John 21:18 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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John 21:18

Comments

The Lord gives Peter this prophecy of the manner of his death by execution; he is to be a martyr. And it seems strange at first sight that the Lord should say this immediately after restoring Peter. It does not sound immensely strengthening, it does not sound enormously encouraging, and so we naturally search for the reason why the Lord discloses this to Peter.Obviously to make this solemn prophecy concerning the martyrdom of Peter seals his recommissioning with very serious words. This is a deep and a serious matter. Peter, you are restored. I give to you an apostolic commission once again, and immediately the prophecy of his martyrdom. Secondly it is a tremendous assurance to Peter. It almost says to him, you will not fall again. You will not stumble in this terrible way again and deny me again. Peter had boasted that he was willing to die for the Lord: ‘If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise.’ And yet he had denied the Lord. Nevertheless, Christ assures him, ‘You are going to die a courageous martyr for the Lord.’ ‘Am I?’ Peter will think. ‘What an assurance.’ He can be held, he can be kept, it need never happen again by the grace of God. And it did not. Yes, Peter wavered in another respect. He gave in at one point to the Judaizers, and he relaxed his doctrines, and was reproved by the apostle Paul. But never again did he deny the Lord. Never again did he give way like that. Peter was told also at a practical level how long he would live, almost. He was to live another 34 years from this day, and he knows he is going to have a long ministry, but it would be cut down with martyrdom, with execution. ‘Thou shalt be stretched forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee.’ That is generally taken to imply that he was told he would die by crucifixion. That is debatable. It does not certainly denote that but it is very likely it does. ‘Thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, [bind thee] and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.’ But between AD 67 and 68, he was executed under Nero and by his court order.

Application

It may not be that you and I are afflicted with the physical persecution, though it could be in the future years; it may not be that we are threatened with death. The devil may use other instruments upon us. He may lure us from the pathway by possessions and wealth and riches, and you give them all your heart and all your attention, or far too much of it. He may take you away from a clear testimony and priority for the Lord that way. Suddenly the urge for bigger and better can become an urge for the splendid and the wonderful and the grand and the fine, whether we are talking about cars, houses, lifestyle or what. It may not be persecution for you, it may be the very opposite takes you away.

We need a dose of that seriousness. These are days in which many, many true Bible-believers are being turned into entertainment-type of worship, jocular informal worship, everything light, everything super-palatable, everything informal, and it takes away the seriousness so very often. Are you true to your calling? Do we take very seriously Christ’s commission of us? If our business has taken over as the chief priority in our lives, our career, our acquisitions of things at home, even our precious ministry to our family; if that has taken over from our service to him and our loyalty to him then we have slipped. We have got a serious commission to keep lifelong.

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John 21:18 Commentary and Bible Study