The disciple whom Jesus loved

Who are we? What is our identity? When we introduce ourselves somewhere - what do we say about ourselves? Well, the author of the Gospel of John refers to himself exclusively as "the discipleDisciples are students and followers. Examples are disciples of the Lord (Mt 8:23), of John (Mt 11:2), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16). A disciple learns from his teacher, abides... More whom Jesus loved. It is incredible that, as a person, he was wholly absorbed in the love of the Lord Jesus for himself. Nothing else was important to him: no personal name, image, or accomplishments. When we look at the incidents in which he talks about himself in this way, one thing becomes clear: in such situations, he needed to be aware of the love of the Lord. And so do we.

1. John 13:21-25: "When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter, therefore, motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus's breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"

Surprisingly, it is not the bold, courageous Peter who asks the Lord the question that moves everyone - but the disciple who was probably only a few centimeters away from his Master. He lived so deeply in the awareness of the Lord's love that he enjoyed being close to Him. Therefore, he had "the most direct line to the Lord" of all the disciples in this situation. That's why he received an answer to this question burning in everyone's soul.

Lesson for us: To get answers to our questions, we need to be close to the Lord. The Bible gives several examples of this:

And how do we approach him? By knowing that the Lord Jesus loves us. This draws us to Him.

• "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him." (Ps 25:14)
• "And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing'" (Gen 18:17; Lot, who lived in Sodom, did not receive the answer).
• "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the prophets." (Amos 3:7)

2. John 19:25,26: "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus, therefore, saw His mother and the discipleDisciples are students and followers. Examples are disciples of the Lord (Mt 8:23), of John (Mt 11:2), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16). A disciple learns from his teacher, abides... More He loved standing
by…"

Unfortunately, reading this list without understanding its explosive nature is very easy. Do we realize that here, we have examples of unimaginable courage? John, standing here under the cross, openly takes the side of the "rebel" (Luke 23:5) and "evildoer" (John 18:30), as seen by the accusers. He has no guarantee that he will not also be crucified as a co-conspirator - or at least suffer the same hatred that brought his Master to the cross. After all, the Lord Himself said just before the cross: "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). The fact that he now puts himself in that place is an impressive testimony to his courage. What is his secret? Here again: He was aware of the love of the Lord. But we can also learn this: Only John was entrusted Jesus' mother Mary. Being close to the Lord also leads us into service - His love is the only real motivation for this"

Lesson for us: What can motivate us to endure the rejection of the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More for Christ's sake if not the knowledge that he loves us? What else gives us the strength to swim against the current? Knowing that the Lord loves me and stands by me can give us the courage to witness more clearly for our Savior. And also: Only this very assurance stirs up our hearts to serve Him.

3. John 20:1-4: "Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still
dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon
Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord
out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter, therefore, went out, and the
other discipleDisciples are students and followers. Examples are disciples of the Lord (Mt 8:23), of John (Mt 11:2), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16). A disciple learns from his teacher, abides... More, and were going to the tomb. So they ran together, and the other discipleDisciples are students and followers. Examples are disciples of the Lord (Mt 8:23), of John (Mt 11:2), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16). A disciple learns from his teacher, abides... More outran Peter and
came to the tomb first".

We ask ourselves: Why was Peter, who was usually in the front row, the second to arrive at the tomb? Although this is only speculation, it could be that he was still troubled by his guilty conscience for denying his Master three days earlier. Perhaps he was still so inwardly burdened that it interfered with his relationship with the Lord. On the other hand, John knew of the Lord's love and had nothing to put right.

Lesson for us: Without self-judgment, our upward relationship is quickly disrupted. 1 John 3:3 says, "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." The intensity of my relationship with the Lord- which is nourished by His love- has an effect on my practical life. It leads me to self-appraisal. 2 Corinthians 7:1 puts it similarly: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the fleshThe term "flesh" is used in different meanings in the Bible: a) as an expression of physicality or humanity, which is inextricably linked to our life on earth. Examples: “the... More and spirit, perfecting holinessIt generally denotes something separate from the ordinary or even evil. Holiness is, above all, an attribute of God; He is glorious in holiness, He sits on his throne of... More in fear of God." The more we live in His love, the more the fear of God shows up in our lives - and the more we practice self-restraint.

