Who Is The Disciple Jesus Loved In John

Who Is the Disciple Jesus Loved?

Transcript of the audio As we begin a new week, we have a beautiful Bible question for you. Our correspondent, Juliet, from Canada, has sent us this message. “Hello, Pastor John! “Dear Pastor John, hello! A ‘disciple whom Jesus loved,’ according to the Bible, is described in John 21:7. Can you tell me who this is and where it came from? And why is he being referred to in this manner? I believe Jesus had a deep affection for everyone of his disciples. Is there anything we can take away from the love designation focused towards this particular disciple?

For starters, we know who this disciple is — specifically, the one who is referred to five times in this Gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20) — since the Gospel was written by this disciple himself.

Following Peter and Jesus, according to John 21:20, “Peter turned and sawthe disciple whom Jesus loved following them” — that is, following Peter and Jesus, not the other way around.

Consequently, the Gospel makes an explicit claim that this specific disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, is the author of the Gospel.

Plenty of Love for All

In order to be clear, when the author refers to himself five times as “the one whom Jesus loved,” he is not claiming that Jesus doesn’t love the other people in the world.

It is this particular author who claims in John 11:5 that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
It is this very author who claims that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
John 13:1 states that “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” — which is frequently interpreted as “to the utmost.” It is this particular author who wrote the verse. That completes the list. He also quotes Jesus as stating in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you,” referring to all of my disciples in the plural, “as the Father has loved me.” He also states in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” — all of you — “as I have loved you.”

To put it another way, this writer is not attempting to claim for himself the love of Jesus while also barring others from receiving it. There’s something else going on. After I finish this sentence, I’ll return to it.

Peter and the Loved Disciple

But, returning to the original question, who is it? Who is it that we are referring to? Peter, James, and John were known to be the closest associates of Jesus, as evidenced by the accounts in the other Gospels. Those three, for example, were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8), and they were able to see him because they were with him. This unidentified disciple appears to have had a close relationship with Peter, based on the way the Gospel of Matthew portrays his actions.

“So Simon Peter gestured to him to ask Jesus of whom he was referring,” according to John 13:24.
“So she fled and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved,” the Bible says of Mary Magdalene on the morning of the resurrection, in order to tell what she had witnessed (John 20:2).
The reason I minister and live is because of this.
Also in verse 7, as Jesus cried out to them from the shore, the disciple whom Jesus loved responded by saying to Peter, “It is the Lord.” Finally, in 21:20, the disciple whom Jesus adored is seen following Peter and Jesus on the road to Jerusalem.
And we know that Peter, James, and John were extremely close to one another as well as to Jesus.

As for James, we know that he had been slain by the time this Gospel was written (Acts 12:2), so he isn’t a candidate for this very intimate connection with Peter, who is described as “the one whom Jesus loved.” Thus, we are left with a significant chance that John the apostle is the disciple whom Jesus loved and is the author of this Gospel, as previously stated.

Since the beginning of time, practically every other tradition, even those outside of the Bible, has agreed with this conclusion almost unanimously.

‘Christ’s Love Controls Me’

This brings us full round to the question of why this author, John the apostle, refers to himself five times as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” in his writings. To wrap things up, allow me to make three last proposals. For starters, it establishes the author as an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry throughout the whole book. He alludes to himself in an indirect manner during the Last Supper, on the cross when he accepts Jesus’s mother into his family, at the empty tomb, and in his first face-to-face encounter with Jesus after the resurrection, among other instances.

Second, it’s possible that this is John’s way of expressing, “My most significant identification is not my name, but the fact that I am loved by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

I’m loved, I’m loved, I’m loved.” “Jesus has a special place in my heart.” In a third instance, he could have been paraphrasing the apostle Paul, who said in 2 Corinthians 5:14–15, “The love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for their sake.” John would be stating something like this: “I identify myself as loved by Christ since this is the all-constraining, all-controlling truth in my existence.” This is one of the reasons why I’m writing the Gospel.

