During the early portions of the book of Acts, Peter and John (along with the rest of the twelve) ministered to the people of Israel, healing in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and bolding proclaiming Him as Israel's Messiah and Lord.  On one occasion, the Jewish leaders, being greatly disturbed that Peter and John "taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead," put them in custody and the next day questioned them concerning their teaching. As Peter and John answered them, we read of the Jewish leaders' reaction in Acts 4:13:

 "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus."

What a wonderful thing for people to see in them, "that they had been with Jesus." Not only had they been taught by Jesus, as evidenced by their clear presentation of the truth, but their character and conduct also reflected their relationship with the Lord Jesus as well. They were both bold and powerful servants of the Lord who had a real love for Him and for the people, yet we see different traits emphasized in their lives. In Peter we see his boldness and power for Christ more vividly portrayed, whereas, in John we see more emphasis upon his heart and love for the Lord.

Peter is certainly the more prominent of the two apostles during both the gospel accounts and the book of Acts, but John was used of God to pen some of the most magnificent and beautiful portions of the New Testament-the gospel of John, the epistles of John, and the Revelation.

While these Scriptures were given to John by the inspiration of God (II Tim. 3:16), we can see John's personal touch in his writings-especially his heart of love for the Lord. Where did this love come from? John had been with Jesus, as he personally testifies in I John 1:1-4.

The apostle John began life as a simple fisherman who labored in the family business with his father, but when he met the Lord Jesus, he left it all behind and followed Him (Luke 5:10-11). John, his brother James, and Simon Peter, were the three apostles who were closest to Jesus. It was these three who went with Jesus into the house of Jairus when Jesus raised his young daughter from the dead (Luke 8:51). They also went with Jesus up on the mount where He was transfigured (Matt. 17:1). They, along with Andrew, were the ones who privately questioned Jesus about the end of the age as they sat upon the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3), and when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, he took Peter, James, and John to stay with Him and watch with Him (Matt. 26:37-38).

In spite of this closeness to Jesus, it is interesting that John, in his gospel account, never mentions himself by name. He always refers to himself simply as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 19:26, 20:2). Notice that John does not say "the disciple who loved Jesus." Neither is he implying that Jesus loved him more than He loved the others. John, in humility, seems to be in awe that Jesus would love him, unconditionally and undeservedly. It is this love, God's love, that John emphasizes so much in his writings, especially in the gospel of John and the book of I John.

The love of the Lord Jesus for John affected his life in so many ways. During the "last supper" when Jesus told the twelve that one of them would betray Him, we read that John, "one of His disciples whom Jesus loved" was leaning on His bosom (John 13:23) and asked Him, "Lord, who is it?" You can see John's closeness to the Lord, not just by the position he assumed near Jesus, but also by his talking to Jesus and listening to His words.

As far as we know from the Scripture records, John was the only one of the twelve apostles who was at the crucifixion of Christ. As Jesus hung on the cross, and His mother, Mary, was there at the foot of the cross looking on, John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," was standing there at her side, to comfort and support her (John 19:26). Jesus spoke to Mary, saying, "Woman, behold your son!" and to John He said, "Behold your mother!" And from that very hour, John took Mary to his own home. Jesus, being the oldest son, entrusted the care of His mother to that disciple whom He loved, knowing he would care for her as his own mother.

On the morning of Jesus' resurrection, Mary Magdalene ran and told Peter and John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," that Jesus' tomb was empty (John 20:2). The two of them then ran to the tomb to see for themselves. When they went inside the tomb they found it empty except for the linen cloths that Jesus' body had been wrapped in. Up to this point the disciples did not understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise again from the dead, but when John looked inside the empty tomb, he saw and believed (John 20:8). John's close, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and his attentiveness to Jesus' teaching, enabled John to have this kind of spiritual discernment.

We see another example of John's spiritual perception in John 21 where Peter led a group of the apostles on a fishing trip. Having fished all night and caught nothing, a Man on the shore directed them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. When they did, they caught such a multitude of fish they were not able to draw the net in. On seeing this, John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" While Peter was the one who dove in and swam to shore, it was John who perceived that it was the Lord who gave them this miraculous catch.

The apostle John was a man of great spiritual insight, a man of great love, both for the Lord and for others. He was a faithful servant who boldly testified of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some may contend that this was just John's personality; that he was more gentle, thoughtful, caring and loving than most people. While his personality may enter into it to some degree, there was much more to it than this. John was a man who focused his mind and heart on the Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted to be close to the Lord, to spend time talking with Him and learning from Him. Just consider the deep spiritual teachings of the Lord Jesus found only in John's gospel: the great discourses on the bread of the life (John 6), the good shepherd (John 10), the resurrection and the life (John 11), as well as the discourses Jesus gave privately to the apostles the night before He was crucified (John 14-17).

If we, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, truly desire to be used in His service, we must recognize, as John did, what an awesome thing it is, that Jesus loves us. We should look at ourselves as "those whom Jesus loves." As we carefully consider and meditate on this wonderful truth, we will be compelled by His love to devote our hearts and lives to Him (II Cor. 5:14-15), to spend time in communion with Him through prayer and the study of His Word. As we are devoted to Him and our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus deepens, we will grow spiritually. We will gain spiritual discernment, and be filled with a  genuine love and care for others. We will exhibit a life and a ministry that will make people realize that we have "been with Jesus."

April 2001 Edition Contents
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