The disciple whom Jesus loved demonstrated exceptional skill in discernment, particularly in understanding Jesus' words about Peter's future and his own. This discernment is evident when Peter asks Jesus about John's fate, and Jesus responds with "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me." While others misinterpreted this to mean John would not die, John understood Jesus was not making a definitive statement about his death but about his potential to remain until Christ's return, a possibility he accepted with contentment. This understanding highlights John's ability to grasp the nuances of Jesus' teachings, leading to a life of commitment and peace, ultimately influencing his writings, including the Book of Revelation.
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are the five mentions of the phrase, the disciples whom Jesus loved is found. It's the last chapter of the book of John, the gospel according to John, and it is toward the end of the chapter. You will recall that there are two of these phrases in this one chapter. I wonder how many of you are here tonight for the first time during this series. Would you put your hand up Let me see, I'm just wondering whether I should take a moment or two to do a little recapping. All right, perhaps seeing it Friday night, you're in for the weekend, there are quite a number of you. Let me just mention the chapters where we found the others and the truths about the character of John that came to light with each one of them.
In chapter thirteen we came into contact with the phrase, the disciple whom Jesus loved, for the first time. And this was the setting. There was leaning upon Jesus Putnam, his disciple, or one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. And it became evident to us as we looked into this verse and the setting of the verse that the first thing that was obvious about John was his spirit of devotion. He is found to begin with with his head on the breast of the Lord Jesus. And we traced that spirit of devotion, and we found that it was evidently part of his character, because he was in turn devoted to his religion, devoted to John the Baptist, though apparently for a very short time, devoted to the Lord Jesus, and then devoted to Peter.
It was evidently a part of his character. And then we saw how that because he was devoted to the Lord Jesus and refused to go back upon him, that the same spirit of devotion was directly instrumental in his suffering. He suffered because he was a devoted man. He was seized by those who were opposed to the Lord Jesus and punished simply for his faith. And then finally we saw that that spirit of devotion was certainly appreciated by his master, and this was evident in two areas, at least.
One was he accepted him into an inner circle, so that oftentimes we read about Peter and James and John, Peter and James and John, and he thought of some of the instances where this inner circle was involved, and then he entrusted him with special touch. Among them was the care of his mother after he died on the cross. So his spirit of devotion was the first thing that we looked at. Chapter thirteen. And then we went to chapter nineteen, and there we have the disciple called the disciple standing by. There was standing by the cross of the Lord Jesus, the disciple whom Jesus love.
And we noted that this disciple who was marked by a spirit of devotion was also marked by a sense of beauty. When other disciples forsook the Lord Jesus and fled, he beautifully stood by, even though he stood with a group made up of women. They didn't forsake the Lord Jesus. And John is found stable and and dependable. This was the third thing, his stability under duress. And then last night we looked at his surrender to defeat. We saw how that even the Apostle John, the disciple of love, found that when he leaned upon his own arms, he invariably fell.
And so we saw him displaying a different kind of spirit. We saw him seeking self-importance. and self-indulgence and descending into self-killing. The disciple whom Jesus loved. That all started with Peter saying, we go fishing. And John and the other disciples said, we also go with you. They didn't want to stay by the stuff and wait. It was just too hard to do. And so feeling sorry for themselves. They got into the fishing boat and out they went fishing. and they toiled all night, and they caught precisely nothing.
That's what self did he do for you. Now tonight we're going to talk about his skill in discernment, and let's see if we can see it just in the reading. For the sake of connection, let's go back to verse fifteen of chapter twenty-one of John, and you recall this. This is the end of the story that I just made reference to. where the disciples had been fishing all night, caught nothing. The Lord Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the ship, and then they were not able to drag it to land because of the load of fishes, you'll remember. And eventually they come to land, and they are fed with fish that the Lord Jesus had prepared for them. And verse fifteen says, So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me more than these, He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him unto him, Feed my land. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me. He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He said unto him the third time, Simon, Son of Jonas, lovest thou me. Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me. And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus said unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walketh whither thou wouldest.
But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thine hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This, say he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this he said unto him, Follow me. Then Peter turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following, which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth me. Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus said unto him, If I will that he carry till I come, what is that to be?
Follow thou me. And notice this verse especially. Then went this saying of Lord among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto him he shall not die, but If I will that he carry till I come, what is that to be? Now you can see that John could see a little further than the end of his nose. Here quite obviously is this man's skill in discernment. When the other disciples were saying John isn't going to die, John said that's not what the Lord said. He simply said if I will that he carry till I come, what is that to be?
