A mysterious disciple of Jesus is referred to in the Gospel According to John: this is the “disciple whom Jesus loved”, otherwise known as the “beloved disciple“. This disciple is never referred to by name, and only appears in John’s gospel. Why the mystery? Most Bible commentators assume that John the Apostle was the “beloved disciple”, since this mysterious disciple only appears in John’s gospel. But could it be that this connection has been established mainly through tradition, and that if we carefully consult the Scripture, another disciple might indeed be the “beloved disciple”?

Let’s search the Scriptures, rather than tradition, to investigate who this mysterious disciple might have been. In this article we will consider:

• How through church tradition the Apostle John came to be associated with the “beloved disciple”
• Who made up the group of disciples, recalling that the Apostles were the “core” disciples
• Are the passages where the term “beloved disciple” is used – are these able to give us clues as to the identity of this person?
• The relationship between Jesus and the household of Simon, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus – does this hold further clues to who this “beloved disciple” might be?
• After he was raised from the dead, Lazarus became a target of the religious leaders. Was the title “beloved disciple” used as a code name to protect Lazarus from certain death?
• We will end with a summary of why Lazarus might indeed be the “beloved disciple”

Peter Paul Rubens, “Saint John the Evangelist,” ca. 1611 (photo: Public Domain / Public Domain)

How the Apostle John came to be identified as the “Beloved Disciple”

The “identity of the “beloved disciple”, or the “disciple whom Jesus loved”, is unnamed in the Gospel according to John. A reason why many people assume John was the “disciple who Jesus loved” is that only John’s gospel mentions the “beloved disciple”. None of the other gospels mentions such a person. Some take the position that John’s modesty did not allow him to identify himself explicitly as the “beloved disciple”.

Although the beloved disciple’s identity is not spelled out, several early church fathers, namely Irenaeus and Eusebius, identified John as this person. Through the centuries the church tradition eventually adopted the notion that the author of the fourth gospel was John the Apostle, and that the “beloved disciple” must also have been John.

Why was the Term “Beloved Disciple” Used and Not Apostle?

The word disciple means a student of a teacher or master. As we know, Jesus was known as a Jewish rabbi or teacher. Of course, He had his closest disciples (the 12 apostles), but also many other disciples. Luke 10 mentions 70 other disciples who went out into the towns and villages preaching the “good news” of the Kingdom of God.

The other disciples included men and at least several women: Mary, Martha, and Joanna. These women were part of the inner core of disciples. They supported Jesus’ ministry financially (Luke 8), with cooking, and assisting with other chores.

Given that the term “disciple” was used in connection with this person whom Jesus loved, it is certainly possible that this person may not have been one of the core 12 apostles, but rather one of the 70 disciples who followed Jesus.

Instances in John’s Gospel Where the Term “He/Jesus loved” Appears

• John 11:1-3 “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
  
• John 13:23 “One of his disciples — the one whom Jesus loved — was reclining next to him; (Lazarus is also mentioned as sitting at the table with Jesus in John 12)
  
• John 19:26 “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”
  
• John 20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
  
• John 21:7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea.
  
• John 21:20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”

The Role of Simon’s Household: Mary, Martha and Lazarus

To unlock the mystery of who the beloved disciple is, we need to look at the close relationship between Jesus, and the household of Simon, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus stopped at their home several times on his way to and from Jerusalem. He grew to love the family.

By Johannes Vermeer — Google Arts & Culture, Public Domain

• It was Mary who had anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair. (John 11:2)
• When Lazarus became sick, the sisters sent word to Jesus saying “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick”. (John 11:3)
• The passage also confirms that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5)

It’s also worth noting that several of the women disciples were the first to report the resurrection of Jesus to the core group of disciples, and women disciples as well as others were present at the cross during the crucifixion of Jesus.

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister,
Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” (John 19:25 NKJV)

If Mary and Martha were also among these women disciples at the cross, it is likely that Lazarus – their brother – was also there. Modern commentators assume the Apostle John was at the cross with the women, but John is not mentioned by name as being there – but the “beloved disciple” is.

