The Trinity of Disciples

Transcript

so tonight we're we're looking at what I x called the the Trinity of disciples x um and the reason is because I recently x found out that the word Trinity is a x completely valid word x for any grouping of three so not just x the Holy Trinity that we typically think x of and I for whatever reason I find that x kind of cool so it really is just a x grouping of three so three disciples x these three this Trinity of disciples x um there's actually two different x trilogies we're gonna look at tonight x the first is that Trinity of disciples x um and the the second grouping of three x is this grouping of three loves that I x think we find in the Bible x um and we're going to how they x relate together x um so like I said the question I want to x think about is why did Jesus choose x Peter James and John x hey who were they what was their x relationship to Christ and ultimately x why is it that those three are so often x grouped together x as brother Jim kinda alluded you why x wasn't Andrew kind of you know he's x Peter's brother why was in the all four x of the sets of Brothers together x um I wasn't Thomas or Judas or Matthew x or Philip often included in these x private intimate moments that these x three are are so often invited to x um but before we jump into that question x I like to kind of just uh give a few x disclaimers so like I said this is this x is a um a pet project of mine I've x always kind of liked this topic x um we're gonna look at the life of Peter x James and John very similarly to the way x we looked at the Life of Christ x um where we kind of do a high level x overview we're not really going to x into too much x um but one thing to note is that we have x a lot less information on Peter James x and John than we do about Christ x um x so we're going to fill in the gaps quite x a bit here x um there's going to be a healthy dose of x guesswork in this class to kind of fill x in some some pieces x um and so I just want to start off by x saying that I want you to take it just x as that these are just guesses there's x one idea in particular that we're going x to spend some time looking at x um that's a pretty different take than x what you'll get from most other sources x um x and it is it's a bit of a stretch it's a x bit of a guess I can't prove it with x certainty x um but I'll try to explain why I think x the way I do versus the other x um and and I'll try to call out that x guesswork as we go along to make it very x clear x and I also want to point out these are x not none of these are Hills I want to x die on this is not something I'm going x to say you have to think this way and x you can't think another way x um I like the way they've written The x Narrative personally and I'm going to x share my thoughts with you but I fully x acknowledge you don't have to see eye to x eye with me on on some of these ideas x in the end the goal is to not have that x guesswork change the lesson x um it just changes the narrative how we x read The Narrative a little bit and and x helps to emphasize x um the point I want to draw out a little x bit more x that being said there's not really a big x Exposition or exhortation in this this x class you know again it's kind of me x sharing some some neat ideas that I have x um we'll look at one of the main x teachings of Christ and I'll put to you x why I think it's one of his main x teachings and talk about that a little x bit x um x but there's kind of two goals that I had x coming out of this class x um hopefully by the end of it we'll have x a renewed or a better understanding of x how the love of God works in our lives x um so that's kind of goal one and goal x two is to just help draw these x characters in such a way that they they x seem a little more real next time we go x through and read the Gospels x um just to give them a little more you x know to flush them out a little bit more x um than they kind of are typically when x we go through x so with that out of the way we're going x to go ahead and we'll jump into the x story of these three disciples x Peter James and John x so so when I went into this and and you x know I started to think about why these x three disciples you know it's a pattern x I noticed going through scripture that x these three are often called out x um x you know you get on on Wikipedia you go x start looking to see see what what is x the tradition about these three x disciples what do we know about them x what's kind of you know standard Church x tradition things like that x um so first off we have Peter and I you x know we all kind of know the story of x theater is a pretty relatable example x for us in scripture right he's a very x well-known character in the Bible x um besides Jesus and maybe Paul I think x Peter and Paul might be kind of tied x um we have way more information about x those three characters in the New x Testament than any other character Peter x Peter Paul and Jesus are kind of the x three big ones x um tradition has it that Peter was the x first pope the Catholic Church will say x that he was the first pope which means x that they think he was kind of the guy x you know he was the one x um you know if Jesus had