This is the reason why I minister and why I live.

Who was the disciple whom Jesus loved?

QuestionAnswer ‘The disciple whom Jesus loved,’ according to the Gospel of John, is the only one to make mention of him. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him, according to the Bible’s account in John 13:23. John 19:26 states that “When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He cherished standing close, He said to His mother, “Dear lady, here is your son.” “Dear woman, here is your son,” Jesus said to His mother. When the disciple whom Jesus loved declared to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ in John 21:7, we know that we are talking about Jesus.

The disciple with whom Jesus self-identifies as the author of the gospel, and whom most academics believe to be the apostle John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James, is identified as the author of the gospel by Jesus himself.
As for who was fishing with Peter, John 21:2 tells us who was there with him: “Simon Peter, Thomas (known as Didymus), Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were with him.” Zebedee was the father of the apostle John (Matthew 4:21).
These three disciples were the most intimate with Jesus (Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33; Luke 8:51).
That leaves us with the choice between James and John.
James was the first of the apostles to die, and he was also the youngest (Acts 12:2).
Instead, Jesus simply said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return.” According to church history, the apostle John lived until the late 90s of the first century AD and was the last living apostle.
There is evidence to suggest that John had a more intimate contact with Jesus than any of the other disciples.
During Jesus’ lifetime, he entrusted John with the care of His mother, gave him the vision of the transfiguration, permitted him to witness His most spectacular miracles, and subsequently gave him the Book of Revelation.

Go back to the page with all of the Bible questions. What was the name of the disciple whom Jesus cherished?

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Who was “the disciple Jesus loved”?

We should love one another since this is the gospel you have received from the beginning.– 1 John 3:11 The “disciple Jesus loved” is commemorated at the Basilica’s Saint John Chapel, which is dedicated to him. St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, is commemorated on December 27th as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” as the Church puts it (John 13:23). Author of a Gospel narrative, three epistles, and the book of Revelation, John was not only close to Jesus during his lifetime, but he was also a spiritual teacher for all of time.

John, the Disciple

The first time John saw Jesus was while he and his brother James were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. It was after a whole night of unsuccessful attempts that they were apprehensive when Jesus instructed them to drop their nets into the sea yet again. Nonetheless, they cooperated and were amazed to see as they caught more more fish than they could possibly store in their boat (Luke 5:1-11). Following this miracle, Jesus invited them to accompany him, promising that he would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-22).

What is interesting about their testimony is that they did not appear to have any reservations.
John was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and was present for some of the most pivotal events of Jesus’ earthly ministry, including the Transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’ daughter, as well as accompanying Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion.
He was also the sole disciple to see Jesus’ crucifixion, while the others were absent.
Saint John, as shown at the Our Mother of Africa Chapel (Our Mother of Africa Chapel).

Son of Thunder

However, this does not rule out the possibility that John need spiritual direction from time to time. John and his brother James’ ferocious evangelistic fervor and violent emotions led Jesus to refer to them as “the Sons of Thunder,” which was intended to be a comical reference (Mark 3:17). As soon as James and John learned that a man was casting out devils in Jesus’ name, they banned him from continuing in that manner (Luke 9:49). Several verses later in the same chapter, when Jesus started out for Jerusalem and the Samaritans declined to accompany him on his journey, James and John were furious with him.

One of the most famous instances is when the two men approached Christ and requested if they may one day sit at his right and left hands — to which Jesus answered, “You do not realize what you are asking” (Mark 10:37-38).

John’s Focus on Love

Throughout his Gospel and epistles, John emphasizes the importance of love and the importance of relationships. As recorded in John’s account of the Last Supper, Jesus’ final instruction is centered on love: “As the Father loves me, so do I also love you.” Continue to be in my affection. If you follow my commandments, you will continue to be in my love, just as I have followed my Father’s commandments and continue to be in his love. I’ve told you this so that my happiness can be shared with you and your happiness can be full.

