John 21:20-25 English Standard Version

Jesus and the Beloved Apostle

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³ So the saying spread abroad among the brothers^{[fellow believers]} that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Recently studies on our new life in Christ had an opportunity to wonder what had happened to Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea but the bible leaves no clues as to what might have become of those renown men of the Jewish community. We can only speculate about what might have happened to them. As I sought information these passages came to mind because of this one line; “What is that to you? You follow me!”

In the gospel of John he continuously referred to this disciple Jesus loved. Didn’t Jesus love everyone? Why not just admit it was John himself that he is writing about?

The answer for me is keeping the focus on Jesus and the witness and not John. In John 21:24 John finally admits that he was talking about himself.

We all have a witness but is our telling about us or what God has done?

Mark 7:6-9 English Standard Version

⁶ And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ⁷ in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

Our churches are ripe with traditions. Let me be clear on this issue, traditions are not a bad thing if we hold these two boundaries.

Traditions are not doctrine.

Traditions must not be allowed to replace God’s instructions.

Romans 14:21-23 English Standard Version

²¹ It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. ²² The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. ²³ But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Traditions vary from denomination to denomination. We must take note that we are not to judge another’s performance of traditions. We can hold to traditions that we observe by faith. If anyone within fellowship abstains from participating in common traditions, we are not to insist they must participate. If it is a matter of faith, that is between them and God.

Proverbs 18:19 English Standard Version (ESV) A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.

Freedom in fellowship is important. Insisting on matters of tradition can harden a heart and that is not good for anyone.

2 Corinthians 4:13 English Standard Version (ESV) Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,