a right hand x man x tradition has it that was Peter Peter x was the closest to Christ and he's the x guy who becomes the first pope that's x why Christ gives him the keys to Heaven x as they as they'll talk about x um so Peter is often the only one x seemingly willing to speak in in the New x Testament right you know all the other x 11 disciples are so so quiet that they x almost seem to just be kind of x understudies to Peter's role as like the x disciple of Christ you know he is the x guy x if you're looking for times that the x other like all the different times that x the different disciples speak I mean x Peter's record runs away with the record x um Peter speaks something like 20 x distinct times across the four gospels x um the same thing like there are x duplicates in the Ford off gospels you x know they're 20 roughly 20 distinct x times x while the other 11 maybe speak a total x of 10. I didn't actually count uh the x other 11. x um x so so this is a kind of a little bit of x guesswork from what I could remember but x but it's something almost like he speaks x devil as much as the other 11 combined x so obviously you know we know that the x other 12 disciples were unique special x people as well x um but Peter's kind of the only one that x seems to have any any x kind of fleshed out story you know he's x the only one we know a lot about any x depth to him x so let me come to John and and John x again tradition has a lot of things x about John that we know there's not x actually too much x um x that we'll find in scripture about John x he's called the father of the church x tradition has it that John was the only x disciple to die from old age x um in his letters he often calls the x churches his little children x you know he's that old wise man who x wrote the three letters of John uh the x Gospel of John and Revelation right his x his writings make up about five percent x of the Bible x so we kind of picture this old balding x man he's kind of bent over a quill and x paper he's got a three foot long beard x you know that Renaissance painting that x we all kind of picture when we think x about the the disciple John x which makes it kind of ironic to note x that tradition has it that John was 18 x years old at the minute beginning of the x ministry of Jesus so he's by Far and x Away the youngest disciple you know we x picture this very old wise father of the x church and and when we look at the story x of him in the gospels he's a young very x young man x um x I don't think I've ever seen a x Renaissance painting of them as this x kind of you know these young disciples x these middle-aged men x um they often see them sorry as these x middle-aged men in those different x paintings but um but according to x tradition he was a very very young man x at the start of Jesus's Ministry x tradition also holds that John was the x disciple whom Christ loved um x which is a title that only John himself x uses in his gospel on the other three x gospel writers call use that title the x disciple whom Christ loved x um x which you know if that's the case that x seems a little bit odd but we'll still x go back to that in just a bit x so that leaves us with James the final x of these three disciples x and when I first asked myself the x question why Peter James and John I'll x be honest the real question I was asking x is why James you know Peter and John at x least kind of make sense x um they both go on to take on very x critical roles in preaching the gospel x after the death and resurrection of x Jesus x um in terms of lines and the gospels and x the acts it goes Peter which you know x like you said Far and Away has the most x lines oddly enough Philip seems to be x the second most lines x um but then John John's kind of the x third most lines of any of the disciples x and Andrew's kind of right there on his x heels James maybe has one line in the x New Testament x um and even then it's recorded as both x James and John saying it so James has x like nothing recorded that he says we x know so little about James x um the only time you mentioned apart x from John's John is actually at his desk x so every time James is mentioned he's x actually mentioned with his brother John x um x acts 12 at the death of James is the x only time we see James mentioned apart x from his brother x so so the question why did Jesus x choose to spend so much time with this x man we know so little about what made x him so special about and why why don't x we know anything about him why wasn't x anything about his life recorded for us x so you know yeah like kind of like x brother Jim alluded to if we're looking x for disciples that seem Central to the x story of Christ both Philip and Andrew I x would say seem like better candidates x just by looking at the gospels x um x they seem more involved than James does x you know Andrew has uh um brother Jim x said it was the first to follow Jesus x you see in John 1 that he's the first x one to leave all and follow after Jesus x uh it's kind of hard like why why were x these two not chosen x and we'll talk about that a little bit x maybe not too much I have there x unfortunately brother Jim I want to x disappoint you a little bit x um it's