This is the disciple which testifies of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the book that should be written. Amen. Shall we bow in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, we commend to thee again our reading of thy word, and ask thee that once more there might be lessons enshrined in this portion that shall not escape us, but that we shall recognize, and that we shall appreciate, and that we shall learn and put into practice in our own lives.
We ask it for thy name's sake. Amen. Now there's a little expression that we use very often. You use it very often. I use it very often when someone goes to great pains to explain this to us or to explain that to us or to explain the other to us. We suddenly look at them and we say, I see. I see. How many times do you use that expression? And sometimes what you say you see is as clear as mud, and you don't see at all. There are things that you think you see, but really and truly what you think you see is not what you're seeing at all.
There are people who have said down through time, seeing is believing. But we've lived long enough to know that that is not necessarily true. When I was a boy, I used to collect cards that pictured what were called optical illusion. And looking at some of those cards, you could swear that you were seeing one thing when actually you were seeing something entirely different. You've seen these optical illusions, haven't you, where you look at two lines and you're sure that they curve, but when you measure them with a straight edge, they're as straight as a die. And so it is.
We think sometimes that what we are seeing is this or that, but seeing is not always believing. Sometimes it can actually be a deceiving thing. And basically, even when we see dimly and suddenly our sight is clarified, there is still so much more that we don't see. I have an old grass telescope at home that sits on a tripod. And sometimes on a clear winter's night, I'll take it out into the backyard when one of the planets is at a convenient angle, and I'll take a look at Jupiter with its many moons, see how many I can count at one time.
I leave the telescope there, and then go back three hours afterwards and see how those moons have changed their position. It's very fascinating. And with the telescope, I can see a lot more than I can see without it. But you know, there's a lot more to be seen that I cannot see even with it. And much as we feel that we can see, there's lots, lots more that we cannot. There are different kinds of sights, you know. For instance, there is insight. And there is foresight. And there is hindsight. Everybody's heard of the Monday morning quarterback.
I can't dare those people who know everything after it's happened. And yet you'll find we're surrounded by them, people who know everything, but they were very, very careful not to say what they knew beforehand. It's always afterhand. Hindsight. Oh, so many different kinds of fight. But the kind of sight I want to talk about tonight is spiritual thought. Real discernment. For that's the kind of sight undoubtedly that John had. Now there is an indication of this in the title that he gives to himself on these five occasions that we've been looking at.
The disciple whom Jesus loved. I reminded you last night he did not call himself the disciple that loved Jesus. He didn't call himself the disciple whom Jesus helped. Now both of those things were true, but the thing that John couldn't get away from was the thing that he saw so very, very clearly that Jesus loved him. You know our boys and girls teach us so many lessons. A little child shall leave them. There isn't a boy and girl I come into contact with who doesn't know and love that hymn. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
You get in a children's meeting and ask the boys and girls for a favor at him, and it'll probably be the very first one that they ask for. Why? Because boys and girls are so simple and so innocent and so beautifully natural that even in their childishness, the things that grips their heart is the realization that Jesus loves them. You know, those of us who have gotten older and gotten sophisticated have let lots, lots of things cloud this truth and cause us to forget it, or if we haven't altogether forgotten it, or too seldom to recall it.
So this man's skill in discernment is obvious in the very title that he gives to himself. He never forgot the love of the Lord Jesus for him. The sense of wonder that that brought to his heart never departed from him. He marveled at the grace of God. I suppose when he thought on that very thing that Jesus loved him, there came a parallel thought. But I'll never know why. The little Cockney boy once said, when asked what is a friend, he said, A friend's a bloke.
What sticks to you? After he's found you out. A bloke, what sticks to you? After he's found you out. Somebody put the chorus to words and changed the English, made it a little better. The perfect friend is one who knows the worst about you and loves you just the same. The fact that Jesus loves me is a wonderful thought. But the fact that the Lord Jesus loves me in spite of the fact he knows everything about me is an even more astounding thing. Let me recall again these five mentions of the phrase. The first one took place in an upper room. The second one took place at a cross. The third one took place at a grave.
The fourth one in a boat. And the fifth one here by a shore. And the circumstances were different in each shape. Surrounding the first one, there was delight. Surrounding the second one, there was deep distress. Surrounding the third one, there was very real wonder. And the fourth, a sense of desperate shame. And here, there is an air of contentment. Jesus said, No, he shall not die. But if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to do?" And with that John was absolutely content.