Why John’s Gospel is Unique

What distinguishes John’s account of the Gospel from other accounts? Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of John’s Gospel is his primary goal to account for Jesus’ divinity — the Gospel of John opens with the words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In addition, John’s Gospel contains a number of small facts that are not found in any of the other Gospels. Minor individuals like as the high priest’s father-in-law and the slave whose ear was severed at Jesus’ betrayal, for example, are identified by name by the author (John 18:13; 18:10).

As far as the disciples were concerned, John was the only one who died quietly rather than via martyrdom.

St.

John Chapel; St.

Sources:

“The Lives of the Saints” by Butler (ed. by Bernard Bangley) The Way of the Saints by Cowan

Light a Candle at the Basilica

We encourage you to light a candle at the Basilica today in honor of St. John the Evangelist. Around the Upper Church and Lower Crypt level of the National Shrine, vigil lights are lit in chapels throughout the building. In each candle, we see a symbol of the supplicants’ faith and the intensity of their prayers, which are entrusted to the loving intercession of the Blessed Mother.

Why Is John the “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”?

There appear to be several instances of nicknames and name changes in both the Old and New Testaments. The “Sons of Thunder” include Simon and Peter, Esau and Edom, and others. Almost everyone who follows Jesus appears to be given a loving nickname, which is occasionally given by Jesus himself. However, in the fourth Gospel, we come upon something quite different. ‘The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved,’ says the author of the Gospel of John, referring to himself by an unusual moniker. The “Beloved Disciple” is a title used by John in different translations to refer to himself.

“Did John actually believe that?” In my situation, as is often the case, subsequent research later in life invalidated my primary school frame of reference.

Throughout this essay, we’ll look at the nickname given by the disciple John to himself, what it means, the significance of nicknames in Scripture, and why all of this is important to us today as Christians.

What Does John’s Nickname Mean?

With his self-given label, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” it appears that John is attempting to boost his ego by associating himself with the Savior. As previously stated, Jesus had an inner circle of three disciples to whom he demonstrated his transfiguration (Matthew 17), with John being one of them. In fact, Jesus instructs John to look after his mother while Jesus is being crucified with him. So, did John use this name as a flex in order to get what he wanted? Scholars, on the other hand, disagree.

The title was more than likely a magnificent title with a connotation that did not translate into our own society, as William Barclay explains in this passage from his book.
More information about this will be provided in the next section.
After all, on the night that he was deceived, he bathed the feet of everyone in the house.
As indicated in the Answers in Genesis page, it’s possible that John uses this name to remind readers of the immense love that they, too, have experienced.
Because John does not offer an explanation for the name, we are unable to determine its true significance.
The image is courtesy of Getty Images/Javier Art Photography.

Why Did John Call Himself “The Disciple Who Jesus Loved”?

As we discussed in the preceding section, we don’t know the specific reasons for which John would choose to bequest himself such a name. After all, he isn’t referred to by this name in any other Gospel story. This suggests that John solely used this as a way to refer to himself. We can rule out egotism because John did not choose this name in order to bring attention to himself. Instead, it appears that the inverse is more likely. John wanted to remain nameless for his own reasons. Those who read the Gospel and were eyewitnesses to the events would have recognized John’s identity based on a number of crucial facts that he highlights.

However, John appears to be attempting to deflect attention away from himself in the tale by eliminating his name and substituting a nickname for it, which is a characteristic: someone who is loved by Jesus.

He discovers truth, his own identity, and his own purpose as a result of God’s love.

There aren’t many alternative explanations for why John chose this nickname for himself, according to the academic community. John presumably doesn’t provide much of an explanation because he would prefer that the attention be focused on Jesus rather than on him.

The Importance of Nicknames in the Bible

Nowadays, we may refer to our spouse, individuals with whom we participate in sports leagues, and even coworkers by their nicknames. However, throughout the period of the Old and New Testaments, nicknames had a considerably more profound significance to them. According toVincent Ketchie’s essay, names and nicknames in the Bible frequently reflect a person’s purpose or identity via their use. People who changed someone’s name or gave them a nickname held a certain level of power and influence over the individual who had changed his or her name.

