Jesus' disciples had varying degrees of intimacy and closeness with Him, and the closest of them all is a man named John.
John was "the disciple whom [Jesus] loved" (see John 19:26). While this doesn't mean that Christ didn't love His other disciples and played favorites among them, it does mean that John was the one who was closest to Him.
John gives us so many great things to learn, things we ought to desire as we walk with the Lord in our everyday lives. In this article we'll talk about these things.
Are you ready? Without further ado, here are some things we can learn from John, the beloved disciple.
1) Intimacy with Christ is developed through the good and the bad
Of all the disciples of Jesus, John was the only one who went to Calvary and watched Him die an undeserved death on the cross. That's the reason why Jesus saw him with His earthly mother before He breathed His last (see John 19:26-30).
John walked with Jesus from the time He called him. He walked with the Lord and saw His happy moments and His sad moments (see Matthew 26:36-37). He saw Him feed thousands of people, heal the sick, and being praised by many; yet He also saw Him bloody and dying, hanging on the cross of Calvary.
John stuck with Jesus through the good and the bad moments of His earthly ministry. Because of this, he developed an intimacy with Him that the others never had.
We can only grow close to the Lord if we continually and persistently walk with Him all the days of our lives, whether we're happy or not.
2) Intimacy with God allows us to receive much from the Lord
The Lord Jesus Himself said in Luke 12:48,
"Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more."
John was privileged to be close to the Lord. The closeness and intimacy he had with Him allowed him to receive much from God. Think about what he was given:
- The responsibility to take care of Jesus' earthly mother (see John 19:26-27)
- The privilege to know what is going to take place and the responsibility to communicate it to all (see Revelation 1:1-3)
- The responsibility of letting every person know what God will do before and when He comes (see Revelation 22:10-21)
These things aren't in any way petty or small. They aren't in any way little "church activities." They are very important to God Himself.
If we are intimate with Christ, we just might receive from Him things we couldn't imagine.
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
3) Intimacy with Christ allows us to have the warmest and most intimate memories with Him
Of all Gospel accounts, John's Gospel is by far the warmest and most personal recollection of the Lord Jesus Christ's earthly life, ministry, and teachings.
John's Gospel reveals who Christ is (see John 1:14-15), what Christ does (see John 1:29), how serious Christ is about God and His will (see John 2:13-22), and how much Christ knows us (see John 2:23-25).
John also sums up the totality of Christ's mission (John 3:16-21), plainly tells us of the goodness of God to men (see John 1:9-13), and tells us that our salvation is complete in Christ (see John 19:30).
When we read John's Gospel we see Jesus as the exact representation of God the Father, who is full of love (see also 1 John 3:1, 4:8). We see Jesus as the loving Savior of the world who came to save all mankind and restore us to the Father.
How could John do this? By having an intimate and close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christians who are intimate with Christ will always have the fondest and most beloved thoughts and memories of His goodness, as well as the most accurate and warmest knowledge of Him.
