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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/william-skates/the-disciple-whom-jesus-loved/
Let's turn to the gospel of John please and chapter 13. John chapter 13 and we'll read verse 23. Now there was leaning on Jesus bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved. Interesting expression isn't that?
Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask who it is of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord who is it? Jesus answered, he it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it.
And when he had dipped the sop, John says, he gave gave it to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon. Now chapter 19 chapter 19 and verse 26. When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, woman behold thy son.
Then saith he to the disciple, behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. Now over the page chapter 20. It's the first day of the week. Verse two, then she running and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved.
And saith unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher and we know not where they have laid him. Verse eight, then went in also that disciple which came first to the sepulcher and he saw and believed.
Now the Lord will bless to us the reading from his word. A number of times here at the closing chapters of the gospel of John, we have this expression that disciple whom Jesus loved and it would be understood generally that John is referring to himself.
But we might wonder, well did the Lord Jesus not love all the disciples? Well of course he did. So in what way then is this relevant that disciple whom Jesus loved? Well we remember that it's John himself who is writing the gospel and I take it that John is appreciating just in a very personal way that the Lord Jesus actually loved him.
And really he can think of himself in no other terms. This defines him. I'm the disciple whom Jesus loves. And he was appreciating it in a very personal way. I wonder, brothers and sisters, do you and I live in the enjoyment of being conscious that he loves me in a very personal way?
I believe Paul did. Galatians 2 .20, the Son of God loved me and gave himself for me. Well did he not love everybody else? He did, but he loved me and he gave himself for me. Now so far as the disciples were concerned here in John 13, I suppose to them it was just another Passover, at least initially.
And strangely it seems the Lord is testifying just a verse or two before this that one of you will betray me. And they're all wondering, well who is it? They're looking at each other. And it seems like Peter catches John's eye.
John is reclining upon the breasts of the Lord Jesus. He loves him. And later on he will testify against that error that was cropping up about the Gnostics that Jesus was not a real person, you remember?
But he could say, our hands have handled of the word of life. And John had reclined upon his breast. He had felt the very heartbeat likely of the Lord Jesus. And from that vantage point of reclining upon his breast, warm on the breast of Christ, John sees that when he dipped the sap, he gave it to Judas.
And Judas went out into the night. So what I'm gleaning from that is just this, that John who had the Lord Jesus warm upon his heart in a very near intimate way, he is made intelligent as to the mind of Christ.
And he sees that he gave that sap. To Judas. So it's John at the table. The table would speak to us of communion, speak to us of fellowship. And it is in those times when we are enjoying communion with him that you and I too are made intelligent as to his mind.
This is the very man who will later be found, at least in vision, at the throne, made intelligent to that great panorama of truth that lies yet in the future. So let's just challenge our hearts just for a moment, just in these brief moments at the close of the meeting.
How is our communion with him? Are we living our lives in the constant enjoyment of the nearness of Christ? I take it it's essential for Christian living and of learning his mind on things. Vital it is for Christian living and Christian service.
Now we read as well then over in chapter 19 about this event that takes place at the cross. It's John at the tree. John at the tree. Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciples standing by whom he loved.
He said unto his mother, woman behold thy son, and to John son behold thy mother. Again we see John was not very far from the Lord Jesus in the hour of his deepest need. And the Lord has been put to an open shame, but John is standing by.
And again as John writes much later on as he writes about this event towards the end of his life now, he's looking back and he's reflecting no doubt with mature thoughts upon the events of that day. And he looks upon himself standing there as that disciple whom Jesus loved, because because he was given a very special task to do.
And he sees it as an expression of the love of the Lord to him that he was there was given into his care, into his hand, the care of the Lord's own mother. A temporary arrangement I take it until the brothers of the Lord were converted after the cross.
But in the meantime John is given this very special, even if it's a temporary, act of service to do. To take Mary to his own home, to look after her as though she was his own mother. The Lord would be absent and that would be necessary and the Lord is still absent.
But to each one of us in our lives he has given us a commission to, a commission to serve. He has saved us for a purpose that our lives would bring him glory. And we too are called to love him. He has loved us, we are to love him and we are to love others as well.
By this shall all men know that you're my disciples if you have love one for another. Again Paul takes up the pen later on, writes to the Galatians, as we therefore have opportunity let us do good unto all men especially they that are of the household of faith.
Because you and I are to reflect something of the love of Christ toward us in our actions and behavior toward others. We love, hymns in italics, we love because he first loved us and it was proved out in full there at the cross, at the tree, John at the tree.
Now just in closing then you'll notice that we read as well in chapter 20 and we have John at the tomb. I think of all the sites that we visited in Israel and any of you that have been there maybe this was your favorite too, it was the empty tomb.
Why was it our favorite? Because there's nothing there. You know there's so many sites that have been made into shrines and religious abomination hanging all around and so on but this was just simply a hole in the rock and so on.
But John he arrives, he arrives first, he outrun Peter the other disciple whom Jesus loved. He outruns Peter and they meet Mary and she says they've taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher we know not where they have laid him.
So John comes and he looks in and he sees the napkin separate from the clothes and he sees that it's folded. Intelligent, there's intelligence here, it's folded up and when John sees that it says he believed.
He saw, he understood what he was seeing and he believed. Likely John was the first of the disciples to appreciate that the Lord is not here indeed but the Lord is risen. He was just appreciating that Calvary was not the end.
Resurrection is but the threshold of a continuance even for this dispensation that has ensued ever since and the Lord is no longer dead but he's alive forevermore. You know he has brought us too with him in his resurrection.
You and I have been raised up together to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He's still absent up until this point physically from the earth but he is coming again and in the meantime you and I have a work to do.
We are to represent him here in this world of his rejection and we are to show others something of his love, of his care, of his interest and to serve in either a more public way or a more private way but to be marked by purity in our service.
Living out the very resurrected life of Christ in our souls from day to day until we see his face again. He loved me. He gave himself for me. It is but my reasonable service that I return to him that which is his do and seek to bring glory to his name.
So we have John at the table and John at the tree and John then at the tomb. There's another one I'll leave for you to look at. It's a beautiful picture. Take a look at that.