As a result, when someone adopts a new name or nickname (such as Paul or John), they are emphasizing a crucial aspect of their mission.

such as changing his surname to Paul.

Why Should We Care About This?

After all, why should it matter what John refers to himself as in his Gospel account? Indeed, didn’t he come up with the moniker on purpose in order to avoid calling attention to himself? There are a variety of reasons why we should be concerned about nicknames, and this one in particular. First and foremost, John reminds us of the transformational power of God’s love in our lives. We may all identify with the disciple whom Jesus adored and refer to ourselves as such. Because he has a job. He cares for us in an extraordinary and unwavering way.

Second, we should be aware of the immense power that names possess.
The number of names for God is endless: Elohim, El Shaddai, Yahweh, and so on.
If someone is given a nickname or another name in the Bible, they typically gain a new function, a new instrumental component of their character, in the same and lesser fashion.
What a difference a nickname can make in our understanding of a person.
This also demonstrates how important it is to consider the context of texts.
However, by putting the emphasis on Jesus rather than himself, he demonstrates remarkable humility.
In addition to being a multi-published author, Bolinger is also a graduate of the professional writing program at Taylor University.
As a writer and editor, she has worked for a number of different publishing firms as well as periodicals, newspapers, and literary agencies, and she has worked with writers such as Jerry B.
Her modern-day Daniel trilogy, published by IlluminateYA, is now available.

She is also a co-author of the Dear Heroduology, which was published by INtense Publications and is available for purchase online. Her inspirational adult novel Picture Imperfect, which will be released in November of 2021, will also be released. You may learn more about her by visiting her website.

Who Was the Beloved Disciple?

Anonymous personalities have a way of piqueing our interest and forcing us to find out more about who they are. Consider the Deep Throat of Watergate or the infamous Unabomber as examples. These personas have lost some of their appeal now that we know Deep Throat was in fact FBI agent Mark Felt and that the Unabomber was actually a psychotic mathematician called Ted Kaczynski. The same may be said about biblical people who remain unidentified. It is possible that the so-called beloved disciple is the most well-known figure in the New Testament.

However, because many people feel they already know who this guy is, he frequently fails to elicit the sense of surprise that the tale is attempting to elicit from the audience.
This is the most often accepted identification for this figure.
Despite the fact that there is little evidence to support it, this notion continues to be held in high regard by contemporary Christians.
(John 20:11-18).
There are five instances in the Gospel of John when the mysterious figure known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” appears (John 13:21-30; John 18:15-18; John 19:26-27; andJohn 21:30), while other scholars believe the unidentified disciple in John 1:35-39 is the beloved disciple.
Throughout the story, the beloved disciple reacts to Jesus in a way that the narrator deems commendable, but Peter exhibits a mixture of uncertainty, doubt, and misinterpretation before finally denying that he knows Jesus.
(John 21:7).
This is probably the most significant comment about the beloved disciple made by the narrator.
Perhaps a historical figure truly stood in support of the figure of the beloved disciple in his or her time.
The idea made by John’s Gospel is that any reader who chooses to follow Jesus may do so by following in his footsteps and becoming a cherished disciple.

The beloved disciple calls out to the reader from the pages of the narrative, saying, “Follow Jesus as I have followed him, and you too may become a disciple whom Jesus loves.”

Contributors

Christopher W. Skinner is an associate professor of religion at the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina. He received his Ph.D. from Duke University. Numerous articles have been published, and he has written or edited seven books, including What Are They Saying about the Gospel of Thomas? (Paulist, 2011),Characters and Characterization in the Gospel of John (Bloomsbury/TT Clark, 2013), and (with Kelly R. Iverson) Mark as Story: Retrospect and Prospect (Bloomsbury/TT Clark, 2014). (Society of Biblical Literature, 2011).

