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What Difference Did the Cross Make for John the Beloved?

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What Difference Did the Cross Make for John the Beloved? What Difference Did the Cross Make for John the Beloved? – April 17, 2019 Before the Cross: 1) John was a follower of John the Baptist before he became a follower of Jesus. John 1:35-42 - “The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. 36 As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”[).” John and Andrew are among the first disciples of Jesus. John never says I. He refers to himself as the disciple Jesus loved or as “the other disciple.” John relates the 1st introductory meeting to Jesus as the Messiah. The actual calling by Jesus of His disciples takes place later. It’s told in the synoptic gospels: Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20, and Luke 5:4-11. John 20 tells us that “[Mary Magdalene] came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ● Knowing his style of writing, we know John was a disciple of John. 2) John was a cousin of Jesus. His mother Salome was Jesus’ mother’s sister. John tells us of 4 people who stood near the cross when Jesus died: “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” – John 19:25 Matt. 27:55-56 said: “Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph (Joses, Greek) and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” “Then James & John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” - Mark 10:35 (Matt 20:20 says Salome, their mother asked for this favor). By comparing these verses, we know that John and his brother James are the sons of Zebedee. The wife of Zebedee is Salome, Mary's sister. Salome is still with Mary on Sunday. “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.” Mark 16:1 3) John and his brother James had ambitious natures – they asked to sit on the right and left of Jesus in His glory. (Mark 10:35-37). That led to Jesus telling them that whoever wants to be first must become a servant. 4) John had a protective nature, but it was also misguided and retaliatory. He was disturbed when people not of Jesus’ disciples were casting out demons in Jesus’ name. (Luke 9:49-50). And when a Samaritan village was not welcoming to Jesus, James and John asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” Jesus rebuked them and just left for another village. (Luke 9:51- 54). From that behavior we can see why Jesus gave John and his brother James the “name Boanerges, which means ‘sons of thunder.’” (Mark 3:17). 5) Despite his failings, John had a special relationship with Jesus. He was one of the trusted three (Jesus’ inner circle). When the other disciples want to know who will betray Jesus, they ask John to ask Jesus. (John 13:23). 6) John also had courage, and connections. When Jesus is questioned by the High Priest, John goes inside and has Peter brought in. (John 18:15-6). After the Cross: John stood at the cross of Jesus for 6 grueling hours. (Crucified on the third hour; at the sixth hour, darkness falls & curtain is torn in two. From noon until 3 pm there is darkness. This is Jewish method of designating time. John’s gospel is said to use Roman time). Luke tells us that His followers watched all this: 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. – Luke 23:48-49 The other 2 gospels say only that the women who had followed Jesus were there, but we can assume the other disciples were somewhere nearby. John was there. John 19:25-27 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” Jesus had other brothers (James, Joseph, Judah, & Simon), and sisters (Matt. 13:55), but at that time they still did not believe in Him. (John 7:5 tells his “his own brothers did not believe in him.”). John believed. John was loyal. It would be important for Mary to grieve with those who truly knew Jesus. John did, and he knew love. So he began loving Jesus’ mother as His own. 1 - John’s life shows us why other believers are family. Jesus said early in His ministry when He was told that his mother and brothers were outside and could not get to Him because of the crowd: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Luke 8:21). We are family with other believers. This is where love happens. 2 – Before the cross, John saw Jesus as Lord. He was rabbi, teacher, leader. After the cross, John becomes leader, teacher, writer. He wrote 5 books of the Bible (tied with Moses for second place). He established churches in “Asia Minor” and preached love. Love is the theme in almost all his writings. John is the one who said: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16). John 3:16 is one of the most well known verses of scripture – “For God so loved the world . .” John was changed by love. He lived it. He taught it. He was an example of it. He lived out: “let us love with actions” not just words. 3 – John has spiritual insight after the cross. John and Peter run to an empty tomb and there, John “saw and believed.” He wrote of the arrangement of grave clothes, and an empty tomb. (John 20:8-9). Seeing an empty tomb finally allowed him to believe Jesus is the Messiah. 4 - John called himself "the beloved disciple." He was there firsthand to see love on display on a Cross. He saw Jesus’ kindness and love every day for three years. His world was shaken and turned upside down. But He saw the greatest act of love imaginable. His world was rocked by love. When you see it that close, when you can touch it – it affects you. His writings are all about the love of Jesus, the love of our Father. And he showed it. - After the cross, Mary is with the “brothers” in the upper room in Jerusalem. Acts 1:14. After Pentecost, Mary isn’t mentioned again in scripture; disappears from the Bible, but not life. Mary goes with John when he leaves Jerusalem. John built her a small house of stone on a hill outside of Ephesus (600 miles Jerusalem). Legend tells that Mary liked remoteness and did not want to be in the city of Ephesus. Many settlers of this village lived in caves in the hill. The caves were fitted with woodwork for a stability, like a hut in a rock. But John built Mary a house, it was built of stone. Jesus was the stone the builder rejected. John builds lives on stone. Her home was small, with windows high near the roof. It had a sleeping area, a fireplace, and an “oratory” – a place for prayer. In the center of the wall there is a place where a cross stood.
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