John, Son of Thunder. John, The Revelator. John, Beloved Disciple.
This man is one of my favorites in Scripture, if not the favorite. Something about him draws me to him- every time I read the words he penned about our Lord, how to live, love, and even the future. John beckons us to know Christ as Savior and Lord. Why because….1 John 4:8 God is love.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:11-Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
John 15: 12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
All you need is love….all you need is love, love. All you need is love. Yes, the Beatles song is playing it’s familiar tune in my head.
This is to say….and our focus for today is John who called himself loved, beloved. Yep, that’s what I said, he CALLED HIMSELF beloved.
John 13:23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side
John 21:20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper…
Notice the verses, all the verses….one of the disciples whom Jesus loved and the disciple whom Jesus loved….. John is writing about himself!
God purposed for us to know how John saw himself, his true identity. What a very good place to start! This is you. Do you know what it is to be called loved? You, Sally, Jane, Meredith, Janice, Mary….. you are loved. Let that wash over you. Let that sink it. Let it permeate your being. Can you say that about yourself? I am loved. I am loved by the God of the universe the way He loves Jesus!
Do you believe it?
Go ahead try it out. I am loved! I____AM____LOVED! Me, like Jesus is loved. Jesus you chose me. I am yours. You love me as your own Son. You know me. You love me. I am loved. I am! You are! Loved!