A gospel is a written narrative of Jesus of Nazareth’s life that is written in the New Testament.
11:38-44 (John 11:38-44) Jesus Resurrects Lazarus 38Then Jesus went to the tomb, clearly distressed by what had happened.
39 “Take away the t,” Jesus ordered.
24However, Thomas (also known as the Twin), one of the twelve, was not there when Jesus appeared.
See more of John 20:11-18.
11However, Mary was standing outside the grave, sobbing.
See more of John 13:21-30.
Observe further information John 18:15-18 (KJV) Peter Refuses to Believe in Jesus 15 Simon Peter and another disciple were among those who followed Jesus.

Observe further information John 19:26-27:26 (NASB) After seeing his mother standing by him, along with the disciple whom he adored, Jesus called out to his mother, saying, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then Jesus addressed the disciple, saying, Observe further information John 21:77 (KJV) “It is the Lord!” said the disciple whom Jesus adored to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter realized it was the Lord, he immediately put on some clothing because he was completely nude, and jumped.

Observe further information John 21:20 (NIV) Jesus and the Beloved Disciple are two of Jesus’ most beloved disciples.
Observe further information 1 John 1:35-39 (KJV) 37.
Peter Refuses to Believe in Jesus 15 Simon Peter and another disciple were among those who followed Jesus.
John 19:26-2726When Jesus saw his mother standing behind him, as well as the disciple whom he cherished standing by her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27After then, Jesus addressed the disciple as follows: See more of John 20:3-83.
4 Despite the fact that the two were sprinting together, the other disciple outran Peter and made it to the tomb in record time.
Observe further information 13:2525 (John 13:2525) Consequently, while reclining next to Jesus, he inquired of the latter: “Lord, who is it?” The Bible says in John 1:818 No one has ever seen God in his whole glory.

God the only Son, who is near to the Father’s heart, is the one who has shown himself to us.

Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

INQUIRY: Who was the disciple whom Jesus admired and loved? In the book of John, we may locate all of the references to “the disciple whom Jesus loved” that we need (John 13:23, John 19:26, John 20:2 and John 21:7, John 21:20). As a result, while the Gospel of John does not clearly identify its author, and “the disciple whom Jesus loved” is not explicitly mentioned in Scripture, early Christians unanimously recognized John as the Gospel’s author and as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” According to internal evidence found in the Gospel of John, this is correct.

Lazarus, not John, was the disciple whom Jesus loved

According to tradition, John the Gospel writer was the disciple whom Jesus cherished the most. When you look at it more closely, there is another disciple of Jesus who stands out as a stronger contender and who you are unlikely to have considered: Lazarus. The identity of the “beloved disciple,” or the one whom John refers to as the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” has remained a mystery throughout history. As early as the second and fourth centuries, Irenaeus and Eusebius both recognized the beloved disciple as John, confirming the identity of the beloved disciple.

In spite of the fact that John does not identify himself or identify himself as the author of the Gospel of John or as the beloved disciple, we have depended on tradition and church history to establish his identity.

It may come as a surprise to some, but the Bible does provide some dramatic hints to the enigma of the beloved disciple.

13:23 (John 13:23) One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus cherished—was resting next to him
(Lazarus, in John 12, was also lying close to Jesus)
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he adored standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”
John 20:2 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he adored standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” After that, she fled and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus had chosen for himself. She told them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we have no idea where they have buried him.”
John 21:7 (KJV) “It is the Lord!” said the disciple whom Jesus adored to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Simon Peter rushed into the water as he realized it was the Lord
John 21:20When Peter turned around, he saw the disciple whom Jesus cherished following them
It was the disciple who had sat next to Jesus at the Last Supper and asked, “Lord, who is it who is going to betray you?”

