The One Whom Jesus Loved (by Cathe Laurie)

“That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’” (John 21:7 ESV).

How do you define yourself? If you were to write a book in which you were featured, how would you describe yourself? I might say, “Cathe, the mom . . .” or “Cathe, the wife . . .” or “Cathe, the women’s group leader . . .”

Something about what I do or my role in life, right? Isn’t that how we define ourselves these days? When you meet someone, typically, the first questions are, “What do you do? Are you married? Do you have children?”

In the world of social media, we’re used to putting ourselves on display! Here are my accomplishments . . . here are the things I’m good at . . . here are the people who define me.

So wouldn’t it make sense that the disciples, the ones who are recording the stories of Jesus as He walked on earth, would want to define themselves the same way?

John, however, never actually names himself in the Gospel he wrote. Instead, he had this really curious habit of calling himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

What Was John’s Point?

When John chooses to use this title (instead of simply saying, “I, John . . .”), it could feel like a humble brag, a way of setting himself apart as special or favored at the expense of the other apostles. After all, who wouldn’t want to be known as the one Jesus held closest?

Can’t you imagine what his social media feed could have looked like? Selfies of him with Jesus, cutting out everyone else in the frame. Always pushing himself to the front of every group photo and trying to make himself front and center, saying, “I am the one He loves! I should be seen and recognized!”

But really, I think that’s the opposite of what he’s doing. Maybe John’s not pointing to his own worthiness but to his experience of the overwhelming reality of Jesus’ love—a love so defining it became his whole identity.

His life was spent with Jesus. He walked with Him for years, serving Him and learning from Him. He was consumed by the Lord, in all the best ways. So wouldn’t it make sense that this is how he would define himself?

I imagine it’s John’s way of stepping out of the frame so Jesus fills it entirely. It’s like John is saying, “My name doesn’t matter; all that matters is that I was loved by Him.”

Honestly, I feel like I could stop right there. Jesus’ love is so powerful that nothing else compares. When we soak in His goodness and the weight of His love, how could anything else hold a candle to it?

John saw the truth: Jesus is the reason we live. His love for us is all we need. And when we are consumed by His love, we can’t help but overflow with that love and share it with others.

I encourage you to soak in His love today—really soak in it. Let the magnitude of all that He’s done for you and all that He offers you sink to the depths of your soul and watch how it transforms you.

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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.