Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”
- KJV Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
- NKJV Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
- NASB Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
- NLT Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
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
Jesus tells Peter that John's future is His concern, and Peter must simply follow Him. It matters because it calls each disciple to undistracted obedience to Christ.
Overview
Rather than answering Peter's curiosity, Jesus reasserts His sovereign right over each disciple's path and repeats the command, 'You follow me.' The believer's duty is faithfulness to Christ, not comparison with how He leads others. The mention of His coming again points to Christ's return. The verse focuses every disciple on personal allegiance to the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Rev 2:25Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come.
- Rev 3:11I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
- Mark 9:1Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
- Matt 16:27–28For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- 1 Cor 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
- Matt 24:3While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
- Matt 24:44For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
- John 21:19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And after He had said this, He told him, “Follow Me.”
- Jas 5:7Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- 1 Cor 11:26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
- Rev 1:7Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
- Rev 22:20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
- Matt 24:27For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
- Rev 22:7“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”
- Matt 25:31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 21:22 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.