The Apostle John
John, the youngest of Jesus’ disciples, refers to himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’ four times in his gospel. It’s a curious and perhaps easily misunderstood statement. Does it suggest that Jesus loved John more than any other disciple? Wouldn’t it be out of character for Jesus to show such favor? When the rich young ruler assured Jesus that he had kept all the commandments that Jesus recited as necessary to inherit eternal life, one Gospel reports that “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (Mark 10:21) No, Jesus loved all his disciples equally, and scholars agree that John was most likely being modest in not naming himself. There are reasons, however, we can safely conclude that Jesus and John were the close and perhaps even the best of friends.
The level of intellectual intimacy between Jesus and John is clear. Only John reveals to the world in his Gospel that Jesus existed in heaven before His physical birth here, that He was ‘one’ with Our Father, and in fact instrumental in the creation and very existence of everything physical (John 1:1-5). John could only know this if Jesus shared it with him. John also writes extensively of the Holy Spirit and how Jesus thereby becomes one with every believer. Jesus typically went out away from his disciples to pray, yet John reveals the entirety of Jesus’ last prayer before his arrest and crucifixion. He could not know the content of this lengthy and profoundly revealing prayer unless he heard it. Only John’s Gospel sums up Jesus’ message to the world as “The truth” that sets men free (John 8:32). Jesus and John clearly enjoyed a unique cerebral bond through which John developed an enhanced grasp of who Jesus truly was, where he came from, and what he was doing.
Regarding the fact that John was probably Jesus’ most trusted friend, John was one of three disciples, including Peter and James, that witnessed the raising of Jairus daughter (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43 & Luke 8:40-56), His transfiguration (Matt. 17:2; Mark 9:2: Luke 9:29) and his agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-50; Mark 14:32-46; Luke 22:39-49). When the disciples wanted to learn who Jesus’ betrayer was, they looked to John as the one most likely to learn the answer (John 13:22). In Jesus’ final agonizing moments on the cross, Jesus showed concern for his mother, Mary, in committing her care to his trusted friend, John (John 19:27). Jesus and John were clearly good friends.
Jesus hinted that John might be the only disciple not to die a martyr’s death, when he said to Peter, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me” (John 21:22). John is the only disciple to report this incident and he did in fact die a natural death. There are reports that he was plunged into boiling oil and survived without any significant consequences, but he lived to an old age and died of natural causes at Ephesus.
John fully grasped the spiritual realities resulting from Jesus’ mission and made them an integral part of The Gospel of John. Among the most profound of these declarations of Jesus are: “…to all who receive him (Jesus) he gave them the right to become children of God” (John 1:12); “anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24); “…unless one is born again,they cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:7); “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24); “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63); “anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works…” (John 14:12 NLT). Finally, God chose John to document “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servantsthe things that must soon take place.” (Revelation 1:1)
We, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, can stand firmly on every truth that Jesus revealed through John’s Gospel regarding Jesus’ mission and our resulting adoption and inheritance. Paul wrote, “…he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” (I Corinthians 6:17) and “You must have the same attitude that Jesus had.” (Philippians 2:5) and finally, “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. (Romans 8:19) We are those children, and the world needs us as salt and light in the world.
Our best model regarding a child of God is of course Jesus, who through the power of the Holy Spirit is with us and in us. We can develop a relationship with Jesus like John’s. The quality of such a personal relationship and friendship with Christ is not up to Him, but rather us. There is nothing more that Christ can do to prove His love for us or earnest desire to be our friend. Studying the scriptures and turning inward to draw close to Jesus through prayer and meditation is how we develop that friendship.