People Jesus met - John

People Jesus met - John
The greatest love we can know is God’s love. You may seek human love and never find it to your satisfaction, but divine love will never be denied you if you sincerely seek it.
[1] WHO WAS JOHN THE DISCIPLE JESUS LOVED.
John the apostle was first cousin to Jesus.

A] Our Lord gave him and his brother a nickname Mark 3:17
. Our Lord gave him and his brother a nickname Mark 3:17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder)
It is not known why this name was given to James and John. They are nowhere else called by it. Some think it was because they wished to call down fire from heaven, and consume a certain village of the Samaritans, who rejected Jesus. Luke 9:54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" It is quite likely that Jesus knew the brothers before he called them to follow, so it may have been their loud voice; or quick temper but possibly their spiritual power and courage in opposing the enemies of Christ.
B] John’s mother had ambitions for him and his brother probably because of the family connection. Matthew 20:
"What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
C] John was with Jesus at important junctures. Mark 9:2 Mark 14:33
Peter, James and John were the only witnesses of the raising of Jairus' daughter; the transfiguration and present in the garden of Gethsemane. Mark 9:2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
D] John was an eyewitness of so much that occurred in Jesus life.
He knew the capacity of the stone pots, distances rowed, the type of bread eaten, and even the number of fish caught post resurrection.
E] John was prominent in the early church.
After the ascension of our Lord, John continued to live at Jerusalem, where he together with Peter, took a prominent part in the founding of the church. He was with Peter at the healing of the lame man in the Temple and with Peter was thrown into prison and with Peter visiting Samaria.
About A. D. 65, it is thought, he moved to Ephesus, and worked to spread the gospel in Asia Minor. Thirty years after, he was banished to the isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Apocalypse. He afterwards returned to Ephesus, and lived to a very great age, so that he could scarcely go to the assembly of the church without being carried by his disciples. His custom was to say in all assemblies, "Little children, love one another;" and when they wondered at his frequent repetition of this concise exhortation, his answer was, "This is what the Lord commands you; and this, if you do it, is sufficient." When John was old he trained Polycarp, later Bishop of Smyrna.
Chrysostom, Clement, and Eusebius relate that on his return from Patmos he found that a young man of promise under his charge had joined a band of robbers; so the aged apostle sought him out in his mountain haunts, and by the blessing of God on his fearless and faithful love, reclaimed his soul from death.
He died at Ephesus, A. D. 100, being then, according to Epiphanius, ninety-four years of age. Several fathers mention his grave as being there.

[2] WHY IS JOHN KNOWN AS THE DISCIPLE JESUS LOVED.

Throughout his gospel and more particularly near the end of it, when he comes to record something he was witness to he has a characteristic way of referring to himself.
He speaks of “another disciple,” and, “that other disciple,” and then, of “that disciple whom Jesus loved.” These are the names by which he describes himself through his own Gospel, “incognito.” He intends to conceal himself behind his Saviour.
He is not that disciple who loved Jesus, but “whom Jesus loved , he is not that disciple who did anything, but who received love from Jesus.”
John named himself and all the early writers recognize him under that title. It may be that the others suggest it. At first sight it seems rather egotistical, but it seems John has a sweet naiveté which makes him quite forget himself.
So far from there being any pride in it, it just shows the simplicity of his spirit, the transparency of his character and his complete self-forgetfulness.
Love was a recurring theme in much of John's writings, this from a man who had experienced love from the master teacher of love. In John's letters, he makes more than twenty-five references to love.
That love was a powerful motivation to him as long as he lived.
How could he be disloyal to Him who had loved him so? How could he refuse to bear witness to the Gospel of the Saviour who had loved him so?
What journeys could be too long for the disciple whom Jesus loved? What mobs of unkind men could dismay him whom Jesus loved? No, in the power of that name John becomes bold and faithful and he serves his loving Friend with all his heart.


