Let Us be the Special Disciples (2) (John 21:7-14, 19-23)
Unlike the other eleven disciples of Jesus, John was the “beloved disciple”, the “special disciple.” Let us look at how he was approved by God and what his faith was like as the “special disciple.”
1. He was the disciple that understood the heart of Jesus (Jn 13:23).
The disciple whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him. Reclining next to Jesus means he was closest to Jesus and was able to understand his heart. As a result, John became the beloved disciple with the insight to understand things that others did not. The first proof of this is the fact that he was the first person to realize Judas Iscariot was stealing from the offering (Jn 12:6). Also, he was the one who asked the question of who will betray Jesus and heard the answer (Jn 13:21-26). When Jesus said “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me,” no one dared to ask “who?” Even the head disciple, Peter, couldn’t ask and motioned to John to ask the question (Jn 13:24). This is proof that John was the most beloved disciple of Jesus and was acknowledged by others as such. Thus, when John asked Jesus the question, he answered, “it is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”
Then, why was John reclining next to Jesus?
(1) Jesus’ bosom is an eternal refuge,
(2) He is full of true peace,
(3) To rely on Jesus,
(4) To receive and understand the mystery of Jesus,
(5) Love burns in Jesus’ heart, and he wanted to burn together with that love,
(6) Spiritual milk and honey flows in Jesus
(7) There is no hunger in Jesus bosom,
(8) If you are buried in Jesus’ bosom, living water infinitely flows,
(9) Jesus’ bosom is full of truth (Col 2:3)
Looking at this, John went inside Jesus’ heart and comforted him. Jesus was comforted through John and told him all the mysteries.
2. He had the faith to recognize first (Jn 21:7).
In the Bible, the Word runs towards God’s will. Just as the hunter shoots toward its target, God wants men of his image to run with the Word for his will. The head disciple, Peter, who confessed his faith to Jesus and received the key to Heaven followed the Word only outwardly. By denying and cursing Jesus at the last hour, he was not only delayed in the good run, but also was pushed to the very end of all the disciples.
On the other hand, who recognized the resurrected Jesus when he appeared in Sea of Tiberias? Jn 21:7 states, “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!'” Other disciples could not believe until Jesus ate fish and bread with them. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “who are you?”, for they knew it was Jesus (Jn 21:12). Therefore, the special disciple runs with the Word and has faith to recognize before anyone else.
3. He received the blessing of remaining (Jn 21:22).
In Jn 21:15-23, Jesus tells Peter two things: “Do you love me?” and “You must follow me.” This indicates that Peter did not love him and did not follow him. At the same time, he is saying that my beloved disciple is already following me, so you must follow me as well.
Peter heard the things regarding Jesus’ death, but John received blessing of remaining alive until he returns. Looking at this, we can see who the disciple that Jesus loved is and approved of. Then, what is the sign of receiving the blessing to remain on Jesus’ side? Just as Jacob gave a varicolored tunic to his beloved son Joseph, being in the heart of the father is the sign of the blessing. This is also in the case of Joseph giving his brother Benjamin five times the portion of anyone else, 300 coins of silver, and having him by his side (Gen 43:33-34, 45:22-24).
Conclusion:
Jesus had twelve disciples and John was the special disciple whom Jesus loved. His faith always relied on Jesus, recognized the resurrected Jesus before anyone else, and received the blessing to remain by his side. In the Island of Patmos, John received all the revelations from God regarding what will happen in the future. Therefore, let us follow after Apostle John and become the special disciple.
Original Text (Korean): http://www.pyungkang.com/logos_01/170216
Translation by Kim Yeon Hee (Orlando Green Hill Church, USA)