Amen

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

AMEN

John 21:17-25

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."  19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"  20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" 22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."  23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"  24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

NIV

We had to go back and grab verse 18 from our last look into this chapter of the gospel in order to put in context the next truth Jesus revealed. After asking Peter three times if he loved him, Jesus went on to tell Peter he was indeed going to be crucified just as Jesus had been. Peter was not going to live out his life and die of old age, even though Jesus told him when he was old, this would happen to him. The fact is that all our days are numbered, we do have limits on our number of days and we cannot exceed them by even one day.

Job 14:5

5 Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.

NIV

Jesus knew the very day Peter would die and he was telling him so. We have to believe we are just like Peter in that sense. The Lord knows the day of our death, in fact, he has set the time even before we were born.

Ps 139:16

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

NIV

However, is it possible to live beyond the days God has determined for us to live? One man in the Bible did ask and was granted fifteen more years. God allowed Hezekiah’s will to override God’s will in that sense. (I also know in a personal way, the day of my great heart attack that I too had reached the limit of my days, but God granted my request to stay in order my wife would not have to be alone. I am not sure how long he extended my limit, but I am grateful for each of those days). The other truth which also bears to the same truth is when Peter asked, “what about John?” Of course, John does not identify himself by name. What Jesus tells Peter, is that how many days John has to live, whatever limit God has ordained for John should not concern Peter. The fact is we should not be concerned regarding the days of another person’s life, but we should be focused on the days of our lives. What does it matter what someone else does or how they live or follow Jesus. We need to remain focused on the days the Lord has given to us. We should not waste the number of our days. God promised a long life to those who obeyed his word, and destruction for those who did not. This could apply to eternal life versus eternal death, but it could also apply to the number of our days on this earth. In that sense, God, in His foreknowledge extended the limit of our days on that day of our confession of faith. Either way, we should not waste the number of our days and live them to the fullest for his glory, Amen.