Lived to Tell Others

He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. (John 21:5-8 NIV)

John clearly knew that he was loved by God.  He referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”  He didn’t doubt that God loved us all.  John is the one who told us all that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)  When Jesus had risen from the dead, he met with Peter and John alone.  They had a meal together.  Jesus gave them personal instructions.  To Peter, Jesus said:

Very truly I tell you, 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." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" (John 21:18-19 NIV)

Peter ran the risk of quitting because he had denied Jesus three times.  Jesus helped Peter overcome that fear so he would become one of the most powerful evangelists and shepherds God’s Church has ever known. 

John, however, had no such failure to overcome.  Not only that, God was going to keep John alive for a long time.  He wouldn’t leave this life until 100 A.D.  He would outlive the other eleven and even the Apostle Paul.  John would be the one God used to help God’s message transition from the Apostolic Age (the age when the Apostles were alive) to the next.  John would know about the writings of the New Testament as they were being written and help weed out the false teachings. 

John would function in the Church as the last eye-witness of what Jesus really did, what Jesus really taught, and what Jesus really meant.  John’s Gospel would come at the end and clarify the other three.  John’s letters would encourage God’s Church to hold firm to the truth in the midst of false teachings.  John’s Revelation would encourage God’s Church to hold on in the midst of persecution, looking forward to the better days to come.

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?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers 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?" (John 21:20-23 NIV)

John lived to tell others about Jesus.  How about you?  Whether you live a long life like John or a little shorter life like the others, for what do you live?  Do you tell others about Jesus?

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 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. (John 21:24-25 NIV)