However, there is a sixth occurrence in which this declaration of love for the one whom Jesus loved is used. John the 111th The illness of Lazarus of Bethany, the hamlet where Mary and her sister Martha lived, had now come to the fore. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and cleaned his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was in the hospital and needed Mary’s assistance. 3 As a result, the sisters sent a message to Jesus, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is sick.” 5Now Jesus had a special affection for Martha, her sister, and Lazarus.

I’d like you to think about something for a moment.
You may argue that Lazarus did not belong to the original twelve disciples.
The word disciple is derived from the Greek word (mathts), which literally translates as a learner of a teacher or a master.
The twelve disciples were the very first ones to follow Jesus.
According to Luke 10, there were an additional 70 disciples who went out into the cities and villages to witness Jesus’ resurrection.
These women were also a member of the inner core of Jesus’ ministry, and they provided financial support to the movement (Luke 8).
Almost everyone overlooks the fact that “other women” (Luke 24:10) are referred to as the first evangelists of Jesus’ resurrection.

Because Mary anointed Jesus and was in close proximity to Jesus before he entered Jerusalem, it seems probable that Mary and Martha are among those present (Mark 14).

We know that families were active in Jesus’ movement: James and John were brothers, Mary and Martha were sisters, and numerous early church leaders were linked by birth or marriage to one another.

Assuming that Lazarus was going to be slain with Jesus, as stated in John 12:10, it becomes sense that the author of John would identify Lazarus as the disciple whom Jesus cherished.

As it turns out, Lazarus plays a more significant part in Jesus’ life than you may expect.

Actually, he sobs — a more melancholy sob than usual.

During his crucifixion, the Bible records that Jesus cried out in a loud voice, saying “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46) Jesus weeps for the death of his “friend,” Lazarus, whom he had come to love as a result of his death in John 11:35.

Lazarus has the distinction of being the only person in the Gospel who does all of the following:

Being the only person in scripture who is specifically identified as “he whom you love” (Jesus loved everyone, but this statement is unique to him
Being the sole person to be mentioned by a gathering of individuals who exclaimed, “See how he adored him.” (See also John 11:36). Being the only person for whom Jesus personally wept and mourned
Being the only person for whom Jesus was prepared to be stoned
And being the only disciple or person who was to be executed beside Jesus are all noteworthy. (See also John 12:10) Being the sole friend/disciple of Jesus who was the recipient of a healing miracle is a significant accomplishment. (Jesus restored health to Peter’s mother-in-law.) It is only after the resurrection of Lazarus in the Book of John that the disciple “whom Jesus loved” is mentioned again.

A profound affinity, a love of a good friend, or a brotherly love are all described in John’s Gospel in relation to Lazarus and the Beloved Disciple. Phileo is the Greek word for “love.” Throughout his Gospel, John continues to use the word phileo to refer to the disciple whom Jesus cherished, including at the resurrection. When John recorded the love between the Father and the Son in John 3:35, he used the Greek word phileo. The peculiar nature of the relationship between Lazarus and Jesus, in this context, is undoubtedly one of the most ignored and under-studied issues in the Gospels.

If a rabbi brought you back to life, you would want to spend the rest of your life with him or her, perhaps even becoming a pupil of his or hers.
Because this healer has done so much for you, you may even feel obligated to look after this person’s mother.
If Jesus was able to raise you from the dead, it is reasonable to assume that he was also able to raise himself from the dead.
The connection between Jesus and Lazarus is often forgotten because we do not understand why Jesus had such strong affection for Lazarus.
Alternatively, it may be said that Jesus is close to Mary and Martha as a result of his connection with Lazarus!
The narrative of Lazarus, his familial bonds, and Jesus’ affection for him all combine to make Lazarus an appropriate choice to be the beloved disciple.

DeWitt Community Church is led by the Rev. Alan Rudnick, who also serves as its Executive Minister. On television and radio, he has been interviewed, and he has written for publications such as the Albany Times Union, Syracuse Post Standard, The Christian Century, Christian Citizen, Leading Ideas, Christian Reflection, and Baptist News Global, among others. He is the author of “The Work of the Associate Pastor” (Judson Press) and is currently a doctorate student in the Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) program at La Salle University in Philadelphia.