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by,
He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!”
And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:26 NKJV)

When, Where, and Who was it that “Leaned on Jesus Bosom”?

In John 13:23 we have the phrase about the disciple who leaned on Jesus’ Bosom:

“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved”.

It’s generally assumed that the time was the Passover meal, the place was in the upper room in Jerusalem, and that the one leaning on Jesus’ bosom was John the apostle. But this need not be the case. Lets look carefully at John 11, 12 and 13:

• Notice that John 11 verse 1 states “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come…”. It’s therefore likely that this meal took place before the feast of the Passover, perhaps in the town of Bethany at the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, as Jesus and His disciples journeyed toward Jerusalem to prepare for His “final hour”.
  
• Notice in the previous chapter 12, it records that six days before the Passover a meal was served at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and that “Lazarus was one of those that sat at the table with Him.” This confirms that not only Lazarus but other disciples were there as well. It was the custom with such meals that the host would recline or sit next to the chief guest. In this case, that would put Lazarus as reclining next to Jesus.
  
• In chapter 13 we have more detail on the support that transpired, along with the phrase “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved”. Having heard of the events which transpired in chapters 11 and 12, most would logically conclude that this was the same pre-Passover meal which took place at the home of Lazarus, and that the one who leaned on Jesus’ bosom was the host, Lazarus, the ‘one whom Jesus loved'”.

Why was this Beloved Disciple Not Identified by Name? The Plot to Kill Lazarus.

As mentioned earlier, some say that John’s modesty did not allow him to identify himself explicitly as the “beloved disciple”. But could there be another more likely reason? The Bible mentions that after he was raised, the Religious leaders were determined to kill not only Jesus, but also Lazarus:

“Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.” (John 12:9-11 NKJV)

Could it be that the plot to also kill Lazarus became common knowledge among the disciples, and that to protect the identity of the “beloved disciple”, John purposely withheld naming him Lazarus, and instead used the code name “beloved disciple”?

Why is Lazarus Uniquely Qualified to be the “Beloved Disciple”?

• Although it is assumed that John is the “beloved disciple”, John does not claim this identity in the Gospel according to John. Although Jesus loved all of His apostles and disciples, only Lazarus is referred to not once but six times as the disciple or the “one whom you love” (see above references).
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• In John 11:1 we observe a direct link between Lazarus who was sick and the phrase “he who You love”: “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.” In verse 2, it confirms that this Lazarus was Mary’s brother: “It was that Mary …. whose brother was Lazarus”. In verse 3 the sisters send word to Jesus “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.“
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• When Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, the people who gathered around exclaimed “See how He loved him!”, referring to Jesus’ love for Lazarus who had fallen sick and died (John 11:36).
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• Jesus is recorded in the gospels to have cried only three times: 1) over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41); 2) at the cross, when He cried out in fulfilling a prophecy “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me” (Matt 27:46); and 3) in John 11:35, where Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus. Only Lazarus holds the distinction of being the one and only person whom Jesus wept for.
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• It is recorded in John’s gospel that in addition to Jesus, only Lazarus was singled out as a target for death: “But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.” (John 12:10-11). Thus the writer of John’s gospel may have used the term “beloved disciple” to protect the identity of Lazarus.
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• The term “beloved disciple” in the Gospel according to John does not appear before the death and resurrection of Lazarus; only after Lazarus had fallen sick, died, and was raised from the dead does the term appear. This is yet another association between the disciple Lazarus and the “beloved disciple”.
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• The gospels do not list John or any of the apostles as present at the cross (they may have been watching from a distance). But the gospels do list several women, and “the disciple who He loved” as being there: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:25-27 NKJV).
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• Tradition and most commentators hold that this disciple was John the Apostle The scripture does not say that, and in fact the evidence is that John was one of those looking from a distance. If the “beloved disciple” was indeed Lazarus, it makes sense he would be there as he was the “one whom Jesus loved”, and had been raised from the dead. He had no fear. He had already died and been raised from the dead! His loyalty was to Jesus, his Lord and Savior. It also makes sense that Jesus would want Mary His mother to stay with Lazarus and his sisters, as Jesus had a close relationship with that family.
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• The Scripture does not tell us why Lazarus was so loved by Jesus. We know that Mary and Martha were visited by Jesus, and that Mary so loved Jesus that she poured fine ointment on His feet and washed them with her hair. Since Lazarus was Mary and Martha’s brother, and Jesus probably visited their home often as he traveled to and from Jerusalem, it’s probable that Jesus also became very fond of Lazarus as a member of this special family. According to John 11:1-2, Lazarus contracted some form of illness preceding his death, and Jesus was notified that “he whom you love is sick”.. That Jesus “wept” at his tomb underscores His deep affection for Lazarus – the most likely candidate for “the beloved disciple”.

