The Disciple He Loved

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Rose2020
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The Disciple He Loved

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Post by Rose2020 »

John 19. V 26-27

This requires unpacking, as I need some explanation.

Why was John especially the one Jesus loved?

His own brothers we presume, were hostile, so He had to choose a friend and disciple to take His mother in. I take it they were not there at His crucifixion.
That is so familiar in that we too often can't depend on our own blood relatives either. Friends can be far more trustworthy as we choose them whereas we are stuck with family.

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Re: The Disciple He Loved

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Post by Eddie Ramos »

Rose2020 wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 3:13 pm John 19. V 26-27

This requires unpacking, as I need some explanation.

Why was John especially the one Jesus loved?

His own brothers we presume, were hostile, so He had to choose a friend and disciple to take His mother in. I take it they were not there at His crucifixion.
That is so familiar in that we too often can't depend on our own blood relatives either. Friends can be far more trustworthy as we choose them whereas we are stuck with family.
Hello, I would like to help and tell you that John the disciple wasn't "the disciple whom Jesus loved", it was Lazarus. Also, at the introduction of the 4 gospels, we read a title that says, "The Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John", but those titles are not written in the original text, they were added (like chapters and verses) as guides. So, these titles can sometimes be misleading as to who actually penned the words of God in each book.

When I looked up the name "John" in the 4 gospels and differentiated John the disciple from John the Baptist, John the disciple, is mentioned 3 times in the book of Matthew, 11 times in Mark, 7 times in Luke and zero times in the actual book of "John". And in every case where John is mentioned, he is never specifically said to be loved of Jesus. But God does do something peculiar in the book of John that he doesn't do in any other gospel. When referring to a specific unnamed person, he describes that person as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". Now, truly, every child of God is loved by Jesus, but in this particular case, God is being cryptic so that we dig deeper to find the truth, rather than just go with what everyone so quickly presumes to be so.

If you take the time to verify, you'll see that Lazarus was the only disciple in the book of John who is specifically said to be loved of Jesus.

John 11:34–36 (KJV 1900)
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!


If you examine this, you'll notice that this mysterious disciple isn't mentioned as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" until after the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead. And if we examine every case where the disciple whom Jesus loved is mentioned, some verses will be obscure, but some will stand out to confirm that it is indeed Lazarus who is in view.

John 20:2–9 (KJV 1900)
Then she runneth, 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 sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.


So, if that other unnamed disciple whom Jesus loved is indeed Lazarus, then it would make sense that he would be reluctant to enter into a tomb since he came out of one. Peter didn't hesitate since he had never experienced what physical death and and being placed in a tomb was like, but Lazarus did. This explains why he didn't immediately go in, but went in after Peter did.

Then the passage that confirms Lazarus as being that disciple is here:

John 21:20–23 (KJV 1900)
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?


This language can only fit one disciple in the fourth gospel, Lazarus. Why Lazarus? Because Peter asks what's going to happen to this disciple. Now it doesn't say that Peter asked if he was going to not die, but that's what's inferred by Jesus' reply. In other words, Lazarus was raised from death to life, what's going to happen to him Lord? And based on Jesus' answer, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?", it was taken to mean that this disciple whom Jesus loved would not die. But that's not at all what God meant. Jesus told Peter not to concern himself with what's going to happen to that disciple. But this discussion would not fit any other disciple (not even John) as harmony leads us to conclude that it was only Lazarus who was specifically said to be loved of Jesus.

Lastly, that same disciple was the one who penned the fourth gospel. And as the Bible shows, it was penned by Lazarus.

John 21:24 (KJV 1900)
This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

So, Jesus entrusted Mary unto Lazarus' care.

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Re: The Disciple He Loved

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Post by 1213 »

Rose2020 wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 3:13 pm John 19. V 26-27

This requires unpacking, as I need some explanation.

Why was John especially the one Jesus loved?
...
I believe it is John in that case. I think Jesus loves all of his disciples. I don't think that scripture says Jesus especially loved him. If he did, I believe the reason is that John understood Jesus better than the others. I think the Gospel of John shows more profound understanding of Jesus, which is why I think it can be so.

Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
John 19:26-27

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Re: The Disciple He Loved

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Post by Rose2020 »

[Replying to 1213 in post #3]

Certainly it is so moving. In agony, his mother weeping, He is thinking of her plight. Two people he loves can comfort each other.

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