Now we've come a full circle tonight. We started out with Peter and John, and we are ending with Peter and John. You remember that when John had his head on Jesus' bosom, Peter When Jesus says, one of you is going to betray me, he motions to John and whispers, ask him who it is. Ask him who it is. And so John and Peter, prompting, ask the master, and the master gives to him the reply. So there we have Peter and John. And now here again at the end, we have Peter and John. And involved in the story are three simple things.
I leave them with you. The first is the certainty of Peter's death. The second is the uncertainty of John's life. And the third is the importance of God's plan. Now let me take up the rest of my time talking about those three very simple things. Look at verse eighteen in our chapter again. Verily, verily, I say unto you, When you were young, you dressed yourself and you walked whether you would, but when you're going to be old, you'll stretch forth your hands and others will carry you where you do not want to go.
This was the word of the Lord Jesus through Peter. Now when you think about that, there was a prelude to all of this. You will remember that the Apostle Peter denied the Lord Jesus. Not once. Not twice, but three times. And when on the shore at this time the Lord Jesus asks, Peter, do you love me? He doesn't ask him once, and he doesn't ask him twice, he asks him three times. Now there are those who see no significance or connection between those two, but I feel myself rightly or wrongly that there is a connection between them.
But did you notice as I read it to you, there was a word there, Peter it says, was grieved, that the Lord Jesus asked him the third time, Son of Simon, loveth thou me. Now that word grieved is a Greek word, Luteo, which means very sad. He was very sad. And I think there must have been something very touching about Peter when he was very sad. And when he turns to the Lord Jesus, he says, you know everything. You know that I love you.
Now in saying you know everything, Peter was attributing to the Lord Jesus honestly. and justifiable. And here we see the Lord Jesus indicating his omniscience. He says to Peter, so I know everything. He'll be that's true. Let me tell you something about yourself. And then he goes on to tell him, when you were young, you went where you would, and you clothed yourself. But when you get to be an old man, Are they going to take you and close you and carry you where you don't want to get?
Do you realize that the disciples, while Peter was middle age, could not look for the coming of the Lord Jesus as being imminent? They could not. They could not look for the Lord Jesus to appear the next hour. They could not look for the Lord Jesus to come at the end of a given day or even a given year, because the Lord Jesus had said to Peter, When thou art old, so that not until Peter was an old man could the disciples begin to regard the coming of the Lord Jesus as being imminent.
How much more fortunate are we, because there is absolutely no unfulfilled prophecy today that would prevent the Lord Jesus from coming back again before this service is over. So think about the certainty of Peter's death, and notice first of all the prophecy, and then notice the meaning of the prophecy, and then notice the plea that follows the prophecy. The Lord Jesus says to Peter, When you were young, you went wherever you wanted to. Maybe that's a reference to Peter's forceful character.
Nobody needs to tell you because you read your Bible that Peter was a very forceful character. And it may well be that the Lord Jesus looking back over Peter's life, seeing him even as a boy, still a forceful character. You went wherever you chose to go when you were young. Maybe that was a reference to Peter's forceful character. Then comes a reference to Peter's increasing age. You're not going to die while you're a young man. You're not going to die when you're middle age. You're going to die when you are an old man. And then he makes a reference to Peter's final suffering.
Now tradition and reliable tradition tells us that Peter died a martyr's death. And like his Lord he was crucified. But because he himself felt himself. to be totally unworthy of dying as his master died, he requested that if they were going to crucify him, they crucify him upside down. And tradition tells us that's exactly how he died. When thou shalt be old, another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. It was a reference to Peter's final suffering.
Now the meaning of that prophecy is given to us by John. Again, his skill in discernment comes to the surface, and he says this. Verse nineteen, this pate, signifying by what death he should glorify God. Now the meaning of this prophecy had to do, first of all, with death, Peter's death, And then it had to do with glory. Peter's glory after dying a martyr's death and the glory of God through the martyrdom of Peter. Death and glory are always linked, you know, for the Christians.
If that death is a death that comes about at the end of a life of faithfulness, and he was a man who, after God transformed him, lived a life that glorified God, and died a death that glorified him too. Now what was the plea that followed this prophecy? The Lord Jesus says, So this, Peter, is how in the end you're going to glorify me. This is how your death is going to come about. But he said, Don't be unduly concerned. Don't worry about it.
just simply follow me. Now I don't believe that the Lord Jesus would have revealed this to Peter if he had not known that Peter would be able to accept it, and that Peter would be able to live his life unaffected by what he knew about his future. There are not many of us that could be trusted in that sense. There are so very few of us, if indeed any of us here tonight, to whom God could impart the details of our ends. He is very, very gracious to have hidden this from our eyes.
