“Lord, why cannot I follow thee now?”
The full verse · John 13:37 · KJV
unto , , I ? I will lay thy .
Asked by
Peter: Simon called Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, who had just been told, "thou canst not follow me now" (John 13:36)
Asked to
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, who had told Peter he would follow Him "afterwards" (John 13:36)
The Scene
At the supper, after Jesus told Peter, "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards," Peter answered Him (John 13:36-37).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionPeter did not want to be left behind. He backed up his question with a pledge: "I will lay down my life for thy sake" (John 13:37). Matthew Henry hears in the question, "Dost thou suspect my fidelity to thee?" Gill says Peter, not understanding Christ's answer and dissatisfied with it, thought of following Jesus through dangers on earth; he paraphrases Peter's thought as, "I would readily hazard my life, and cheerfully lay it down in defence of thee." Peter's love was sincere. What he did not yet see was his own weakness.
The Response
What Scripture recordsJesus answered with a question of His own: "Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?" Then He foretold, "The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice" (John 13:38). That same night Peter said "I am not" when asked if he was Jesus' disciple (John 18:17, 25), and when he denied a third time, "immediately the cock crew" (John 18:27).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsAll four Gospels record Peter's bold pledge on this night. In Matthew he says, "Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee," and "likewise also said all the disciples" (Matthew 26:35). In Mark he speaks "the more vehemently" (Mark 14:31). In Luke he says, "I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death" (Luke 22:33).
Luke adds that Jesus had prayed for Peter "that thy faith fail not" and told him, "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32). Jesus knew both Peter's coming fall and his coming restoration.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyPeter's pledge was not a lie. He meant it, and after the resurrection Jesus foretold the death by which Peter would glorify God (John 21:18-19). But he could not do it "now," in his own strength, on that night. Matthew Henry writes in his concise notes, "Christ knows us better than we know ourselves."
Jesus did not reject Peter for his overconfidence. He prayed for him (Luke 22:32), and after the resurrection He asked Peter three times, "lovest thou me?" and then said, "Follow me" (John 21:15-19). The following Peter asked for in John 13:37 came afterwards, after his fall, when Jesus Himself said to him, "Follow me" (John 21:19).
Look Closer
What did Peter offer to prove he could follow Jesus now?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, You know me better than I know myself; where am I trusting my own strength to follow You instead of Yours?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Peter's love for Jesus was real, but he did not know his own weakness. What helps you hold sincere commitment and honest humility together?
- Tell about a time you were sure you could stand firm and learned you needed God's help more than you thought.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Sincere love for Jesus is a good thing. Peter's desire to follow was real, and Jesus did not mock it. But promises made in our own strength can fail under pressure.
Paul warns, "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). The answer is not to stop making commitments to Jesus. It is to make them leaning on Him, knowing that Jesus prayed for Peter's faith (Luke 22:32).
If you have failed in a way you once thought you never would, Peter's story is not over at the cock-crow. Jesus came back to him with a question of love and a call to follow (John 21:15-19).
Scripture's own application: 1 Corinthians 10:12
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Lord, whither goest thou?”
“Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?”
“Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?”
“Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Lovest thou me?”