[3] WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM JOHN THE DISCIPLE JESUS LOVED.
Scripture and experience recognizes that our love to the Lord will be found to vary from Christian to Christian.
The love of Mary of Bethany, who anointed the Lord with "the very precious ointment," was surely greater than that of the indignant disciples who said, "why this waste?"
The love of Mary of Magdala, who "stood outside the tomb crying," exceeded, on that occasion, the love of the disciples who "went away again to their own home."
Moreover, our own love may wax and wane. Under the pressure of life’s problems and the attractions of the world, this love may become faint, as in the case of Demas of whom the Apostle Paul said, he "has forsaken me, having loved this present world."
Thus while love to the Lord is very precious in His sight and to be cherished and preserved by the believer, yet, it is clear, we cannot trust in a love that is so liable to change. The love that we alone can rest in must be the love that knows no change — the love that abides - the love of Christ for His own.
"Our souls thro' many changes go: His love no change can ever know."
It is the realization and enjoyment of the love of Christ that arouses our love to Him. "We love Him," says the apostle, "because He first loved us."
Hence our love to Christ will be according to the measure in which we realize His love to us. If we would love the Lord more, then we must let our souls bask in His love to us.
This is so beautifully seen in the Apostle John, in the closing scenes of the Lord's life.
We find John often in the company of Peter and both disciples loved the Lord with a true and deep love beyond that of most, for it led them to leave all and follow Him.
Peter however, trusted in his love to the Lord, while John rested in the Lord's love to him. This is the difference between these two men, and explains the different reactions.
Peter in genuine love to the Lord, he can say, "I am ready to go with you, both into prison and to death": and again, Mt 26:33 Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." Peter, in love for the Lord, drew his sword in defence of his Master. So, both by words and deeds, he says, "I am the man that loves the Lord."
In contrast to Peter, the Apostle John five times, in these last scenes, describes himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." In this wonderful love John delighted, and on this boundless love he rested. It’s so wonderful that His love should so affect us that we love Him, but it’s far more wonderful that He should love us.

[4] WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM JOHN

A] JOHN KNEW HOW INTIMATE JESUS LOVE WAS.
John 13:23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
John and Peter were sent into the city to make the preparation for the final Passover meal.
It is in this Upper Room we have the first occasion on which John is called "the disciple whom Jesus loved", as described in John 13. What a scene is that! Jesus is there with a love that can never end, for John 13:1 Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. John is there delighting himself in the fullness of the love of Christ, and so close he was actually touching Jesus.
We know the depth of someone's love for us by the freedom with which they love us. If a person does good things for us because someone is making them, when they don't really want to, then we don't think the love is very deep. Love is deep in proportion to its liberty. It needs to be free and willing. So we see the depth of Christ's love for us in his freedom: "No one takes my life from me; I lay it down of my own accord" John 10:18.
In Jesus we see how very near His love has brought Him to men like ourselves, John rested his head on the One who lived in the embrace of the Father.
In John we see what the heart of the Saviour can do for a sinner, bringing him to perfect rest in perfect love.
To be near the Lord is the best place to ask questions and the best place to get answers.

B] JOHN KNEW HOW DEEP JESUS LOVE WAS.
John 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"
He was present and an eyewitness at the scene of the Saviour’s crucifixion. There he saw as never before the depth of the love of the Saviour for people like Himself, there he saw the Lamb of God being sacrificed for such as he was. He had first believed when Christ was pointed out to Him as the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world. Now he saw the Lamb die and it must have hit him so very hard.
We know the depth of someone's love for us by what it costs them: if they sacrifice their life for us, it assures us of deeper love than if they only sacrifice a few bruises. So John and we see the depth of Christ's love by the greatness of what it cost him.
He also saw his loving master whilst in such agony having the presence of mind and the deep love to think of his own mother Mary and commit her to her nephews care.