an answer I don't quite have x right now but I'm hoping maybe someone x will have an idea x so x um obviously we know very little about x these men or any of the disciples for x that matter before the ministry of Jesus x but what we do know is that Peter Andrew x James and John were all fishermen and x the City of Capernaum x we know from the gospels that they work x together x we know that Capernaum was was not a x very large Village x um so their families were probably x pretty pretty x um probably did a lot together growing x up x when John the Baptist appears on the x scene we again don't really know much x about how old these brothers were x um they're obviously old enough to be x involved in the family business x we know that Peter at least was married x um and I would say almost certainly had x kids I think that Peter had kids and x we'll talk about that as well x um x the other disciples probably were x married as well x um it's a good chance that Andrew and x James at least x um were married and had kids John being x 18 if we assume that he's 18 it's x possible that maybe he didn't x um so tradition has it that Peter was x around 30 at the ministry of uh the x beginning of the ministry of Christ so x while John was younger like I said x closer to 18 years old I couldn't find x any tradition for for how old James was x I personally believe James is older than x John and again we'll talk about that x um he seems to be more well-known x um in some ways than John x um so I kind of put him in his mid-20s x he's you know maybe around 25 maybe 28 x something in that range right mid to x Upper 20s x so one thing that struck me as I was x looking at this was just how young these x guys are I mean Jesus we think about it x he's only 33 when he was called To Die x For The World x and John was a teenager when he left all x and followed started to follow Jesus x James Andrew and Peter they could have x had young families with little children x to care for these aren't the old season x veterans that we often see and think x about later in the acts and the letters x right these are young men who are still x learning quite a bit they're still x learning how to lead they're still x learning how to to take on that kind of x a leadership role they're still very new x to a lot of these things x one thing I can say for sure about these x two sets of Brothers Peter Peter and x Andrew James and John x is that before falling after Jesus x um x we can almost certainly say that they x were good religious Jews now they they x probably weren't great Jews they you x know like many others they probably x didn't bother with the finer details of x the law x but I would say in most things we can x assume that they tried to follow after x the law x um they most likely talked about their x faith while they worked x um that's really one of the things x you're supposed to do under the law you x were supposed to discuss and think about x God's word while you worked so you can x just kind of Imagine an eager young John x kind of calling over to Peter in the x other boat and asking him what he x thought about the the story of David and x Goliath that they paddled out uh for the x day x and these brothers being good Jews we x know that they probably went up to the x feasts regularly regularly x um as was expected of them x and so we can expect that one year they x went up to let's say the Passover and x while they were there they heard about a x new preacher right there was some John x who was out in the wilderness by the x Jordan and he was baptizing x and you know as I left the feast to go x home back to Galilee we can assume that x maybe they stopped in to hear what this x John had to say x um maybe they went back home for their x families and you know everybody said for x a bit and went back to their homes went x back to their families we don't know how x long john preached for we don't know how x long he had his ministry was x um x but we know that at some point they x decided to go after and follow him you x know being the good Believers that they x were x um they along with their families would x have gone and been baptized by John x after hearing that the message of x repentance that he was preaching x they may have been there when John cries x out in in John 1 15 that this is the one x of whom I spoke he that comes after me x but is preferred before me x you know maybe they were there and and x witnessed that baptism of Jesus of x Nazareth maybe they heard that that uh x great voice or saw that great light or x at least they would have heard John x talking about this experience that he x had of this stuff descending upon this x man x but then that man disappears you know x Jesus after his baptism disappears for x 40 days you know that's over a month x that he was just gone x and I think we you know as can assume x that they stayed with John during that x time that they stayed with with this x preacher and then maybe you forgot about x this incredible event that John would x tell them about x and then one day their lives are changed x forever x sort of you know these men had most x likely spent at least a month now away x from their jobs following John x um possibly even