Every true believer loves the Lord. Peter, speaking of the Lord to believers, can say, “Whom having not seen, ye love.” In the presence of the proud Pharisee, the Lord can say of the woman who kissed His feet, “She loved much.” Yet Scripture recognizes that love to the Lord may be found in very varied measures in different disciples on different occasions. The love of Mary of Bethany, who anointed the Lord with the “very precious ointment,” was surely greater than that of the indignant disciples who said, “To what purpose is this waste?” The love of Mary of Magdala, who “stood without at the sepulchre weeping,” exceeded, on that occasion, the love of the disciples who “went away again unto their own home.” While love to the Lord is very precious in His sight and to be cherished and desired by the believer, yet, it is clear, we cannot trust in a love that is so liable to change. The love that we alone can rest in must be the love that knows no change — the love that abides — the love of Christ for His own.
Our Love or His Love?
It is the realization and enjoyment of the love of Christ that awakens our love to Him. “We love Him,” says the Apostle, “because He first loved us.” Hence our love to Christ will be according to the measure in which we realize His love to us. Would we then love the Lord with more singleness of heart? Then let us not turn in upon our own hearts and think of our love to Him, but seek to delight our souls in His love to us.
The effect of the soul thus delighting itself in the love of Christ is blessedly set forth in connection with the Apostle John, in the closing scenes of the Lord’s life. In contrast, the same scenes depict the sorrowful effects of confidence in our love to the Lord, in the case of the Apostle Peter. Both disciples loved the Lord with a true and deep affection beyond that of most, for it led them to leave all and follow Him. One disciple, however, trusted in his love to the Lord, while the other rested in the Lord’s love to him.
With genuine love to the Lord Peter can say, “I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death,” and again, “Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended.” By words and deeds, he seems to say, “I am the man who loves the Lord.” In contrast to Peter, the Apostle John says, as it were, “I am the man whom the Lord loves.” In this wonderful love John delighted, and on this boundless love he rested.
Five Lessons in Discipleship
The first occasion on which John is called the disciple “whom Jesus loved” is in the upper room, as described in John 13. What a scene it is for the heart to contemplate! John is there delighting himself in the love of Christ, resting his head on the bosom of Jesus, as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Peter is there with real and ardent love for the Lord, but trusting in his own love to the Lord rather than resting in the Lord’s love to him. Peter was not near enough to the Lord to learn His mind; he must ask John to ask who the betrayer was. Thus we learn that nearness to the Lord and intimacy with the Lord are the happy portion of the one who is resting upon the Lord’s love.
The second occasion on which John is described as the disciple whom Jesus loved brings us to the cross. And what is the result? He becomes a vessel fit and meet for the Master’s use. The mother of Jesus is committed to his care. Resting in the Lord’s love fits for service.
On the resurrection morning the two disciples hasten to the tomb. Peter runs ahead at first, but in the end John goes ahead. We may learn that while the man of ardent nature may often take the lead in some spiritual enterprise, it is the man who is leaning on the love of the Lord that finally takes the lead.
Later at the sea of Tiberias energetic, impulsive Peter again takes the lead and goes back to his old occupation of fishing. When the morning came, “Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.” Having shown them the uselessness of effort without His direction, He shows how rich are the results when acting under His control. Immediately John perceives, “It is the Lord.” The disciple who is trusting in the Lord’s love is the one who has quick spiritual perception.
At the seashore we have the Lord’s tender dealings with Peter, the man that trusted in his own love. No longer is Peter telling the Lord in self-confidence what he is ready to do, but it is the Lord, in infinite grace, telling his restored disciple what He will enable him to do. You thought to glorify yourself above others by prison and death; now go forth to prison and death to glorify God. But what of John? “Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following.” The man who trusted in his own love and had broken down needed restoring grace and the exhortation, “Follow Me.” Not so the man who was resting in the love of the Lord, for he was “following.”
Remember These Results
Thus, in the disciple whom Jesus loved, we see set forth the blessed results that follow for those who rest in the love of the Lord. Such:
dwell in nearness to and intimacy with the Lord;
are ready to be used in the service of the Lord;
will make spiritual progress;
will have spiritual discernment; and
will follow close to the Lord.
If we can say little of our love to Him, we can safely boast of His love to us. It is the privilege of the youngest believer to say, “I am a disciple whom Jesus loves,” and the oldest and most advanced disciple can say nothing greater, for all blessing is found in His all-embracing love.
H. Smith, adapted from
The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved