John 13:37 kjv
Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
John 13:37 nkjv
Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake."
John 13:37 niv
Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
John 13:37 esv
Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
John 13:37 nlt
"But why can't I come now, Lord?" he asked. "I'm ready to die for you."
John 13 37 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 13:36 | Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "... where I am going you cannot follow Me now..." | Immediate preceding context; Peter's question |
| John 13:38 | Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, an rooster will not crow till you have denied Me three times." | Jesus' direct response; prediction of denial |
| Mt 26:33 | Peter answered Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." | Peter's similar confident pledge |
| Mt 26:34 | Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this very night... you will deny Me three times." | Parallel account of prediction |
| Mk 14:29 | Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not." | Parallel account of confidence |
| Mk 14:30 | Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." | Parallel account of prediction |
| Lk 22:33 | But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death." | Peter's resolute pledge in Luke |
| Lk 22:34 | Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me." | Parallel account of prediction |
| John 10:11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." | Jesus as example of laying down life |
| John 10:15 | "... and I lay down My life for the sheep." | Jesus reiterates His sacrificial nature |
| John 15:13 | "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." | Principle of ultimate sacrificial love |
| Mk 8:34 | When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." | Demands of true discipleship |
| Mk 8:35 | "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it." | Paradox of self-preservation vs. sacrifice |
| Mt 16:24 | Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." | Parallel teaching on self-denial |
| Lk 9:23 | Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." | Parallel teaching with "daily" |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. | Warning against overconfidence |
| 1 Cor 10:12 | Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. | Warning against presumption |
| 1 Jn 3:16 | By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. | Command to follow Jesus' example |
| Gal 2:20 | "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..." | Transformed life, Christ living through us |
| Phil 3:10 | "...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death..." | Desire for conformity to Christ's suffering |
| John 21:18 | "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself... But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." | Jesus' later prophecy of Peter's martyrdom |
| John 21:19 | This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." | Confirmation of Peter's eventual following |
| 1 Pet 2:21 | For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: | Peter's own later exhortation to follow Christ |
John 13 verses
John 13 37 Meaning
John 13:37 presents Peter's bold declaration of loyalty and self-sacrifice to Jesus. In response to Jesus' statement that Peter could not follow Him where He was going "now," Peter vehemently asserted his readiness to lay down his life for his Lord. This statement reveals Peter's deep affection for Jesus, his fervent and impulsive nature, yet also his profound misunderstanding of both Jesus' immediate mission and his own spiritual weakness at that moment.
John 13 37 Context
John 13:37 is set during the intimate moments of Jesus' final supper with His disciples, known as the Upper Room Discourse. Prior to this verse, Jesus has just concluded the profound act of washing the disciples' feet, demonstrating radical humility and service, and instructing them to do likewise. He then foretells His betrayal by Judas and gives the new commandment to "love one another." Following this, Jesus informs His disciples of His imminent departure to a place they cannot follow Him yet. This leads to Peter's questioning in John 13:36 about Jesus' destination and his inability to follow, setting the stage for Peter's passionate declaration of loyalty in verse 37. Historically and culturally, pledges of loyalty unto death were known, but Peter's personal inability at that moment underscores the profound gap between self-perception and spiritual reality, a theme often found in ancient wisdom literature.
John 13 37 Word analysis
- Simon Peter said to Him: This highlights Peter's characteristic forwardness and impetuosity, often being the first to speak or act among the disciples.
- Lord: Kyrios (Κύριος). This term signifies respect and recognition of Jesus' authority and divinity. Peter addresses Jesus reverently, despite his subsequent overconfidence.
- "Why can I not follow You now?": This question reflects Peter's sincere desire to remain with Jesus, but also a misunderstanding of Jesus' immediate purpose. Peter thinks in terms of physical proximity and immediate action, not the spiritual journey Jesus is embarking upon. The word "now" (arti - ἄρτι) is crucial; it implies a temporary inability, not a permanent one.
- "I will lay down my life for You.":
- lay down: thēsō (θήσω), from tithēmi (τίθημι), meaning to place, put, set. It is the same verb Jesus uses for laying down His own life (John 10:11, 15:13). This strong parallel highlights Peter's sincerity and the ultimate nature of his pledge.
- my life: psychēn mou (ψυχήν μου), literally "my soul" or "my life." This refers to the most vital aspect of existence.
- for You: hyper sou (ὑπὲρ σοῦ), meaning "on behalf of you" or "for your sake." This emphasizes Peter's complete devotion.
- Words-group analysis:
- "Lord, why can I not follow You now?": This phrase underscores Peter's mixture of earnest devotion and spiritual blindness. He desires to accompany Jesus fully but fails to grasp the necessity of Jesus' solitary suffering and the subsequent transformation needed in his own life before he could truly follow in the way Jesus meant. His inability to follow now means he is not yet ready to participate in the sufferings that lead to glory.
- "I will lay down my life for You.": This declaration is both a testament to Peter's deep love and an example of his human overconfidence and self-reliance. While the sentiment is noble and truly reflects love, his presumption of his own strength will be painfully exposed by Jesus' ensuing prophecy. This impulsive pledge, though genuine in feeling, overlooks the spiritual battle Peter would soon face, demonstrating the difference between zeal and mature faith refined through trial.
John 13 37 Bonus section
This verse serves as a critical pivot point in Peter's journey. It highlights a recurring theme in the Gospels: the disciples' inability to grasp the full implications of Jesus' ministry, particularly concerning suffering and the true nature of discipleship, before the resurrection and Pentecost. Peter's pledge, while misguided in its timing and overconfident in its execution, was sincere and foretold his ultimate destiny of martyrdom, but only after his spiritual transformation (John 21:18-19). This incident underscores the truth that divine purpose and timing supersede human will and immediate understanding. Peter needed to be utterly humbled by his failure to learn dependence on Christ alone, a lesson crucial for his future leadership. It illustrates the principle that our strength is truly made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9-10).
John 13 37 Commentary
Peter's emphatic pledge to lay down his life for Jesus, mirroring the very language Jesus used to describe His own sacrifice, reveals a deep but still immature devotion. His zeal outran his spiritual understanding and strength. While his heart's desire was true, his human will was yet unrefined and unsubmitted to the Spirit. He failed to comprehend that true following involved participating in Jesus' death, but only after Jesus had completed His unique atoning work, and after Peter himself had been spiritually matured. This exchange sets the stage for the dramatic fulfillment of Jesus' prediction in the very next verse (John 13:38), highlighting Peter's subsequent denial and the stark contrast between his self-proclaimed strength and his actual spiritual fragility before the power of temptation. The verse teaches us that genuine commitment is essential, but it must be rooted not in our own abilities, but in God's enabling grace, demonstrated through testing and humbling.
- Example 1: Like a young athlete declaring they will conquer the world record before undergoing the necessary training.
- Example 2: Like promising unwavering support without yet facing the cost or pressure.