Section 11
not want to go." After hearing these words, Peter realized that he would be martyred for the Lord. At that time, Peter did not say either yes or no.
After predicting Peter's martyrdom, the Lord said to him, "Follow Me!" We all must follow the Lord as the indwelling One. The "Me" whom we are to follow is in us. As verse 18 indicates, we must not follow the Lord by our own will but accord ing to His leading. Our following Him even unto death is to glorify God (v. 19). Furthermore, we must follow Him without paying attention to oth ers. After the Lord told Peter to follow Him, Peter turned to John and said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" (v. 21). To this, the Lord replied, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" (v. 22). The Lord was tell ing Peter that what would happen to John was none of his business and that he had to follow Him.
This chapter is a picture showing that after we have been regenerated and commissioned by the Lord, we must love the Lord at any cost and follow Him to the end at any sacrifice. By fol lowing the Lord in this way, we shall accomplish the Lord's purpose to feed His lambs and to feed and shepherd His sheep.
Verse 23, referring to what the Lord had said to Peter about John, says, "This word therefore