I must confess to you that I think I'm glad that I don't know in what way God will call me home. I think that probably you feel that way too. We are obviously not as strong persons as Peter were, but the Lord saw fit to reveal it to him because he knew he could accept it and not allow his future to be spoiled or marred or become worrisome because of the fact that he knew how it was going to end. Follow me, said the Lord Jesus to Peter. the certainty of Peter's death.
Now the story goes on to mention, too, the uncertainty of John's life. Look at verse twenty-one. Here is a question about it. Then Peter, seeing him, that is John following behind, says to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Notice the italics here, will you? Let me leave them out. Lord, and what? This man. Or what about this man? There's the question about John's uncertain life, and it comes of Peter's curiosity.
I rather think if I had been in Peter's place, I would have pressed the Lord for a few more details about the death that he had just prophesied. But Peter seems to be so big a man, he can brush it to one side, and his natural curiosity comes to the fore, and he says, pointing to John, Lord, what about this man? That's so human. My, how interested we are in what's going to happen to other people. The Lord Jesus does not satisfy Peter's curiosity. He says to Peter, I'm just not going to tell you. But he says, I do want you to know that in view of your question concerning that man's life, I'd like to remind you that there is a controller of it.
Although John's life was uncertain, yet there was somebody who knew exactly what was going to take place. Look at verse twenty-two. Jesus said unto him, If I will, that he carried till I come what is that to be? If I will. Now there was the controller of John's uncertain life. Now we, unlike Peter, do not know how much time we have. We do not know whether we will ever get from being older people as we are at part of the palms and ever become old people. Kington knew he was going to become an old man.
Now, you don't know whether that's going to happen to you. If you're a woman, you know it isn't going to happen to you. But you don't know if you're going to become an old lady. You don't know. But there's one thing you can be absolutely confident of. There's somebody who does know. And not only does he know, but he has planned the moment of your departure from time into eternity. And it will be according to his will, and it will be just the right moment, and there won't be anything at all to be afraid of in it. You know, if you're very human, as the years pass by, and you find yourself increasingly standing beside the chastis of folks that you've known, and you know, it gets a little closer and a little closer, because you are so human, you wonder.
We wonder. And as time goes by, we sometimes say to ourselves, when that moment comes, will it be a dark moment? Will it be a dread moment? And we wonder because we don't know. But we fail to grasp the realization that the one who gives us grace to live moment by moment is the one who's going to give us grace to die when that moment comes, if indeed it's going to come. There's a controller of it. Verse twenty-two. When we come to verse twenty-three, there's a rumor concerning it.
Then went this saying abroad among the brethren that that disciples should not die. Can you not see them looking under their eyebrows in John's direction and in whispering together and saying, Well, John isn't going to die. The Lord is going to come back before John dies. John shakes his head and says, you know, you really haven't got it right. You really didn't listen. The Lord said, if I will, that he tarry. He didn't say, I'm going to tarry. Rumors. Now, this was an untrue rumor, and we lived long enough to find that out.
Most rumors are like that, too. When we were building our house here at Park of the Palms, I learned way up in Canada I wasn't even going to come and live here. I don't know how that rumor got started, but obviously it wasn't true because here I am. When I was close to the west coast, a while ago, I found out that my home was up to sale. I don't know whether somebody's trying to get rid of me. But you know, rumors are so right.
Sometimes they don't do any harm. Sometimes they do. And you know, it's always wise to check your sources and then to not pass on a thing before you're sure that it's absolutely true. And then sometimes even when you find it is true, it's best after all not to pass it on. And so here it is. There are such things as harmless rumors. I suppose there wasn't much harm in this one, but however, it was something they were saying that really wasn't true, and to that extent there was harm in it, they had gotten the bull by the tail. They had put the cart before the horse. It was a rumor, and it wasn't true.
But read on again in verse twenty-three, and having seen a question about it in the twenty-first verse, and a controller of it in the twenty-second verse, And a rumor regarding it in the twenty-third verse, later on in that same verse twenty-three, we find an attitude toward it. Yes, and the writer is thinking now about the rumor that he's being spread about himself. Yet Jesus said not unto him he shall not die. But if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to be? John doesn't have the bull by the tail. John has this thing straight. His skill in discernment is coming again to the surface, and he says, I listen to the statement of the Lord Jesus.
