“But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
- KJV Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
- BSB “Lord,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”
- NKJV Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
- NASB Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Peter insists he is ready to lay down his life for Jesus. It displays his sincere but overconfident devotion.
Overview
Peter's bold pledge reflects genuine love yet a misplaced trust in his own strength. He does not yet know his own weakness or the depth of trial ahead. The verse sets up Jesus' sobering prediction of Peter's denial and the lesson of human frailty apart from grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Acts 20:24But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.
- Acts 21:13Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
- John 21:15So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
- Mark 14:27–31Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
- Matt 26:31–35Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
- Luke 22:31–34The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 13:37 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.