The Gospel of John is a beautiful book. It is a book that is often recommended to new believers because of the simplicity of the stories and the flow of the book. Jesus, the very Son of God, comes through loud and clear that he is God, he is deity. The later part of the 21st chapter could be my favorite passage of the New Testament. Why? As a young Christian, I heard an Evangelist Wayne Swearingen, preach a message that drew me to total commitment to Christ. The sermon passage for that hour was John 21. Today, I want to share, not what the Evangelist preached, but the truths that I have learned from the same passage decades later. Peter is asked by the Lord Jesus three times, “Do you love me?” Nuances abound in the language used and I will not bog us down with those right now. Today, I want to share four simple things from our chapter. These four truths will help us determine if we are committed or if we are self-deceived. The major portion of the passage, John 21:15-24, concerns Jesus and Peter. But John is also committed to Christ.

  1. His work was compelled by love (Vs. 21:15-17). The Lord is concerned that Peter have the right kind of love. Asking him three times shows an emphasis on the importance of loving Christ. Jesus also included in his questions to Peter, “Do you love me more than these” (the other disciples). If we do not love Jesus supremely, more than anyone else, are we compelled or moved along with a special unction in our vineyard?
  2. His way was committed to God (Vs. 21:18-19). Peter is given a prophecy concerning himself. He would live to be an older man. Not really old, but older. During his middle years he would come and go as he pleased most of the time, but when he got older he would “stretch forth thy hands.” He would be bound, shackled, and others would take him wherever they choose. He would ultimately be crucified and this prophecy was most likely told to him before he was 30 years old. How would you like to be given a prophecy like that? Each day you lived it registered in your mind, “I am one day closer to dying a horrible death.” Yet, with this sword hanging over his head, we find Peter living for Christ, growing in Christ, being the penman of two New Testament epistles, and ultimately becoming a martyr for Christ. That is commitment. Staring death in the face and still serving Jesus is a powerful testimony to his commitment.
  3. His will was content with following (Vs. 21:19b). After Jesus spoke to Peter about the type of death he would experience, he simply said, “Follow me.” After one little balk concerning the Apostle John, Peter was a Christ follower until the end of his race. Did he stumble during the next 35-40 years? At least once that I know. He receives a rebuke by Paul to his face no less. Peter acknowledged his sin, did not hold a grudge, and continued to serve Jesus.
  4. His words were about Jesus (Vs. John 21:24). In our last point about commitment our focus will be on John. This is the man that penned this gospel. The Holy Spirit moved upon him and he was given the blessed privilege of being a New Testament writer. He declares of himself that he “testified of these things” (the things in his gospel), “wrote these things” (what we read from this gospel), and we know his testimony is true. John also has in his portfolio four other books of the NT. Not only did he use his written words for the Gospel of John, he also penned the three epistles of John and the magnificent book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Peter could be included in this final truth as well. We have two books by him, I Peter and II Peter. You may not realize this, but most conservative theologians believe that the gospel of Mark has Peter’s fingerprints all over it. Mark served and trained under Peter and was heavily influenced by the great apostle. John and Peter both used words greatly in their service of the Lord.

What about you and me? What motivates us to serve the Lord? If it is not love, then it is in vain. Is our way committed to Christ? Do we daily walk in the paths of Christ? What about following? Are we content to allow others to lead or receive the limelight? Each of us has a road to travel and we do not need to be concerned about others. What words do we use? These can be written or spoken. Each of these four truths gives us a checklist to see the level of our commitment.

Years ago, the Borden family was extremely prominent. One of the sons seemed to excel and he was slated to lead the family company after his father would step down. There was a problem however. He did not want to. He had become a Christian and wanted to serve Christ. The family tried everything they could to persuade him. “Think of how many people can be helped with the money you can make?” (That in itself is a powerful argument and I do believe God gives some of his people the ability to make money to enhance the work and kingdom of God). He began giving away his possessions, which did not sit well with the family. On his birthday, a huge party was planned and the family hoped to make this occasion one to change his mind. His mother gave him a new Bible. He kept giving things away and on a blank page in front of this new Bible he wrote two words, “No reserves.” He declared that God wanted him to be a missionary which horrified the family. Pressure began to mount, but he stood firm. The departure day arrived. Boarding the ship, he turned and waved to his family. From the dock, still, they begged him to stay. In his berth aboard the ship, he opened this same Bible and wrote two more words, “No retreating.” Only a few short weeks later the family received a telegram that he had become sick with a fever and had died. His body would be returned home along with his few possessions. The funeral was conducted and each one thought, “What a waste.” His mother began going through the possessions that were sent home. In those she found the Bible she had given him on his birthday. Thumbing through the Bible she found the page on which he had written “No reserves”, “No retreat.” Then she saw two more words her son had written just before his death, “No regrets.”

I think Peter and John have this testimony. I want my commitment to be this strong. What about you?