The Beloved
This week we begin a new series entitled, “The Beloved.” In this series we will walk through the letters a man named John wrote for early followers of Jesus and discover how these letters still speak today. Before we look into these letters, let's get some background information.
Who was John and why was he called the “beloved” disciple?
“The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Tomb on the Morning of the Resurrection” Eugène Burnand 1898
During the first century AD, John lived and worked in his family’s business as a fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. One day, as John prepared his nets, Jesus called him and said, “Come, follow me.” Immediately, John and his brother James left their father and their careers to travel with Jesus and learn from him about life and faith (Matthew 4:21-22).
For three years John watched Jesus love others, heal the sick, and proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom. During this time, John developed a close relationship with Jesus. He became known as the “beloved disciple” or “the one who Jesus loved” (see John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7, & 21:20).
Most of Jesus’ followers abandoned him when during his arrest, trial, and death. John, however, was the only male disciple who kept following Jesus. He stood at the cross with Jesus’ mother Mary and together they watched Jesus die. Jesus trusted John so much that he asked John to look after Mary, caring for her as if she were his own mother (John 19:26, 27). It seems that John was Jesus’ closest friend.
So, do John’s writings from hundreds of years ago still contain lessons for people living in Berlin today?
Well, if John was Jesus’ closest friend, then he is a perfect source for us if we want to learn more about Jesus, his character, and his teachings. Since John enjoyed a deep relationship with Jesus, we might learn some lessons from John in developing our relationships with Jesus too. Most of all, as the beloved one, John shows us what experiencing Jesus’ love and sharing his love with others means.
It seems John’s letters remain relevant even in our modern age because they reveal the true meaning of love.
In fact, one might describe John’s letters as love letters. Not in the romantic sense, but as letters a loving father would send to his beloved children, teaching them the practical meaning of loving others (see 1 John 2:1, 2 John 1, 3 John 4). The word love and its derivations actually occurs 53 times in John’s three letters. That’s a lot of love!
So join us over the next several weeks as we explore John’s letters together and his invitation for us—to be people who experience true love in Jesus Christ.
Interested in learning more? Join us next Tuesday evening (4 July) as we discuss loving people at our Explore the Bible series in Mauerpark.
