john

He was the disciple ‘whom Jesus loved’. He sat next to Him, reclined at feasts with Him, was there at the beginning, and was faithful at the end. He had Jesus’ ear and he knew His heart, and when all was done, Jesus entrusted His mother his care. If anyone really knew Jesus, it was John.

Much later in his life, John wrote this, in a letter about loving God and walking with Jesus...

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.” - 1 John 3:1

Throughout his writing, John focuses on the love of God. It’s the key to understanding who we are through Jesus - God pours out extravagant love; it shapes our identity as His children. We know who we are because He loves us. We can be like Him because of love.

Do you struggle to believe that God loves you? John, the disciple loved by Jesus, encourages you just to see how much.

Today, ask God to help you ‘recline’ with Him, to get so close that you too can hear His heartbeat and have His ear. Take a moment aside with God. Trust the disciple whom Jesus loved: he knows better than anyone.