a couple of months at x this point x and one day John Andrew is sitting there x with John and John all of a sudden x sudden cries out over in John 1 29 and x it says Behold the Lamb of God who takes x away the sins of the world x and Andrew looks over uh at what who x John is pointing at and there's this man x this single man with no followers no one x really paying attention to him x now I I do want to know that there are x some theories out there that that uh x Jesus and John the Baptist were related x to the sons of Zebedee x um it's based on their mother's names x things like that x um it's not something I've looked at too x much x um so I'm not going to try to explain it x I just want to say I I have heard that x suggested before x um so it's possible that Andrew and x Peter had met Christ before these events x um you know possibly he'd come to x Capernaum as a boy to visit his cousins x James and John x but Nazareth is far enough away from x capernaums that I think it's safe to say x that they wouldn't have really known him x very well x if anything he was kind of just that odd x cousin who would come up you know to x visit the family Village x um when he was a kid like it's not x someone they would have been very close x with I don't think x that family relationship would explain x maybe why Jesus sets up base and x Capernaum at the start of his ministry x because he's just staying with his x extended family x um so it's possible but but I don't I'm x gonna assume that they didn't know know x Jesus before this event x so anyways out of all the people who x were there x out of all the people at the time when x they heard when John proclaims this x Behold the Lamb of God Andrew and one x other disciple of John took note of what x John had said about Jesus and they fall x after him x we aren't told who the other disciple is x um could have been the disciple Jesus x loved it could have been Judas it could x have been one of the other twelve it x could have just been someone completely x random but John calls out for us that x Andrew Peter's brother was the first x disciple to follow after Jesus x and and like brother Jim said he doesn't x make the cut he is not one of the these x disciples in the Trinity of disciples x um you know and he kind of left baffled x like why is this young Brash 18 year old x John who wants to call down fire from x heaven on people included instead of x this obviously more observant and older x Andrew x and to be honest I don't have a good x answer for why not Andrew x I have a theory for why these other x three are chosen um I don't really know x why Andrew isn't included to make it a x quaternity which also is a valid word I x found out which denotes a group of four x which is again kind of fun maybe you all x are good at English and do that already x but I I find I think it's kind of cool x anyways so it's not a quaternity of of x disciples it's a trinity of disciples x um so if anyone has any theories as to x why not Andrew x um I'd love to hear math for the class x um for now we're just going to focus on x the three x so circling back to the narrative John 1 x 41 and 42 tells us that Andrew excited x about finding that Christ goes and finds x Peter and probably Peter's family x um anytime we talk about Peter doing x something from now on uh in the gospels x assume his family's there with him x unless it specifically says that it's x just Peter and the other disciples x um there's a good chance that Peter x brings his family with him wherever they x go that his wife his father-in-law and x his children are all there following x Jesus as well x so anyways Andrew goes and finds Peter x and he tells on this exciting news he x says from and from here on out Peter and x Andrew we know at least start to follow x Jesus x they follow him as he heads to Galilee x and calls Philip and Nathaniel later on x in John 1. they're there and to witness x his first miracle at the wedding of Cana x in John 2. x there's a theory from Brother Jason x Hensley's book glimpses of the master x that that these disciples were actually x the servants that were served serving x the wine at the wedding x which would kind of make sense because x we see Mary is helping run the wedding x and we know that she was probably too x poor to hire servants so maybe she asked x her son and his new friends if they x would help her serve at this wedding so x so that it's possible that these x disciples were intimately involved in x the first miracle of Christ x um the first of many that they would x Witness x Jesus returns to Capernaum the home of x the four disciples x um and John 2 verse 12 records that his x whole family actually goes there with x him his mother and his brothers as well x and they set up at camp in Capernaum for x time x and I think it's likely that these four x fishermen got back to work right there's x a new family now living with them they x need to support the extra mouths there's x a good chance that they go back to x fishing during this time x eventually the Passover comes again in x John 2 verse 13. you know maybe it's x been five or six months let's say uh x since they first left and followed John x back in John 1. x um and being the