“And Jesus said to him, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'” John 21:22
What does it mean to follow Christ? In the Lord’s dealings with Simon Peter, after the resurrection, when he and other disciples were with the Lord Jesus, the Lord spoke to him of what he was to do after the Lord would ascend into heaven. He spoke very clearly to Peter by instructing him to “Feed His lambs.” Peter was to care for young believers, those who belonged to Christ by faith, primarily providing spiritual food for them. Jesus would also make it very clear that the great condition of being able to do this was first and foremost out of love for Christ. Jesus went on to speak to Peter at least two more times concerning feeding His sheep. Though Peter did not realize the enormity of what Christ was saying, nor the way and means by which this task was to be accomplished, he did not turn aside from it. Peter had denied the Lord Jesus three times before His crucifixion, and now, appealing to the issue of love for Him, Christ would make clear what Peter’s great mission was to be. But how was he to do it? He had already failed monumentally by his denial of Christ, yet now Christ was entrusting him with a mission that would reach, not only thousands of souls in his day, but stretch forth into centuries to come, when the church, Christ’s body, would need to be fed effectively by Christ’s words and teaching through Peter.
That which was essentail for Peter to accept his mission, and then fulfill it, was the matter of following Christ. His mission could never be accomplished without the active, and manifest presence of Christ. It was a mission that was unique, as Peter had been given specific gifts for its accomplishment. However, only by walking in communion with Christ, living and ministering by the Spirt, could he, day after day, fulfill such a mission. He would need to be guided daily. How could he believe Christ for this unless he worshiped Him, abided in Him and His word? There was a simplicity in following Christ that was presented to Peter, one of simply being occupied with, dependent upon, and responsive to the leading of Christ. To follow Christ in regard to his mission was to go where Christ would have him go, and to speak that which Christ would have him speak. A clear example of this was when Peter was led of the Lord to go to a Centurion’s house who was not a Jew, and there in the midst of a group which was gathered, declare the Lord’s message, that the Gospel was not limited to only the Jews, but was for all nations. By Peter’s obedience, going against the common thought of that time among the Jews, he was used of God to bring salvation to the Gentiles. Christ confirmed this by the outpouring of the Spirit, as at Pentecost. Peter followed Christ into Cornelius’ home, and God brought spiritual food to those assembled, a food which was the truth of the Gospel which resulted in a wonderful manifestation of the saving work of Christ.
After speaking to Peter concerning the death by which he would eventually glorify God, Peter was distracted by John the Apostle. He then asked the Lord, “But Lord, what about this man?” Or “What shall this man do?” (21:21) Jesus again made it very clear to Peter what it meant to follow Him. He responded by saying, “If I will that he remains till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” Following Christ is an individual matter, one which has little rapport with the calling of another brother or sister in the body of Christ. The specific call to follow is one to know Christ, to live in communion with Him by the Spirit. It means also to walk by faith, abiding in Him, living and ministering by His blessed life.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to follow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.