Where I am going you cannot follow Me now

John 13
36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”

This was the context that prompted Peter to later ask why he cannot follow Jesus at that time. His eagerness and loyalty is exemplarary in this case - he wanted to follow Jesus even though he did not know where Jesus was going. This could be a lesson in faith in comparison with the account of Abraham and Isaac.

However the context here is quite different. The Lord Jesus was not intending to prove Peter's faith to Peter, as was the account with Abraham. Here, Yshua's intention was to reveal to Peter what would happen and prepare him to continue the task after He was gone.

Of course Jesus wanted Peter to be with Him ultimately when Peter's tasks on earth were finished. More importantly, Peter still had much to grow and to receive the Holy Spirit. With Jesus on earth, Peter had the great privilege of learning by example in the ministry of Jesus. When Jesus left, only then can the Holy Spirit come into Peter. It is the Holy Spirit that Peter needed to surrender to and allow Him to empower his life and ministry.