William Ernest Henley, Invictus