Searching the Scriptures to See if These Things Be True

I realize that tradition is important, and that we benefit by people keeping the good traditions that have been handed down to them. But just because a belief has become a tradition doesn’t necessarily make it true. We ought to like the Berean church, and search the scriptures “to see if these things be true”. In this case, it appears that the fourth Gospel was assigned to the authorship of John, as at that time (the first century) there were a lot of attacks on the early church – especially from heretics and false teachers.

It may be that to counter these false teachings, the early church fathers assigned authorship of the fourth Gospel to John the Apostle, to ensure its acceptance among the church. Note how unique the fourth Gospel is from the other three “synoptic” Gospels – that of Matthew, Mark and Luke. These tell many of the same stories, and document the same teachings, albeit from different perspectives.

The Gospel according to John, in contrast, is authored from a radically different perspective. It starts with “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Its as if its being written by a person who has had the deepest of spiritual experiences. Who has experienced God in a way few others have. The Gospel according to John also tells of an event not recorded in the other three Gospels, only in John:

• the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This was no small miracle, yet it was recording in detail in John, but skipped over in the other three Gospels.
• The wedding at Cana where Jesus turns water into wine
• The conversation with Nicodemus
• The encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well
• The washing of the disciple’s feet
• and the “I am” discourses where Jesus explicitly reveals His identity

Unlike the other gospels, this fourth Gospel stresses the divinity of Jesus, as “the Word that became flesh (John 1:14); deeper symbolic meanings of the miracles of Jesus (“I and the resurrection and the life”, at the raising of Lazarus); the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethseme before His crucifixion; appears to be written by a Judean, and not a follower from Galilee – one who was known by the religious leaders in Jerusalem, who new his way around the temple mount (John 18:15 – “the other disciple, who was known to the high priest. went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought in Peter”). So it’s obvious that the “other disciple” had connections with not just the high priest but others in the temple. This rules out John, a fisherman and a follower from Galilee.

The Source of the Fourth Gospel and the Beloved Disciple

The Gospel according to John is so unlike the others. Based on the evidence, it’s likely that the source was not John the son of Zebedee. I propose the source material came from a disciple that was a Judean, lived near the temple and visited there often, knew the high priest, Nicodemus, and other religious leaders, was known by the temple guards, and had experienced events from a profound perspective. One whose life was literally restored from death. I am convinced that Lazarus told these stories, and eventually they were written down by John so as not to be lost in the pages of time.

The fourth Gospel has a message that the writer wishes all to know with no uncertainty: that the eternal Word was in the beginning, was with God, and was God (John 1:1). “And that the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten on the Father – full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His Name” (John 1:12)

Sources:

“Was Lazarus the Beloved Disciple?”, by Ben Witherington – Jan 29, 2007 –https://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007/01/was-lazarus-beloved-disciple.html

Lazarus, not John, was the beloved disciple – Alan Rudnick – Medium.com – https://medium.com/@alanrudnick/lazarus-not-john-was-the-beloved-disciple-a4723223a16a

Let’s Take a Closer Look at the Mystery of the Beloved Disciple – Jimmy Akin, Blogs, December 22, 2017 – https://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-mystery-of-the-beloved-disciple

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved: Who Wrote the Fourth Gospel? – Pastor David B. Curtis, Berean Bible Church – https://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/john/4th_Gospel.htm