September 13
________________________________________FORESHADOWING OF PETER’S DEATH
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!” 20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written. – John 21:18-25
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In this account, Jesus talks to Peter, giving him a prophecy of what is to come in his life in the coming years of his ministry. Verse 1 gives us a picture of Peter being crucified from the words “you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Someone will bind his hands just like when one is crucified. Verse 20 shows Peter’s personality who always want to be ahead and know things. He likes to boast and take control. He wants to know who among them will betray Jesus. In verse 21, we also see Peter’s insecurity as he asked what is going to happen to John and we see his boundarylessness. Jesus confronted him and put him in place letting him know that it is none of his business to know what His plans for John is.
Can we all relate to Peter? Aren’t we all humans proud and arrogant, wanting to know everything and taking control over things we have no responsibility for? Most humans want to be able to control situations beyond their capacity and end up being controllers and manipulators. What a mess we all are. And yet, Jesus uses all messy people like Peter and like sinners and haughty people like us, to bring glory to God.
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REFLECTION
• Why is boundaries very important in relationships?