John 21:18–19

The Lord never blames Peter for the fault. Instead He probes him — probes the root that produced it. When He has fully humbled him, so that Peter has to fall back on the Lord's own divine knowledge that he did love Him, then He entrusts to Peter all that is dearest to Himself... That is exactly what Peter had claimed he would do; he had said, "I will follow you to prison and death." Now He says, Of your own will you cannot. It is a beautiful expression of the Lord's love and a pattern of the Lord's restoring grace.

At the start of his career he had, so to speak, his own strength at his disposal (the belt is what braces a man's waist). Self-confidence was the result; he went where he wanted, and walked in independence... At the close of his career, old age would weaken his natural strength. Then he would depend on another for strength, and would let others guide him where his own will might never have led him, "into prison, and to death."

He had just ventured to go where he wanted, into the high priest's house. As far as his bold words promised, you might have thought he had belted up his robe like a man about to do great deeds of courage.

Crucifixion was common enough then for the lowest slaves and the guiltiest criminals, so everyone understood what it meant to be "lifted up," to have your arms stretched out by the force of someone else... Even so, another man carrying him where he would not go proves how little of self was to be in Peter's death on the cross. That stands in contrast with those who at a later day sought a martyr's death to win this crown. Peter's end on earth was to be suffering and death for Christ, and Christ would give him strength to endure at the right moment. Not heroism nor asceticism is the Christian badge, but obedience.

As a helpless old man, Peter could no longer boast of his own strength or courage. Then God would give him a rare privilege: not only death for Christ's sake — which in younger days he had tried to face and failed at so shamefully — but the very death the Lord Himself had suffered, with its long agony and shame.

His Saviour's blood had blotted out his sin, but he would also be allowed to blot it out by his own act. He would get the chance to go to prison and death for his Lord. Not in self-confidence and boasting this time, but in such humility of heart and joy in his Lord that his death would glorify God.

He had become weak, and by that had gained divine strength... This was to be his privilege. Emptied of self and passive, when old he would stretch out his hands for another to belt him and carry him where he did not want to go. It went against his nature and will, but both were set aside. Then the spirit of his Master enabled him to follow Him.

At the start of his life he had his own strength at his disposal (the belt is what strengthens a man's waist). The result was self-confidence. He went where he wished, and walked in independence… At the end of his life, old age would have drained his natural strength. Then he would depend on another for strength. He would agree to let others guide him, and they would lead him where perhaps his own will would never have taken him — "into prison, and to death." It would happen, but not by man's strength. It would happen in the weakness of old age… God would be glorified in this complete breaking down of man, when, old, weak, and led by others against his wishes, he might seem to have become a useless vessel.

See how grace leaves no ground for boasting, and yet secures honour beyond anything we ever dared to hope for… As a helpless old man, Peter could no longer boast of his own strength or courage. Then God gave him a rare privilege. It was not only death for Christ's sake, which in younger days he had tried to face and failed in so shamefully. It was that very death which the Lord had suffered, with its long agony and shame. The Lord, as we are plainly told, spoke as He did to point not to death so much as to "by what" sort of death Peter was to glorify God. And after saying this, He says to him, Follow Me.

Death, instead of being God's judgement to overwhelm Peter, was turned into a means by which Peter could glorify God.

The Lord seems to say to him: You had a chance before, Peter, but you lost it. I am going to give you another opportunity of witnessing for Me. More than that, you shall not turn aside… He would give him another chance to be a witness for Him, and this time His grace would sustain him. What he had failed to do by his own will, he was yet to do by the will of God. In a day to come he would die for his Lord, energised and sustained by God for it.

The original starting point of the disciples, as it must be, was "Follow me" — the one right path in a world that was wrong, and that path was the perfection of Jesus. But there was confidence in self. So Peter had to go through the terribly humbling process of his fall, while Christ kept praying for him and watching over him. Self-confidence is broken down, and his will too — he did not go where he wanted, but was bound and led by another. So, emptied of self-confidence, he could serve what was dearest to Jesus… and suffer with Him, the very thing he could not do before. And now Jesus says again, "Follow me." He could follow so far as self was judged — known and judged through real experience.

Here we have in two words the path of the servant of Christ — "Follow Me." The Lord had just given Peter the sweetest pledges of His love and confidence… Now, in one brief but full sentence, He opens his proper path before him — "Follow Me." This is enough. It includes all the rest.