What is that to you? You Follow Jesus
John 21:20-25
December 27, 2020 anno Domini
Christmas wasn’t fair to Peter. Well, actually the text is about Easter, but it still wasn’t fair. Peter had denied Jesus three times on the night of His betrayal and after Jesus rose Peter was forgiven and charged with the care of God’s flock. “Feed my lambs.” The Lord is so gracious he lets a sinner be a pastor – imagine that. Jesus doesn’t follow Santa’s rules about naughty and nice children. Jesus is merciful.
However, the Lord knowing what Peter needs makes a promise to him before the text, “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.” (John 21:18, ESV)
Peter would be the Lord’s apostle, tending the flock, but later, in old age, he would be arrested and be forced to go where he did not want to go. He would be executed for his confession. Now, that’s not fair. Sure, Peter betrayed Jesus three times, but Jesus forgave him and made him an apostle. He doesn’t deserve to die for the faith.
Now you understand why Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved (that would be John) and asked, “Lord, what about this man?” It’s Christmas morning and the kids are opening presents. Bruce is a little disappointed with socks and underwear and a plaid leisure suit, so he turns to his sister Lori and says, “Hey, what did you get?” If she got the new Donny Osmond album and a record player he is going to be really upset.
Peter seeing John, 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.”
Here Peter the Apostle and John the Evangelist teach us what the Lord’s answer is to our common question, “What about him?” which is really our complaint, “It’s not fair.” This is Jesus’ answer when you are judging your life or God’s love by what is happening to you compared with other people. What is that to you? You follow me.
What is that to you? I imagine Jesus speaking those words in his tough guy voice, “What’s it to ya?” You are not your brother or sister. You are not that person down the pew. The Lord won’t let a hair of your head fall to the ground without His knowledge. He knows you and you have your own problems, struggles, temptations. You have your own childhood, parents, and family. You have retired people temptations and sins. I have pastor temptations and sins and the Lord Himself knows what we both need. If God has given you the gifts to become a millionaire and blesses you with perfect health until you are 95 and you fall asleep and wake up with Jesus, that’s none of my business. If the Lord decides to give me the equivalent of socks and underwear with a plaid leisure suit for life, that should not concern you.
It should not concern us because the Lord said so. The Lord who was born of Mary and laid in a manger said so. The Lord who was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and abandoned by His disciples. The Lord who took your sins, suffered your hell, and died your death said, “What is that to you?” The Lord who rose again from the dead, and forgave Peter and made him an apostle, the Lord who chose John to write about 1/3 of the New Testament and sent him to preach his Word. The Lord of creation, the only Lord who saves, the Lord who loved you from the cross and rose from the dead says these Words. The Lord who has given you more forgiveness that you have sins says this. The Lord knew what Peter needed and what John needed. The Lord knew what He had given Peter to do and what He had given John to do. So Peter did not need to worry about John. Jesus would take care of John as He had would take care of Peter.
That is why Jesus follows His admonition, “What is that to you?” with “You follow me.” Peter, you don’t need to follow John’s life and get all concerned about what I’m doing with John. Follow me and see all that I have done for you. Look to me Peter. I have led the way for you. See how my life on earth went and follow me. You will suffer for your faith, even as I suffered for my faithfulness. You will endure sorrow and the cross. The world will be offended by what you believe and teach and confess. Then, because I died for your sins and you believe in me, your suffering will come to an end. I will take you from this valley of sorrow to myself in heaven. Your days under my cross will be over and your eternity in glory will begin.
Ironically Peter would enter glory sooner than John. According to tradition Peter was martyred around 65 AD while John lived until 98 AD. Now couldn’t John have said, “What about Peter? How come his suffering is over sooner than mine? Why must I toil in the shadow of death 30 years longer than Peter? I didn’t deny you. I’m the disciples you loved.” And to that Jesus would have said the same, “What is that to you? You follow me.”
One last comment on John the Apostle and Evangelist. Did you notice we didn’t really talk about John this morning? We talked about Peter. We had three readings from John’s writings, but even those speak little of John. This is what should happen on the days of the Saints – we don’t talk about the saints. It’s another way of Jesus saying, “What is it to you?” Church is not about John or Peter or Bruce or Lori. Follow Jesus. Read His Word where Saint John gives eyewitness testimony to the truth. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in Him shall never die. These Words, the words of Scripture are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. So do not worry that your Christmas or your life is not fair. What is that to you? You follow Jesus. In His name. Amen.