He has served on the Board of General Ministry of the American Baptist Churches in the United States of America, the American Baptist Home Mission Society, and the Missions Council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, among other organizations.

Who Was the “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”?

John’s Gospel is nameless in the traditional sense, as are all of the Gospels. For example, unlike the New Testament texts, it does not begin by stating, for example, “This Gospel was written by me, John the apostle.” This is due to the fact that a Gospel is not a communication between individuals or groups in the same way that an epistle is. According to Richard Bauckham and others in The Gospels for All Christians, a Gospel is an all-encompassing work that tells the story of Jesus in a more general way to a large number of people who are not necessarily Christians.

The “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”

While the Gospel of John does not expressly name its author, when we examine it for indications as to who wrote it, we discover numerous crucial internal bits of evidence that point to the authorship of the book. To begin, we note a number of references to a person referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” throughout the Bible. In the tale of the upper room, we learn that “one of his followers, whom Jesus liked, was reclining at table by Jesus’ side.” He is the first person to be mentioned in the Bible (13:23).

“another disciple” (18:15), “he who saw this” (19:35), “the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved” (20:2), and “the other disciple” (21:2) are all terms used to refer to this disciple in the Bible (20:8).

What a fantastic claim the Gospel makes about its authorship and inspiration!

Suppose we were to compare the Gospel of John to a biography of a U.S.

It wouldn’t be something written by a journalist who only has secondhand information or hearsay about events in the figure’s life; it would be something written by the president’s chief of staff, closest confidant, or another trusted advisor—someone who was by his side at all the major junctures of his presidency.

The “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved” and Peter

There are a couple of additional fascinating bits of information that we may glean from the internal evidence that are worth mentioning. One interesting fact to note is the multiple instances in John’s Gospel in which the “disciple whom Jesus loved” appears in close association with Peter, a fact that deserves to be noted.

Peter is named almost every time the phrase “disciple whom Jesus loved” is spoken in the second part of John’s Gospel, which is nearly every occasion.

There are a couple of additional fascinating bits of information that we may glean from the internal evidence that we will discuss later. There is a curious fact about the “disciple whom Jesus loved” that appears in multiple chapters in John’s Gospel when he comes in close proximity to Peter. Peter is named almost every time the phrase “disciple whom Jesus loved” is mentioned in the second part of John’s Gospel, which is a lot.

Why do we perceive such a continuous connection between Peter and the “disciple Jesus loved” in the Bible? And who, historically speaking, is the individual who most closely matches this description? The apostle John, according to the testimony of the other Gospels, the book of Acts, and even Paul’s writings, is the person who is most closely associated with Peter in terms of genealogy and relationships. Jesus’ inner circle consists of three people: John and Peter, along with John’s brother James, who are the only ones who witness the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), accompany Jesus on the mount of transfiguration (Matt 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28), and are taken with him to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 27:1; Mark 9:28).

Why “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”?

But why does the apostle John refer to himself in the Gospel of John by the strange term “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (the disciple whom Jesus loved)? There are possibly a variety of causes behind this. Given that there is another person named John mentioned in this Gospel: John the Baptist, it is possible that he did so in order to avoid misunderstanding with the other John. By referring to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” the author indicates that he is reserving the use of the name John for John the Baptist.

“He came as a witness, to bear testimony to the light,” says the speaker.
Aside from that, the term “the disciple whom Jesus loved” emphasizes the vital reality that John was well aware of the fact that he was a greatly loved follower of Jesus.
That he was an undeserving beneficiary of Jesus’ redemptive love was the most crucial fact that John held to be the case.
Köstenberger’s Signs of the Messiah: An Introduction to John’s Gospel, which can be found here (Lexham Press, 2021).

