To Encourage You

John 21:20 “. . . the disciple whom Jesus loved . . .”

As I read again the short phrase above, the one that John used throughout Scriptures to identify himself, a question that came to my mind was this one: “How did he know?” What was it about Jesus that made it so clear to him that Jesus loved him? 

For one, Jesus told him that He loved Him.  In John 15 Jesus said these things to John and the other disciples: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. . . This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  So then, one of the ways John knew of Jesus’ love was what Jesus said to him. 

But then John also knew from the things Jesus said about him, and in particular the things Jesus said about him in prayer.  In John 17 Jesus acknowledges that the disciples were given to Him as a great gift from the Father.  Although Jesus was well aware of their shortcomings, He thanks and acknowledges before the Father that these men had believed His Word, obeyed His Word, and received Him as their Lord.  He prays that the Father would protect them, and in particular that they would be kept from the evil one.  He prays for their sanctification, for their unity, and for their glorification.  And He promises the Father that He would continue to teach them Him “that the love with which you have loved me may be in them.” 

But then John also knew what Jesus had done for him.  As he wrote his gospel, He was looking back. He knew that Jesus had shared His life with him.  He had eaten with him, traveled with him, taught him, fed him, and protected him.  He had served him. He knew that Jesus was truly God, yet He had stooped to wash John’s feet. Jesus had been so patient with him, working to turn this “son of thunder” who at one time wanted to call down fire on those who opposed Christ, to a disciple privileged to tell others of the precious love of Christ.  And beyond all this, John knew that Jesus had died for him, demonstrating the truth of His teaching that “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Truly, then, John knew that God is love, and Jesus, as God’s only begotten Son, demonstrated this perfectly in every way.  But this begs the question, how will other people know that we love them.  Can others say of us “I am a person who (put your name in here) loved.”  You see, Jesus said the following words to John, and to all of us who believe in Him He is saying the same thing through John: “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).  So why would someone say that they knew that we loved them?  Surely, it will be the same way that John knew Jesus loved him.  This knowledge will be rooted in the things we have said to them, the things we have said about them, and the things we have done to them and for them.  These things are part and parcel of true love, and the basis on which anyone knows that they are loved by another. 

May God help us to truly love one another as Christ has loved us.  May he turn our ways from selfish, self-centeredness, which is the very antithesis of God’s love, to the self-sacrificial love in both word and deed that Jesus, most certainly, has shown us.