John 21:19 kjv
This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
John 21:19 nkjv
This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
John 21:19 niv
Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
John 21:19 esv
(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."
John 21:19 nlt
Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."
John 21 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 12:33 | This he said, signifying by what kind of death he was going to die. | Foreshadowing Jesus' death |
| John 18:32 | This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken, signifying by what kind of death he was going to die. | Referring to Jesus' death again |
| Matt 10:38 | And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. | Cost of discipleship; martyrdom |
| Matt 10:39 | Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. | Sacrificial life and death |
| Matt 16:24 | If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. | Bearing the cross; following Jesus |
| Luke 9:23-24 | If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself... lose his life for my sake... | Self-denial; losing life |
| Luke 14:27 | Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. | Bearing the cross for Christ |
| John 12:26 | If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. | Following Jesus in service |
| Acts 7:59-60 | And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed... Lord Jesus, receive my spirit... Lord, do not hold this sin against them. | Stephen's martyrdom; glorifying God |
| 1 Cor 6:20 | For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. | Glorifying God with our lives/bodies |
| Rom 12:1 | Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | Living sacrifice for God's glory |
| Phil 1:20 | As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body | Magnifying Christ through life/death |
| Col 1:24 | Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body... | Suffering for the body of Christ |
| 1 Pet 4:12 | Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. | Expectation of suffering |
| 1 Pet 4:16 | Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. | Glorifying God through Christian suffering |
| Rev 12:11 | And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. | Conquering through faithful death |
| Rev 14:13 | Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on... | Blessedness of death in the Lord |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter... | Christ as a suffering servant; prophecy of meekness |
| 2 Tim 4:7-8 | I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness... | Paul's expectation of glory after suffering |
| 2 Pet 1:14 | Since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. | Peter's awareness of his coming death |
| Ps 116:15 | Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. | The value of a saint's death to God |
| Rom 8:17 | ...and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. | Co-suffering and co-glory with Christ |
| John 10:11 | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. | Sacrificial love of shepherd |
John 21 verses
John 21 19 Meaning
This verse functions as a divinely inspired explanation and summation of Jesus' prophecy concerning Peter's future martyrdom. It explicitly states that Peter's death, marked by suffering and coercion as foreshadowed in the preceding verse (John 21:18), would not be a mere tragic end but a profound act by which he would bring glory to God. Immediately following this weighty disclosure, Jesus issues a clear, imperative call for Peter to "Follow Me," thereby connecting the cost of discipleship directly to his ultimate destiny.
John 21 19 Context
John 21 takes place after Jesus' resurrection, specifically detailing a crucial encounter on the Sea of Tiberias. Peter, having publicly denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion (John 18:15-27), experiences a profound moment of restoration and re-commissioning. Jesus interrogates Peter three times about his love, symbolically reversing the denials, and three times instructs him to "Feed my lambs" and "Tend my sheep." This re-establishes Peter's leadership and pastoral role. John 21:18 then introduces the prophecy of Peter's old age and a death in which he would be "stretched out" by others, leading directly into verse 19's interpretive commentary and the call to "Follow Me," binding Peter's personal destiny to his renewed ministry. The historical context for the original audience understood Roman execution methods, particularly crucifixion, which involved stretching out the victim's hands.
John 21 19 Word analysis
- This He said: This phrase serves as an editorial comment by John, the author of the Gospel. It indicates that the previous statement by Jesus (in verse 18, regarding Peter being led where he did not wish to go, and stretching out his hands) was a veiled prophecy.
- signifying (Greek: sēmainōn - σημαν̃ν): This participle means "indicating," "making known," or "revealing." It suggests that Jesus' preceding words were not merely descriptive but carried a deeper, predictive meaning that the author now clarifies. The term often implies an extraordinary or divinely-revealed truth, also used in the book of Revelation (e.g., Rev 1:1) to introduce symbolic revelation. Here, it is an interpretive key for Jesus' cryptic words.
- by what kind of death: This phrase, based on the Greek "ποίῳ θανάτῳ" (poio thanatō), focuses not just on death itself, but the manner of death. It points to a specific, identifiable type of suffering and ending. Coupled with John 21:18, which describes Peter's hands being stretched out by another and being led where he did not wish to go, the common scholarly and early Church understanding directly points to crucifixion as the kind of death.
- he would glorify God: This is the ultimate purpose and highest meaning of Peter's martyrdom. His death would not be meaningless suffering but would reflect and exalt God's glory. It shifts the focus from Peter's personal loss to God's redemptive plan and sovereignty even in human suffering. It signifies that even in extremis, a faithful believer can bring honor to God, through obedience, witness, and unwavering commitment.
- And when He had spoken this: This serves as a narrative transition, signaling the end of the prophetic interpretation and the beginning of a direct command.
- He said to him, “Follow Me.”: This is a direct, imperative command from Jesus to Peter, echoing Jesus' original call to Peter at the outset of his ministry (e.g., Matt 4:19). Coming immediately after the revelation of Peter's martyr's death, it profoundly links discipleship to self-sacrifice, even unto death. It is a renewed call to costly, committed discipleship, understanding that "following" Christ entails walking His path of suffering before glory.
John 21 19 Bonus section
Early Church tradition, supported by various historical writings from Tertullian, Origen, and Eusebius, explicitly identifies the "kind of death" for Peter as crucifixion, widely believed to be upside down. While this detail is not present in John 21:19 itself, it is understood as a fulfillment and amplification of the prophecy, particularly the idea of being "stretched out" by others (John 21:18) and Peter's personal desire not to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord, which would have further emphasized humility and obedience as central to "glorifying God." This unscriptural tradition nevertheless provides a consistent historical understanding of how the early church interpreted this particular prophecy concerning Peter.
John 21 19 Commentary
John 21:19 is a pivotal verse in Peter's story and for the understanding of Christian discipleship. Jesus, having just restored Peter after his triple denial, now reveals the ultimate cost of following Him: Peter's martyrdom. This prediction, elucidated by John's editorial "signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God," frames suffering and death not as a tragedy to be avoided, but as a pathway to divine glory. The explicit mention of "glorify God" elevates Peter's end from a personal loss to a spiritual triumph that redounds to God's honor, affirming that obedient witness even to the point of death is pleasing to the Lord.
The immediate follow-up command, "Follow Me," transforms this prophecy into a present summons. It demands not just intellectual assent but radical obedience and commitment, even in the face of revealed future suffering. It clarifies that Peter's re-commissioning is not for comfort but for a path that aligns with Christ's own self-sacrificial journey. The call is for a lifestyle that embraces potential suffering for the sake of Christ, trusting that God will be glorified in it. This perspective radically reshapes the meaning of a believer's trials, portraying them as potential avenues for bringing greater honor to God's name. For believers today, this teaches that ultimate fulfillment in following Christ may include profound personal sacrifice, but such sacrifice, when undertaken in faith, always results in the magnification of God's character and power.