What Jesus Did! 'Follow Me' — John 21:18-19

Tuesday, December 29, 2026

[Jesus said to Peter,] "I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go." Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."
— John 21:18-19 NLT

Key Thought

There was a time when Peter thought he was ready for anything. [1] He wasn't. Jesus told him so. Peter argued with Jesus. [2] Jesus was right, of course. But Peter had now been humbled by his own failure and then realized that the course of discipleship begins with humility. He was ready to follow, even if his path would lead to his own death in a way similar to Jesus' death. In fact, Jesus let Peter know that his future was directly tied to the crucifixion of his Lord. Yet Jesus still said to him, "Follow me!" You and I don't know exactly what the future holds, but Jesus looks at us and asks us to follow, even if it means a cross. Let's follow!

[1] Matthew 26:35; John 18:10.
[2] Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:27-38.

Today's Prayer

Give me courage and strength, O God, so that I can follow Jesus no matter what challenges, difficulties, or hardships come my way. Please, never ever let me outlive my love for your Son or for you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

4 Related Resources by Heartlight

The Third Time
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Beloved, The last few days I've visited with you about Peter's restoration and several important principles regarding confession, forgiveness,....."
How Cowards Become Heroes
Article by Rubel Shelly
Does such a transformation actually happen? Rubel Shelly uses the story of John Callender's failure and subsequent courage to remind us how to overcome the failure of our past.
Humiliated!
Article by Phil Ware
How can we ever overcome humiliation? If we don't bring back sinners whose sin has humiliated themselves, and if we we don't reach out to those who have been humiliated by others, then how can we claim we wear the name of Jesus?
50 Days of Grace
Article by Phil Ware
What has happened in your life the last 7 weeks? Jesus used the 50 days after Pentecost to change and transform the broken disciples into world-changers.

Illustration

Illustration of John 21:18-19 NLT — "I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Tuesday, December 29, 2026

Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Devotion and Awe for What Matters' (Acts 2:42-43)
"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to..."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'For Some Folks, Miracles Aren't Enough!'
"Dear Disciple, My words in yesterday's Scripture (Luke 11:14-26) were hard. The folks I spoke them to didn't like them. So, they challenged Me to do...."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'A Spoken Testimony Is a Weapon' (Re. 12:10-11)
"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the....."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'God's Sovereign Choice' (Ro. 9:19-20)
"Dear Father, All who are descended from Israel do not belong to Israel, nor are men counted as Abraham's children by mere physical descent. You, O....."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!