John 13:23

‘There was at the table, reclining next to Jesus to His right (literally ‘in Jesus' bosom', the favoured place next to Him), one of his disciples whom Jesus loved.'

The ‘disciple whom Jesus loved' was the author of the Gospel (John 21:20 with 24; compare John 14:21; John 15:9; John 17:9; John 17:12). He has previously declared Jesus' overwhelming love for all the disciples (John 13:1), so that now he can describe himself as one of them without conceit. Like them he was a disciple whom Jesus loved. It suggests that it was ever a wonder to him that Jesus loved him, and he never ceased, even in his old age, to forget what a marvel it was that Jesus had chosen him (with the others) to be a disciple. As the writer of the Gospel he is wary of using his own name (or that of his brother), so he calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. This is his most treasured thought. He is not thinking of earthly love but of the love His Lord and God has for him.

It may certainly be that there was a special affinity between him and Jesus (he was one of the inner three), but this was not his meaning, nor would he have thought it. He knew that Jesus' love was impartial. The suggestion that he could not use this title of himself is purely subjective and dependent on interpretation, and many would heartily disagree with it, recognising that this was a title claimed in all humility. Indeed if we discount John we might even have to ask ‘who would have applied such a title to only one of the Apostles?' It only makes sense as the words of a person deeply humbled at the thought, without any thought of self-glorification. That it was John is certain even on critical grounds, for the following reasons:

1). John is nowhere mentioned by name in the Gospel at times when we would most expect him to be, whilst ‘another disciple' is spoken of at a time when we might expect John to be there.

2). The Baptiser is called simply John, as though it needed no further clarification. This is almost inconceivable except to John the Apostle himself who would think in that way.

3). The one who was in the favoured place next to Jesus at the Last Supper must have been an apostle.

4). The suggestion that ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved' was an ‘ideal' disciple has little to commend it, especially as he was one who lay in a favoured place and conversed with Jesus. It is simply to ignore the evidence.

There is thus little reason for denying the title to John the Apostle.

‘In Jesus' bosom' - that is lying at His right hand on cushions, with his legs stretched backwards, so that Jesus, leaning on His left elbow, was looking towards him. This is the second favoured place. The first favoured would be on Jesus' left. The trusted one towards whom a man could turn his back.

(John did not consider it important who occupied the seat to the left but the probability is that it was Peter. Firstly because he was the leading Apostle, and secondly because at the feet-washing we get the impression that he was last, which he would be if Jesus started with John and went anti-clockwise. He could easily have beckoned to John from behind Jesus' back, and that fits in with the fact that he would probably not have wanted Jesus to know he was doing it. Other suggestions have been Judas or James).