The Disciples - Part 10

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:26-27 ESV). What an honor! John, the great disciple of God, was asked to care for the mother of Jesus. John was perhaps closer to Jesus than any other disciple. Probably an early follower of John the Baptist, John affectionately refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". I don't think John was stuck on himself, actually to the contrary. Throughout the book of John, John refuses to name himself, even when he has done something great. One thing we can be sure of with John, and with his brother James as well, there was a fire in their heart for Jesus! In fact, you can be sure that whatever John was involved in he would display passion. Jesus nicknamed he and his brother James "Sons of Thunder", most likely for their quick-tempered spirit. I think Jesus was also referring to the great devotion and energy of their lives. John was in the inner circle of Christ. He accompanied Jesus to the high mountain, where they met Moses and Elijah. No doubt, John was never the same again. John was perhaps the sole disciple at the crucifixion; maybe being the only one who had the courage to stay in spite of the danger. However, I believe that John is best noted for his tremendous contribution to the Scripture. His writings, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are my favorites. They are usually the first books recommended for reading to new Christians because of their depth and simplicity. John alone tells of the reappearing of Christ to the disciples, how Christ fed them breakfast, and of the moving reinstatement of Peter to the Lord. And, of course, the most read and memorized verse in the Bible is found in John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Without a doubt John had the clearest understanding of the Love of God and how it worked both in and through a believer. Martin Luther said, “The love of God will put in us what God wants out of us. There is no doubt that the love of our Heavenly Father has the power to soften the hardest heart, heal the deepest wounds, and set at liberty those that are bruised.” This is the love John knew and wrote about. He preached and practiced this love in his life. This is the man to whom Jesus trusted the care of his mother. A “son of Thunder” displaying love like that is a lesson to all of us. As we strive to be like Christ, we can look favorably to the example of John, a faithful, devoted, passionate follower whom Jesus Loved.