good Jews that they x were all these four disciples would have x gone up to the Passover and John 2 verse x 17 tells us that they remembered that it x was written the Zeal of your house has x eaten me up when they saw Jesus clearing x out the money changers from the temple x so they would have been there and x witnessed those events at least at least x these four disciples would have been x there x after these this Passover Jesus goes to x the Jordan and he starts to baptize you x know and Peter Andrew James and John are x almost certainly go there with him x um and our Mongols who were baptizing x with him potentially x Jesus eventually returns North to x Galilee around that same time John the x Baptist is arrested x it would have been a fairly scary time I x would say to be following any kind of a x religious leader especially for those x who had been followers of John right x after John's arrested there's a good x chance that they were also at risk x um so they would have been there when he x was with this American woman at the well x and John 4 they would have witnessed x that pretty scandalous event of him x socializing with a a woman like her x um and it was you know one of many x shocking events that these three x disciples would witness Jesus perform x kind of like him turning over tables in x the temple at the past October x when they get to Galilee again everyone x seems to just return to their homes x um it's probably been over a year now I x would say since Jesus was baptized which x means that it's been about a year these x disciples have been following you know x John first and now Jesus x and you know they did definitely spend x some of that first year x um x out preaching and out working following x Jesus but they also spent a good fortune x in that year back at home working uh x working away at their fishing x so there's a good chance that when they x get back x um to Galilee that Peter James and John x go back to their father's business x um they start fishing again x we see that Jesus and his family return x to Nazareth which is the court recorded x for us in Luke 4. x um where we get the account of Jesus x eventually being run out of the city by x his old friends and Neighbors x um and there's no mention of his x disciples being there with him when the x people of Nazareth try to kill him x eventually after what's probably a x couple months of preaching throughout x the different cities of Galilee Jesus x returns to Capernaum and he's walking x along the seashore and he sees these two x sets of Brothers again x the way that the Matthew Mark and Luke's x accounts all read x um x it was Jesus who went about preaching x the Good News of the Kingdom early on in x his ministry there's no mention of his x disciples being there with him x um they probably had to go home and work x for a couple of months you know but when x Jesus sees them again in Matthew 4 verse x 19 and Mark 1 verse 17 he calls them to x follow them and they do straight away x they leave their Nets they leave their x father's business and they go and they x follow after him x although we say they don't follow him x very far because before you know it a x few verses later and Mark 1 verse 21 x they're actually back in Capernaum x and but this time they they really do x start to witness some truly incredible x signs again right they must witness a x multitude of Miracles Peter's own x mother-in-law is actually healed from a x fever in Peter's home x in Peter's home so really they really x haven't gone far they really have not x followed him far at all x But after those events Jesus retreats x and when his disciples find him he says x that he must go throughout the other x towns and preach the good news and Mark x eight or sorry Mark 1 verse 38 and Luke x 4 verse 43. x remember Peter's mother-in-law was just x deathly ill x um I highly doubt that Peter's wife x wanted her husband or or any of her x family up and leaving right after this x sickness that her mother had just gone x through x they'd been on and off of work for the x past year with this man x and you could assume that the money is x probably starting to run a little tight x so Jesus says that he not they must go x and preach the gospel in Luke 4 verse x 43. x and in Matthew 4 23 it tells us that x Jesus again no mention of the disciples x went throughout all of Galilee x so it suggests that Andrew Peter James x and John all stay in Capernaum at this x point x so despite being called the follow Jesus x they don't actually seem to be willing x to follow him further than just back x into their hometown x so when we come to Luke 5 verse 1 we see x that Jesus is again preaching by the x source side with a multitude of people x following him x and the disciples are back out working x in their boats x after asking one of these old friends of x his to to use their boat so that he can x so that more people could hear him x Jesus then tells Peter to let down his x Nets x and they bring in this incredible catch x and now all of a sudden I think we see a x change in Peter x you know if if Peter had made the choice x to stay home during those few months x when Jesus was preaching in Galilee x after he had already been