Meet the Apostle John: Author of 5 Books of the Bible

As a valued companion of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John was also the author of five books of the New Testament and a pillar of the early Christian church, all of which made him a unique figure. When Jesus summoned John and his brother James, who was also a follower of Jesus, they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee when he invited them to follow him. Their inclusion in Christ’s inner circle, along with the Apostle Peter, was a later development. These three men (Peter, James, and John) were given the honor of accompanying Jesus during the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter from the dead, the transfiguration, and Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane, among other events.

As a result, they were given the moniker “Boanerges,” which means “sons of thunder.” Because of a past acquaintance with Joseph Caiapha, John was permitted to be present at the high priest’s house during Jesus’ trial and execution.
Some academics believe that John may have been a cousin of Jesus, which would make sense.
According to an unproven tradition, John was carried to Rome during a period of persecution and plunged into boiling oil, yet he survived unharmed.
He is said to have outlived all of his followers, dying of old age at Ephesus, possibly in the year 98 A.D.
Throughout the book of John, it is repeatedly stressed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, who had been sent by the Father to remove the sins of the world.
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus employs the term “I am,” obviously identifying himself with Jehovah, the Great “I AM” or eternal God, with whom he has a common origin.

John does not identify himself by name in his own gospel, but four times in the gospel of Matthew he refers to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved.”

Accomplishments of the Apostle John

John was one of the apostles that were selected as the first. He served as an elder in the early church and was instrumental in the dissemination of the gospel word. In addition to the Gospel of John, he is credited with penning the letters of 1John, 2John, and 3John as well as the book of Revelation. During the time when the others were away, John remained with Jesus as a member of the inner circle of three who accompanied him. ‘When James and Cephas and John, who appeared to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they extended the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, with the understanding that we would go to the Gentiles and they would go to the circumcised’, according to Paul’s description of John.

(Galatians 2:6-10, English Standard Version)

John’s Strengths

John was one of the apostles who were chosen as the first to follow Christ. The apostle Paul served as an elder in the early church, and he was instrumental in spreading the gospel. In addition to the Gospel of John, he is credited with penning the letters of 1John, 2John, and 3John as well as the Book of Revelation (Revelations). During the time when the others were away, John remained with Jesus as a member of the inner circle of three who accompanied Jesus. Paul referred to John as one of the pillars of the Jerusalem church: “And when James and Cephas and John, who appeared to be pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they extended the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, directing us to go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” Only, they requested us to remember the poor, which was exactly what I was looking forward to doing at that moment.

Paul writes in Galatians 2:6-10 in the English Standard Version that

John’s Weaknesses

At times, John could not comprehend Jesus’ message of forgiveness, like when he begged Jesus to bring down fire on the doubters in the wilderness. He also requested that he be given a special place in Jesus’ kingdom.

Life Lessons From the Apostle John

Christ is the Savior who provides everyone with the gift of eternal life. If we follow Jesus, we may be confident that we will get forgiveness and redemption. We are to love one another in the same way that Christ loves us. God is love, and we, as Christians, are called to be conduits for God’s love to reach out to others around us.

Hometown

Aside from the four Gospels and the Book of Acts, John is also mentioned as the narrator of the Book of Revelation.

Occupation

Fisherman, disciple of Jesus, evangelist, and author of the Scriptures.

Family Tree

Zebedee’s father is Zebedee’s mother is Salome’s brother is James.

Key Verses

25-26 in John 11:25-26 Jesus addressed her by saying, “I am the resurrected one and the living one, says Jesus. Even if a person dies because of his or her faith in me, that person will live; and whomever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe what I’m saying?” (NIV) 1 John 4:16-17 (New International Version) As a result, we are aware of and rely on God’s love for us. God is love, and God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him, and vice versa. (NIV) Revelation 22:12-13 is a passage of scripture.

“Look out, I’ll be here shortly! My recompense is with me, and I will distribute it to each person in accordance with his or her deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Beginning and the End of all things.” (NIV)

Who Is The Disciple Jesus Loved In John