4. John 21:4, 6, 7: "But when the morning had come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not
know it was Jesus. And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find
some." So they cast, and now they could not draw it in because of the many fish. Therefore, that discipleDisciples are students and followers. Examples are disciples of the Lord (Mt 8:23), of John (Mt 11:2), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16). A disciple learns from his teacher, abides... More
Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his
outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea."

None of the eleven disciples recognize the Lord - but when He reveals Himself to be the Lord of creation, John is the first to admit his Master. This discipleDisciples are students and followers. Examples are disciples of the Lord (Mt 8:23), of John (Mt 11:2), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16). A disciple learns from his teacher, abides... More must have had a keen sense of recognizing the Lord Jesus under the circumstances.

Lesson for us: Very often, the Lord Jesus is standing on the shore of the lake in our lives - and we do not recognize Him. We are often like the servant of Elisha (2 Kings 6:14-17), who only saw the problematic circumstances and realized that God's armies were on his side after prayer. Paul was abandoned in the dock by all his brethren, yet he felt the presence of the Lord Jesus in this oppressive situation (2Ti 4:16, 17). It was similar to David, who, in the valley of the shadow of death, said: "You are with me" (Psalm 23:4). The more profound the awareness of the Lord's love for us, the more likely we are to recognize Him in our circumstances. Resting in this knowledge opens our eyes, often focused on our circumstances, so that we can recognize Him. To this end, like John, let us cling to the specific knowledge: "I am loved!"

5. John 21:20: "Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following."

After preparing Peter for his future mission and martyrdom (vv. 15-19), the Lord Jesus re-challenged him to make a conscious decision to follow Him. Peter turns around and realizes that John has already done so. Again, we see the addition of "whom Jesus loved." Once again, it is a remarkable context!

Lesson for us: Discipleship is not a "walk in the park." Biblical discipleshipDiscipleship is a commandment of the Lord Jesus for His own (Mk 2:14). In discipleship, we follow the Lord Jesus in obedience; He is our authority. It means sharing His... More is radical and involves renunciation and sacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More. This is clear from the conditions of discipleshipDiscipleship is a commandment of the Lord Jesus for His own (Mk 2:14). In discipleship, we follow the Lord Jesus in obedience; He is our authority. It means sharing His... More that the Lord presents in Luke 14:25-33, for example:

1. "He who does not hate his own life..."
2. "He who does not hate father, mother, etc..."
3. "He who does not take up his cross..."
4. "He who does not renounce everything..."
5. "…cannot be my disciple."

What a high standard for our lives! The more we live in the awareness of the Lord Jesus' love for us, the more we will be able to meet this standard. If we practice this blatant form of discipleship because it says so in Luke 14, because great examples like Hudson Taylor, Charles Studd, and the apostle Paul practiced it, because it was preached that way, or because this article says so, we will not last long. We get the strength to live a life dedicated to the Lord Jesus only when we know he loves us. Without this awareness, discipleship is just a legal form that does not please God and, second, is quickly abandoned. We must internalize it deeply: "The Son of God loves me personally! He demonstrated His infinite love by coming to this earth and dying for me. Because I am so infinitely loved, I want to follow the Lord in this awareness." Paul expresses it similarly in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More; it is no longer I who live, but ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More lives in me; and the life which I now live in the fleshThe term "flesh" is used in different meanings in the Bible: a) as an expression of physicality or humanity, which is inextricably linked to our life on earth. Examples: “the... More I live by faith in the Son of GodThe term "Son of God" in the singular always refers to the Lord Jesus. On the one hand, He is the only begotten (unique) and eternal Son of God, who... More, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Are we consciously living in the love of the Lord Jesus for us? Is that our true identity? There was no "John" for John" but only "the discipleDisciples are students and followers. Examples are disciples of the Lord (Mt 8:23), of John (Mt 11:2), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16). A disciple learns from his teacher, abides... More whom Jesus loved."