The one that Jesus loves

I feel like people would live a lot differently if they truly believed that Jesus Christ loves them every second of the day, good or bad, happy or sad, pleasant or unpleasant.

The other day I was reading in the book of John and I noticed that John refers to himself six different times as the one that Jesus loves.

John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

John is the one who wrote the book so he is talking about himself, referring to himself as the disciple that Jesus loved.

^{John 20:2-4} She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

When reading those passages I had always thought it a bit haughty of John to refer to himself as the one Jesus loves. But reading those words now I feel as though I understand what he was trying to say.

John grasped something incredibly important. He understood his identity.

The way that he identified himself was by Jesus’ love. That’s what I want. I want to know beyond all else that I am the one Jesus loves.

In life we identify ourselves many different ways. By our education, where we live, who we know, where we go to church.

While all of those things are great, none of it matters unless our ultimate identity is found in being the one that Jesus loves.

I am a daughter, a sister, a student, a friend. But on the day that I stand before Jesus the only thing that will matter is that I am the one He loves.

John didn’t always see himself as the one that Jesus loves and neither did I. We didn’t know Jesus’ love, but that doesn’t change the fact that He has loved us before we were even born.

God’s love has not changed. His views of us haven’t changed. The only thing that has changed is how we view ourselves.

John had gone from seeing himself as a career fisherman, to the one Jesus loves.

I had gone from seeing myself as insignificant and purposeless, to the one that Jesus loves.

When you are filled with sorrow, you are still the one Jesus loves

When you are filled with doubt, you are still the one Jesus loves.

When you are filled with guilt, you are still the one Jesus loves.

On the highest mountain peak or in the deepest, darkest valley, you are the one Jesus loves. There is nothing that can ever change that.

How wonderful would it be to have the kind of relationship with Christ that all He has to do is say, “Beloved,” and you know he is talking straight to you.

John had that relationship with Christ.

Sometimes during the day I find myself taking a deep breath, closing my eyes, and repeating in my head, “I am the one Jesus loves.”

In times of insecurity and fear and self doubt the most comforting words to whisper to yourself are, “I am the one Jesus loves.”

We are God’s beloved. If you look the word, “Beloved,” up in the dictionary you will find that we are not simply loved. We are GREATLY loved, dear to His heart, cherished by Him, and precious to Him.

1 John 4:7-10  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The reason that John was able to write such beautiful words about love was because he lived fully believing that God loved him. He grasped love because he lived and walked with and was discipled by LOVE Himself.

Gods love is a promise. A promise that we are His and there will never be a time when we are not His. His love is a promise that He has called us by name, has numbered the hairs on our head, and has given us the right to call Him, “Abba, father.”

I am the one that Jesus loves.

You are the one that Jesus loves.

Lets dare to believe and live out that truth.