C] JOHN KNEW HOW TRUE JESUS LOVE WAS.
John 20:2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!"
John is presented as the disciple whom Jesus loved on the resurrection morning, and again is found in association with Peter. The two disciples, learning from the women that the tomb is empty, run there. John being younger outran Peter but let Peter enter the tomb first. All Christ had said about being crucified, buried and rising again were faithful and true. All his loving counsel and preparation of them for the hour of trial had fallen on deaf ears and they had forsaken or denied association with Him. They failed but His love did not.
We know the depth of someone's love for us by how little we deserve it. If we have failed and offended him, as we have, His love is all the more wonderful in bearing with us. The more undeserving we are, the more amazing and deep is his love for us. So we see the depth of Christ’s love in relation to how undeserving are the objects of his love.

D] JOHN KNEW HOW TENDER JESUS LOVE WAS.
John 21:7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"
I think this is the only remark recorded in the Gospel which was altogether John’s. Peter had led the others back to their old occupation. They followed and toiled all night, and for their pains caught nothing. When the morning came, "Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus."
John stood in the boat and called out when he saw Jesus on the shore -. “It is the Lord,” this was the glad cry of love, overjoyed at the sight of the Lord! His Lord and Redeemer was alive, forgiveness and eternal life was theirs.
We know the depth of someone's love for us by the greatness of the benefits we receive in being loved. If we are helped to escape from an oppressive captivity and given freedom for the rest of our life, we will feel loved. And if we are rescued from eternal torment and given a place in the presence of God with fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore, we will know a depth of love that surpasses all others.
So we will see the depth of Christ's love by the greatness of the benefits we receive in being loved by him.

E] JOHN KNEW HOW WISE JESUS LOVE WAS
John 21:20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" 22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.
John realised how kind was the love of Jesus to come to restore and re-commission him and his friend Peter. Peter seemed to want the companionship of John permanently.
John is witness to this dialogue that saw Peter restored. This is fitting for John was that "other disciple" who with Peter followed Jesus into the palace of the high-priest 18:15.
The threefold questioning of the Lord is to get to the root of Peter’s heart. It is as if the Lord said, "After all that has happened, do you still maintain, Peter, that you love Me more than these?"
With the 2nd question, the Lord says simply, "do you love Me?"
With the 3rd question, the Lord, asks, "Are you attached to Me?"
By his 3rd answer Peter says, Lord, you know all things; you know I am attached to you.
It is as if Peter at last said, "I cannot trust my love, or talk of my love, or what I will do, but Lord, You know all things, and You know my heart, I will leave You to estimate my love, and tell me what to do."
The Lord says, "Don’t trust in your love to do great things for Me, go out and "Feed My sheep", "Glorify God", and "Follow Me".
John’s life and testimony says to us all, we must receive true love before we can really know how to love. John reminds us emphatically that, "We love because he first loved us" 1 John 4:19.
When we have experienced God’s love, we are impelled to love. We can finally find a way to reverse the pattern of self-centeredness that dominates our lives.
Jesus is the supreme illustration of the effect of God’s love in a person’s life. The eternal love relationship between God the Father and God the Son was the storehouse that supplied Jesus’ earthly life and ministry with an inexhaustible source of love
Spurgeon- God loves me-not merely bears with me, thinks of me, feeds me, but loves me.
Who is it that loves me? God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Almighty.
And who is it that He loves? Me. He loves me, an insignificant nobody, full of sin--who deserved to be in hell, who loves Him so little in return--God loves me.
And how did He love me? He loved me so that He gave up His only Son for me, to be nailed to the tree, and made to bleed and die.
And because He loved me and forgave me, I am on the way to heaven, and I shall see His face and sing His praises. He loved me before I was born; before a star began to shine, He loved me, and He has never ceased to do so all these years. When I have sinned, He has loved me; when I have forgotten Him, He has loved me; and He will love me when my knees tremble and my hair is gray. He will bear and carry His servant; and He will love me forever and ever."
If we can say little of our love to Him, we can safely sing of His love to us.
It is the privilege of the youngest believer to say, "I am a disciple that Jesus loves," and the oldest and most advanced disciple can say nothing greater, for all blessing is found in His all-embracing love, that led Him to die for us that we too might go in our small way, and glorify God, and follow Him into the glory where He has gone.