In the Gospel of Giovanni, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” appears: who is he?
The article guides us in discovering one of the leading figures among the apostles, author of the fourth Gospel, a text characterized by highly refined theological language, but above all one in which the “disciple whom Jesus loved” appears six times (Jn 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7.20.24). Tradition has identified Giovanni as the beloved disciple and recognized all of us in him, thirsting for love as we follow Jesus.
In his life as an apostle and evangelist, there are certain episodes that are of great help for our journey of faith, enabling us to experience Jesus’ living and active presence in us, with us, and for us.
The beginning of an exhilarating adventure
“The next day John [Battista] was there again with two of his disciples and, looking intently at Jesus as he passed by, said: ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned around and, seeing that they were following him, said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They replied: ‘Rabbi’ - which, translated, means Master - ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them: ‘Come and see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and that day they remained with him; it was about four in the afternoon” (Jn 1:35-39).
Thus begins for Giovanni an exhilarating adventure alongside the Master. Following Jesus is the essence of every baptized person’s experience. It is not a set of fine theories; it is following a person, Jesus, because one loves him. However, it takes time for an encounter to become knowledge, and for knowledge to become intimacy.
Together with Peter and James, Giovanni is, by Jesus’ will, a privileged witness to some of the most important events: the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the head of the synagogue in Capernaum; the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, in which the three disciples witness the manifestation of Jesus’ divine glory; and his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before he handed himself over to be tried and condemned. In short, Giovanni, like few others, manages to enter into a deep relationship with the Master.
Intimacy with Jesus
In the Gospel he wrote, Giovanni prefers to refer to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”: to say that this is his actual name, that this is his true identity. In other words, he defines himself precisely in relation to Jesus’ love: he is won over by Christ’s love and has found his deepest meaning in it. Giovanni’s attitude is that of one who knows how to listen to the Lord’s heart in order to let himself be born anew by him each day, to let himself be shaped by his mindset, and to let himself be inhabited by his feelings.
In short, at the school of Christ’s heart, the young disciple experiences and learns the love of God: at the Last Supper we see him resting his head on his chest, on his heart, or rather, according to the Greek term, «in the bosom of Jesus». It is an overwhelming, moving, and unforgettable moment in which he hears the beats of his Master’s heart a few hours before his death.
At that moment he is a witness both to the profound suffering and to the unconditional love that Jesus has for all of us, even though we are sinners and betrayers. This is how John begins to understand the way the Lord intends to love his own «to the end» (John 13:1), even to the death on the cross.
This is what we too can do: rest our head on the heart of Jesus so that we may feel loved, understood, comforted, forgiven, and healed.
The beloved and “loving” disciple
Precisely because John learned from his Lord, whom he would see risen on Easter Day, what it means to love, we owe him the revelation of the pinnacle of love. Jesus Christ came to reveal to us that: «God is love» (1 John 4:8, 16)
John understood that the sign of being disciples of the Master is loving God and loving everyone else as he loved us. Knowing Jesus does not simply mean understanding his teachings and putting them into practice; it means living in intimacy with him through prayer, listening to his Word, seeking to do his will in the concrete circumstances of our lives, and loving others unconditionally. Those who choose to love decide to embrace the same logic as the Master, who did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life.
From beloved, John becomes “one who loves” and until the end of his long life he devoted himself to the mission that had won him over as a young man, when for the first time, at four o’clock on a sunny afternoon, he had been invited to remain with Jesus: the mission of making God’s love known to everyone, a love he had received directly from the heart of Christ, on which he had been able to rest his head.
Our hearts, too, are called to become hearts that love everyone, that always love, that love freely, just as Christ loves.
John is loved, just as we are all loved in a special way by the Lord. So let us recognize that we are loved with an infinite love, despite our fragility, weakness, selfishness, and laziness, because this is the newness brought by Christ that should dwell within us.
Let us conclude by asking ourselves: Am I aware that I too am “the beloved disciple”? What does being “the beloved disciple” mean for me today?
Share your experience in the comments!
