Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”—John 20:1-2 (emphasis mine)
John, the inspired author of the Gospel of John, refers to himself throughout its pages as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Like David, the great Psalmist of Israel, the apostle John emphasizes his personal relationship with His God. I love it in the Psalms and I love it here in John’s gospel. I like to think that every time John wrote those words his heart was filled with the wonder of them. Jesus loves Me! Jesus loves you! This is a simple, but nevertheless amazing and profound truth that brings so much comfort and peace to my heart. I, like John, am beloved of God.
My beloved is mine, and I am his.—Song of Solomon 2:16
The older I get and the longer I walk with the LORD, the more I love my Jesus. But it is also true that as I get older, the more I know me and as a result, the more amazed I am that Jesus TRULY loves ME.
Beloved…May our mouths be filled with grateful praise today as our hearts dwell on this simple truth. May we then go forth in the power of His Spirit and live the wonder of it!
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.—Colossians 3:16-17
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.—John 13:23
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.—John 19:26-27
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.—John 21:7
Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?” 24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.—John 21:20-24
