The Beloved Disciple: Our Journey to Faithfulness
A lot of ink has been used in trying to understand the Beloved Disciple, this enigmatic character of John’s gospel. There are countless articles hypothesizing this mysterious disciple’s true identity, John’s purpose for including him (or her?), his true relationship was to Jesus, and the questions keep emerging. In the big picture of John’s gospel and the characters he introduces, the Beloved Disciple is actually a rather minor character, appearing by name at only 4 places – the supper, the arrest and crucifixion, the empty tomb, and at the appearance of the risen Jesus. He never appears alone, and is only referred to in a few verses.
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The first appearance of the beloved disciple (BD) is in chapter 13 at Jesus’ final meal with the disciples.
20Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” 21After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.
The disciple that seemed to have a special relationship with Jesus is often presented as a contrast to Peter. He understands more quickly, runs faster, and seems to have a more intimate relationship with Jesus than Peter. In this passage, the BD is seated in the place of honor, right next to Jesus. Peter has to have the BD ask Jesus his question.
But Peter isn’t the only disciple who John seems to contrast with the BD. A number of disciples do not fare well, revealing a striking contrast with the intimacy of the disciple Jesus loves.
But Peter isn’t the only disciple who John seems to contrast with the BD. A number of disciples do not fare well, revealing a striking contrast with the intimacy of the disciple Jesus loves.
- Satan enters Judas who will betray Jesus (13:2, 27).
- Peter is confused over the footwashing and initially refuses to allow Jesus to wash his feet, then overcompensates, continuing to misunderstand (13:6-11).
- Peter does not know where Jesus is going and declares he will follow Jesus, and Jesus predicts Peter’s denial (13:36-38).
- Thomas has no idea where Jesus is going (14:5)
- Philip has no idea that Jesus has already revealed God to them (14:8-13).
- Jesus is not convinced they believe (16:31)
(Warren Carter, John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist)
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The BD’s next appearance follows Jesus’ arrest in chapter 18. As Jesus is led away to the high priest, Peter and the BD follow, but it is the BD who gains their entrance into the courtyard.
15Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in.
Once again, Peter doesn’t have the clout to enter and must rely on the BD. Likewise, the BD will remain faithful to Jesus, following him all the way to the cross unlike Peter who will deny knowing Jesus. And then, as Jesus hangs on the cross, Jesus entrusts the care of his mother to the BD, usually the role of a brother. A new family is created, a family that is now connected inexorably to Jesus himself.
26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home
And then on Easter morning, Mary Magdalene discovers the empty tomb, tells Peter and the other disciple who run to the tomb, but John is very careful to point out that the BD outruns Peter.
3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Finally, the BD believes first, again outdoing poor Peter. Peter looks in the tomb and notices (see Week 3 study of Peter), but the BD sees, in other words understands.
So who is this overachieving disciple who enjoys a more intimate relationship with Jesus and seems to understand on a different level than the other disciples? Is he the writer of John himself – a way for John to write himself into the gospel? After all, John writes himself into the gospel as witness:
So who is this overachieving disciple who enjoys a more intimate relationship with Jesus and seems to understand on a different level than the other disciples? Is he the writer of John himself – a way for John to write himself into the gospel? After all, John writes himself into the gospel as witness:
20Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” 23So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” 24This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. 25But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
While Jesus’ final instructions to Peter are, “Feed my sheep,” the disciple Jesus loved makes his final appearance as the eyewitness to the story of Jesus. He is the one who authenticates the gospel, inspiring and strengthening the community even into the present (Frances Taylor Gench, Encounters with Jesus). Frances Gench writes:
He remains a mystery man to the end, as the Fourth Gospel never reveals his identity. At the time John 21 was written, he was either on the verge of death or had recently died, and this was causing consternation, for “the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die” (v. 23). This was apparently a misunderstanding of something that Jesus had said and the narrator pauses to correct it. (Gench, Encounters with Jesus).
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Some have also pointed to Lazarus as the identity of the beloved disciple. In chapter 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Could this be the reason rumors were spreading that he would not die? We will never know!
But could the Beloved Disciple also be us? In other words, the BD is portrayed as the quintessential disciple, the one who enjoys a loving relationship with Jesus. His identity is raised to brother/family of Jesus, forever connected to one another. He alone believed upon seeing the empty tomb before actually encountering the risen Jesus in the flesh. Unlike Thomas who had to actually touch Jesus’ wounds, the BD represents those have not seen and are blessed (20:29). He follows Jesus to the cross, even when other disciples fail.
We too are those who “have not seen yet have come to believe.” The BD becomes our image for what it is to follow the risen Jesus, what we strive for in our discipleship. The disciple is never named as apostle, or given any other title. He is simply identified as disciple, one of many, like us. He epitomizes what the writer of the fourth gospel claims as the purpose of the book:
But could the Beloved Disciple also be us? In other words, the BD is portrayed as the quintessential disciple, the one who enjoys a loving relationship with Jesus. His identity is raised to brother/family of Jesus, forever connected to one another. He alone believed upon seeing the empty tomb before actually encountering the risen Jesus in the flesh. Unlike Thomas who had to actually touch Jesus’ wounds, the BD represents those have not seen and are blessed (20:29). He follows Jesus to the cross, even when other disciples fail.
We too are those who “have not seen yet have come to believe.” The BD becomes our image for what it is to follow the risen Jesus, what we strive for in our discipleship. The disciple is never named as apostle, or given any other title. He is simply identified as disciple, one of many, like us. He epitomizes what the writer of the fourth gospel claims as the purpose of the book:
31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.