I realize precisely what he said. I understand exactly what he meant, and I want you to know that I'm perfectly content with this. Here we have an attitude of committal and contentment. John didn't know any more about his own life than the rest of the disciples knew. He wasn't going to listen to rumor. He prepared to... He... I'm groaning again for a word. I did that last night. He preferred to stake his future on the word of the Lord Jesus and to leave it with the God of heaven.
What a wise man. He committed that uncertain life to the Lord, and he was perfectly content with what God had in mind for him. I had a friend with whom I traveled for years as a pilgrim preacher in the Old Country, and I've heard him give his testimony time and time again. He was a Liverpoolian. That means he came from Liverpool, or he used to call it Liverpool. And he would give his testimony and he would tell the people listening to him, he said, I was saved in a tent and I've lived in a tent ever since. It's called content. My, I wish I could say that.
By the word of God says, having food and raiment, let us bear with be content. Because we are not really content, are we? We always want a little bit more and a little bit more and a little bit more And that's the reason why sometimes our lives become a little burdensome. But all to be committed, as John was committed, and to be content as John was content, he rested in the will of God for his uncertain life. Why? Because, in his own words, Jesus said. Now resting upon what Jesus said is a secret of commitment, And it is the secret of contempt.
If what God says is enough, then our lives are not going to be disturbed by turmoil. And our lives are not going to be torn up by doubt. Our lives instead are going to be free. And a tremendous testimony to the people that are around us. So much then for the uncertainty of John's life. Now what about the importance of God's plans? Again we're in verse twenty-three. Jesus said not unto him he shall not die, but if I will that he carry till I come, what is that to be? You know, John's hope was enshrined in these words and rested upon these words, and it colored all of the rest of that uncertain life that lay before him.
Think about that word, those words. Jesus said, If I will that he carries, till I come. Now there was something of certainty about that. Jesus said, Till I come. And so John laid hold of that hope with both ends, and nothing shook him from that day on, from this realization, Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming. And that was absolutely certain. But also there was the sort of possibility here. Maybe I will tarry till he comes. Maybe death won't knock at my door.
I don't know. But there is a possibility that while I'm still alive, Jesus will rend the heavens and come down. That's the possibility. But he said this which is linked with the positives. and that he's also linked with the possible, he's certainly linked with the permanent, because when he does come, whether I'm raised from the dead or whether he comes during my lifetime, I'm going to be forever with him, because my master said, I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto myself, but where I am there ye may be, there ye shall be also.
So says, John, this is my hope, and I cherish it. And I believe it was because that man's life was marked by that hope that eventually it fell to his luck to be banished to the Isle of Patmos, in order that the Spirit of God might speak to him in absolute quietness and solitude, and give to him the story of the future. And so from his pen... in exile came something of the detail of what should happen after that hope had been consummated. The Book of the Revelation came from his tent.
What a tremendous book. Let me quote Griffith Thomas here. He suggests we have four things in the Book of the Revelation, and with this I'm going to close because my time has gone. In the first place we have Christ in all his majesty. John must have been a wonderful man to be able to write on such a topic. And then says Gifford Thomas in the book of the Revelation we have the church in all its reality. And again John must have been a wonderful man for God to be able to commit to him such wonderful truth.
And then again, says Thomas, in the book of the Revelation, we have the world in all its hostility. And finally, we have heaven in all its glory. And all of that came from the ten of the disciples whom Jesus loved. God grant we may have believed something that's going to stay with us and be a blessing to us. in the days that lie ahead. Again shall we pray. Our Heavenly Father, we want again to thank thee for the life of the Apostle John.
We thank thee for showing to us that even though he was such a remarkable man, he was not faultless, his life was not flawless, but we praise thee for the positive note upon which all of this ends. He was a man who saw with spiritual eyes. He was a man who was so discerning that the Spirit of God was able to commit to him these remarkable and wondrous truths that we cherish and that are such a blessing and challenge to our hearts. Truth that we find not only in the book of the Revelation, but in this lovely gospel with which we've spent our time during these days.
And in those three very precious epistles. So unto Lord, that we might remember what we have pondered together, so that when we read these writings, they will come to our hearts with the more force, because we know something of the man who by the Spirit of God wrote them. We ask Lord Jesus seeking thy glory, and asking for a blessing upon every heart here. For thy name, sir.