1 John 1:1; John 13:18-26, John Whom Jesus Loved

The subject of 1 John is the Lord Jesus, that which was from the beginning.  Let’s remind ourselves that John was closed to Jesus than any of the Twelve.

·       John 13:23: In the Upper Room, John is the one laying in Jesus bosom.  And he refers to himself as one of His disciples whom Jesus loved.  There are some whose immoral minds and hearts see something untoward in this.  Get that out of your mind.  They only think this because they do not understand the nature of love and the love that knits men together.  It is not sexual.  If it were that would not be love but would be lust and sin.  John was to Jesus as a previous “Jonathan” was to David.  Their souls were knit together in love (1 Sam. 18:1).  I am not surprised from what we know of Jesus’ disciples that Jesus found this in John but not in Peter.  Don’t take that wrong.  It was harder to be comfortable around Peter I’m sure.  It would have been harder for Jesus to entrust Himself to Peter, given Peter’s temperament. Jesus was in the process of “remaking” Peter (John 1:42).  John had a special relationship with Christ.  Peter did not deny this but used it to get John to ask Jesus about who would betray Him.   

·       Mark 14:33: In Gethsemane, John, with Peter and James, went with Jesus beyond where the others were.  And there they witnessed something amazing: the Son of God troubled and deeply distressed. 

·       John 18:15: After the arrest in the Garden, Jesus was led to appear before Annas and then to the house of Caiaphas.  It was here He was questioned, ridiculed, and physically abused.  John witnessed this.  He knew someone in the circle of the High Priest and they let him in.  And again, Peter was able to get out in the courtyard because he knew John.  Try to imagine what John saw, and what he experienced watching this One he loved being treated like this.

·       John 19:25-27: John was at the cross.  He witnessed a very human act on Jesus’ part.  The oldest son of Mary gave responsibility for her to John.  That seems final, and Jesus is, of course, about to die.  But He will be raised from the dead, and in that He will no longer be carrying out the eldest son responsibilities.  So John is given that onus.  John, the one whose soul was knit to Jesus.’

·       John 20:1-10: The women who first was the empty tomb told Peter and John.  John knew Jesus had died.  Now he was the first of the Apostles to see the tomb.  After bold Peter arrived and went in, John did the same.  And, he believed.

·       John 21:1-7: Are we surprised?  Seven of the disciples, since they are back up in Galilee, figure they should go fishing.  And this is the time that Jesus chooses to show Himself to them again.  Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.  I wonder why someone didn’t immediately know it was Jesus, given the previous history (Luke 5:4-7).  But are we surprised, that the first one to recognize Jesus is that disciple whom Jesus loved.