John 21:20

The Beloved Disciple

The disciple whom Jesus loved. John 21:20.

In most families where there is a little brother or sister some years younger than the rest that little one is the family favorite or pet. There was a favorite in Christ's large family of twelve disciples, and I don't need to tell you that his name was John. Why was John Christ's favorite disciple? Why is he known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”?

Well, I think there are three reasons. The first is, that John was the youngest of the band. He was very likely just a boy when Jesus called him to leave all and follow Him. The Bible speaks of “James and John, the sons of Zebedee,” as if the elder brother took care of the younger.

Then John was Christ's cousin so was James, for that matter. Salome, their mother, is supposed to have been a sister of Mary, Christ's mother. Some of you know what a great friend a cousin can be.

But perhaps the biggest reason why Christ loved John so much was that John himself loved Christ so dearly. John was absolutely devoted to his Master. And because he was so devoted he came to understand

Christ's heart and know Christ's mind better than any of the other eleven. You know how it is with yourself and anyone whom you love very deeply: you can almost read each other's thoughts, you can see into each other's hearts. You understand what your friend feels and your friend understands what you feel without being told.

John had been a follower of John the Baptist before he became a follower of Christ. He was one of the two disciples to whom John the Baptist one day pointed out Jesus, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” These two disciples, we are told, turned and followed Christ and spent that day with Him in His own home. And because of that one day spent with Christ, John was ready to follow Him to the end of the world. He went back to his work for a little while; but when Christ came one day to the seashore where he and his brother James were mending their fishing-nets, they both arose at His call and followed Him.

John was Christ's favorite, but I think he was Peter's too. Peter, with his great warm heart and ready tongue, took a fancy to the eager boy who worshipped the Master so. And Peter, James, and John it was who formed the inner circle of Christ's disciples those whom He chose to be with Him on very special occasions. They were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were in the room when He brought the little daughter of Jairus back to life, they were beside Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Now a great many people have pictured John as a very gentle, almost faultless youth, but there they have made a mistake. John had his faults like everybody else. When Christ first knew him he was passionate, jealous, ambitious, and narrow-minded. Indeed so hot-tempered were John and his brother that Christ nicknamed them “sons of thunder.” But John lived three years in Christ's company and he became another John. John the “son of thunder” disappeared and in his place appeared John “the apostle of love,” the apostle whose favorite saying to the end of his long life was, “Little children, love one another.”

After Christ's death and resurrection, John stayed a good deal in Jerusalem he had Christ's mother in his care, you remember. But he and his friend Peter did a lot of preaching together, and many adventures they had.

We lose sight of John in the Book of Acts and we have to go elsewhere to learn what became of him. It is said that he settled at Ephesus for many years. Then there arose a persecution of the Christians under the Roman Emperor Domitian, and during that persecution John was banished to the small bare island of Patmos in the AEgean Sea. Patmos was an island with a state prison such as existed on the Bass Bock in the days of the Covenanters. It was while in Patmos that John had those wonderful visions of a new heaven and a new earth which we call the Book of Revelation.

When Domitian died, John, it is believed, was released. He returned to Ephesus and there he spent the last of his days. There also in his old age for he lived, they say, to about a hundred he wrote that marvelous story of Christ's life which men call “the Gospel according to St. John.” It is the most beautiful of all the Gospels, for it shows us more clearly than any of the others the very mind and heart of Christ. And what enabled John to write his beautiful Gospel was the same thing that made him Christ's favorite disciple love. And if we too would learn anything of the mind or heart of Christ for us there is only one way John's way the way of love,

Would you like to hear one of the many stories which they tell of the apostle in his old age? It is the story I like best, because it shows John following Christ still.

On one occasion when he was preaching in a city near Ephesus the apostle noticed in the church a fine and noble-looking youth. His heart went out to the lad, and he entrusted him to the special care of the pastor of the church. For a time all went well. The pastor fulfilled his charge and instructed and baptized the young man. But later he relaxed his care somewhat, and about the same time the youth fell into evil company. He went from bad to worse, till at last he joined a band of brigands, whose chief he became.

Some time after, the apostle revisited the city and asked the pastor of the church what had become of his deposit. “Thy deposit!” stammered the pastor, for he knew of no money which he had received from John. “Yes,” said the apostle, “I demand the young man whose soul I entrusted to thee.” “He is dead,” said the pastor with tears. “Dead!” cried John. “Of what death did he die?” “He is dead to God,” replied the pastor, “for he became so wicked that he was forced to flee to the mountains where he is now a robber chief.”

When John heard this, nothing would serve him but that he must go immediately in search of the young man; so procuring a horse and a guide he set off for the mountain fastnesses where the robbers dwelt. Ere long he fell into the hands of their sentinels, and of them he demanded to be led at once to the chief.

But when the chief saw John he was so overcome with shame that he turned to flee. “My son, my son!” cried the old man, stumbling after him, “why dost thou flee from thy father? Have pity on my halting steps. And fear not. There is yet hope for thee. I will stand with thee before the Lord Christ; if need be I will gladly die for thee as He died for us. Stay; believe it is Christ that sent me.”

The young man stopped, listened, flung away his weapons, trembled, wept, and throwing himself into the arms of the aged apostle implored his pardon. The apostle tenderly raised him, talked with him, prayed with him, and did not leave him until he was restored once more to the Church.

That is the story I like best of John, the beloved disciple, for it shows him loving and seeking and saving the lost, as Jesus did before him.