Text: John 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
Title: “The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”
Four times John said, “The disciple whom Jesus loved.”
First incident: When you are facing the cross it is good to know…
God loves you!
Second incident:
When you are looking into an empty tomb it is good to know… God loves you!
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4So they ran both together: and the
Third incident:
When you have fished all night and caught nothing it is good to know… God loves you!
John 21:1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
Fourth incident: When you are being criticized by others it is good to know, God loves you!
John 21:20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
You may not love me, but God loves me!
(1 John 2:15 KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
(1 John 2:16 KJV) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
I may not love myself, but God loves me!
(Rom 7:24 KJV) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
(Rom 7:25 KJV) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
That God should love me,
Five points:
1. This is my identification.
(That God loves me is how I want to be identified.)
(1 John 4:19 KJV) We love him, because he first loved us.
(1 John 3:14 KJV) We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren…
2. This is my indoctrination.(God’s love for me is based upon fact.)
(1 John 3:16 KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
(1 John 3:20 KJV) For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
(1 John 3:21 KJV) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
(1 John 4:9 KJV) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(1 John 4:10 KJV) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
3. This is my meditation.
(God’s love brings to me abiding peace.)
(1 John 3:1 KJV) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…
(1 John 4:17 KJV) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:18 KJV) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
4. This is my motivation.
(God’s love causes me to love others.)
(1 John 3:11 KJV) For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
(1 John 4:7 KJV) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
(1 John 4:8 KJV) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
(1 John 4:11 KJV) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
5. This is my invitation.
(You can know the love of God too.)
(1 John 1:3 KJV) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: There are alot of things in life you may not know, but
you can know that God loves you!
