John: the disciple whom Jesus Love

'The disciple whom Jesus loved.'

These words come from the Gospel according to John in the Christian New Testament. There is something you need to know about these words, the author of John kept writing them in his book. He keeps telling his audience that he is the one whom Jesus loved.

I remember when I first discovered this truth. How dare John, I thought to myself. Who is he to parade the words, who is he among Andrew, James, even Peter to claim that he is the one whom Jesus set his affection? When I would reread the Gospel of John I would continuously get angry at John, for I saw him as the most arrogant and obnoxious figure in the whole Bible. John is speaking these words and often, as he said presumptuously, ‘of course I am he who Jesus loved.’ I came to the conclusion that this guy was not going to be heaven, there apparently was not room enough for his ego, he thought that he was so great therefore God loved, that he must be some kind of special deal to God.

My judgments are all in the past because I could not have been further from the truth. Yes I realize now that I turned what John said completely on its head. The first time this phrasing occurs, in speaking of John, is found in chapter 13 of John’s book. Immediately prior to our phrase is something extraordinary. Jesus, whom John and 11 other guys had been following around the country and being taught by, said, ‘If you want to be great, be the servant of all.’ Jesus then took each of the twelve men’s callused and dirtied feet and one-by-one began to wash them using his own clothes as a rag and his own hands to hold their feet as he poured water over them and scrubbed them clean. They knew that Jesus was God. Jesus knew he was God. Yet, Jesus served them; Jesus was literally on his knees before them.

John heard the sermons that Jesus preached, he heard the stories Jesus told, he saw the way that Jesus lived day in and day out. John also saw how his life did not compare. John knew Jesus was right in saying that no one can ever be perfect just as God the Father is perfect. John was realizing more and more that he was a failure, that he needed help, he needed saving, his eternity was in trouble. Speeding ahead, Jesus is murdered and John and the others are scared and not too sure what to do, but then Jesus almost casually shows up in their house. He is alive, he beat death, he paid the penalty that John was to receive!

John knew how much he needed saving and now there was one who really could save his soul. Would that Savior reject him, wouldn’t he be annoyed with John’s sins? No! And this is why we find John saying over and over and over that he is the one whom Jesus loved. The repeated statement is not an exclusive statement that John is the only person Jesus loved, or even that John is the only disciple that Jesus loved. Rather, John cannot and should not get passed the fact that he could be and is loved by the perfect God and creator of all things. His song is simple and humble: ‘Do you realize that God loves me?! How can this be, I am not worthy, I am wicked. Yet it is true, God loves even me!’