Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. John 21:23–25 NKJV
The Lord Jesus had told Peter, “Follow Me.” Peter had seen John following and had asked, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus had replied, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” Sad to say, as the years went on, the Lord’s reply to Peter’s query had been completely misconstrued, not only by the other disciples, but by “the brethren” at large who had heard them speaking about their speculations.
This kind of thing is not uncommon today. We hear something, or overhear something, completely misunderstand it, and yet pass it on to others as fact. Our misapprehension spreads, and grows and mutates as it spreads, often causing serious injury and harm. How important that we guard our tongues, avoid gossip, check to see that we each “speak truth with his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25).
As John ends his Gospel, his heart is impressed as he remembers many other things Jesus did. John testified of what he had heard and seen and knew. He had written as he was led by the Holy Spirit. But there was so much more: “the world itself could not contain all the books that would be written!” But notice how he prefaces his thought with “I suppose.” The Holy Spirit led Him not to write his supposition as fact. The greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ exceeds by far our wildest thought and imagination!