HELEN SANDERS
6-21-2025
WHAT ABOUT JOHN?

After the resurrection of Jesus, we see him appearing to seven of his disciples, including Simon Peter and James and John.

The seven disciples were fishing on the sea of Tiberias and had not caught any fish. Jesus appeared and asked if they had caught anything and they replied, “No.” He told them to cast their net on the opposite side, and they would have a great catch. There were so many fish in the net [153] that they had to ask for help.

They came to shore and Jesus gave them bread and cooked their fish to eat. Then Jesus spoke to Peter, asking him three separate times if he loved him. Peter replied “yes” each time, and Jesus told him to feed His sheep.

Then, instead of concentrating on what Jesus had said, Peter looked over at John and asked in verse 21, “…Lord, and what shall this man do?”

Peter and John were very different from each other. They were in the fishing business together, but their personalities were very different. Peter would think without speaking, and John called himself, “the disciple who Jesus loved.” [John 21:20] Jesus said in so many words, that it was not Peter’s concern and that he should follow him and leave John to Jesus.

How often do we see ourselves in that position? God may speak to us about change, but we ignore it and want to know what he is going to do about someone else? What about Susie, Mary, Jack, Andrew, etc. We ignore what God is saying to us. Jesus was directing Peter, but Peter was not listening.

Change would come to Peter at Pentecost because he became filled with the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost, Peter and John ministered together on the streets of Jerusalem. They let their differences go and focused on the last command Jesus gave them before his ascension. That command was that they should go into all the world and preach the gospel. That was accomplished when they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and they received the power to become a witness. The disciples turned the world upside down.

We need to let God examine our hearts and ask Him to change us, and not someone else. We need to stay filled with the Holy Spirit so we can do what he has called US to do and let that be enough.

What about John? Well, Jesus had him covered, and we can be sure he will take care of the other “Johns” that we may be concerned about.