called to x follow Jesus x I I think it's safe to assume that x had a little guilt over that choice when x Jesus reappears again x you know John the Baptist had told all x four of these disciples that this man x was the Lamb of God x they had seen him perform and been a x part of some pretty incredible miracles x but the cares of this life had been too x much to leave behind now Peter had a x family to care for he had you know x possibly him and and possibly James and x Andrew had little mouths that they had x to feed x and remember there's there's not been x any feeding of the five thousand with x five floats yet right there's no x miracles of food as up at this point x they needed to put food on the table x but when they bring in this great catch x which I think once they've sold this x great catch would have been a great base x of money for them to work off of for the x next two years of Jesus ministry x I think Peter realizes his mistake if he x followed this man God would provide for x him and so in Luke 5 we get this account x of Peter falling on his face in humility x and confessing his son sins before Jesus x in Luke 5 verse 8. he says depart from x me Lord for I am a sinful man x and I think it's a good reminder for us x not to get distracted by providing for x our Earthly needs x and in Peter's defense x um when you line up the gospel accounts x I would suggest to you that the events x of The Sermon on the Mount have not x taken place yet x which means there's a good chance that x Jesus has not told them do not worry x about what you will wear or what you x will eat yet this is this is a new x teachings that Jesus had hasn't taught x them yet x so we're going to do a quick tangent x here because I want to talk about the x other Trinity x um that we're going to look at tonight x and that's the Trinity of loves that we x see in the Bible x there are three types of loves that I x would suggest you that will find in the x Bible x um x you know and they're all just one love x they're actually all one love but there x are three different parts and they're x all equal and they're all the same but x different and all that stuff yada yada x um anyways these three loves are just x about I think the closest thing you'll x find to the Holy Trinity in the Bible x um x you know I call this this would be my x Holy Trinity because I think this is you x know I mean the Holy Trinity you won't x find that in the Bible but this love x these three loves which I'll put you are x actually one love is you know kind of x one of those that that could be x um x I don't know it's just funny how many x parallels I was Finding x not to say that I'm getting in over x myself here anyways not suggesting x there's a holy trinity in the Bible but x I like this idea of these three loves x um x so the three levels we're going to look x at is God's love for us x our love then for God x and our love for our brothers I think x those are the three loves that we'll see x come up over and over again in um in the x Bible x and John in his first letter spends a x lot of his time talking about and x writing about these three loves x and how they interact with each other x you know it kind of says these are all x the same love you know they're from the x beginning but they're also new and it x gets confusing and hard to follow at x some point sometimes but I think his x main points are these x God first loved us x the love of God that God has shown us x should motivate us then to love our God x if we want to love God we also have to x love our brothers and sisters x if we love our brothers our sisters and x sisters they will also love God x if we help our brothers and sisters to x love God God will love us x and before you know it x we've got this whole circle going over x and over again God loves us therefore we x love God more if we love God more we x need to love our brothers and sisters x more if we love our brothers and sisters x more they will love God and if they love x God because of us God will love us and x the cycle continues x you know this is the love of God this is x this is when we talk about the love of x God that's what we're talking about is x this cycle I think it's the first love x it's the thing that was from the x beginning this is the the single x commandment of Christ uh Christ calls us x the new commandment x um x this is the one thing that God wanted x from the very beginning x was for people to understand I think and x I think this is a crucial part of the x ministry of Jesus is understanding how x these three loves work together x and this is the cycle of love that we x see exemplified in in Jesus you know I x think this is God's word this is God's x plan it's this cycle it's Central to Our x Hope x so three loves God's love for us our x love for God and our love for our x brothers and sisters x three different loves working together x but really I think they're all just the x love of God being shown in US x and during his last night with his x disciples before his death the Gospel of x John specifically records for us an x extended version of the teachings of x Jesus that night we don't get in the x other gospel accounts x so we're briefly going to look at the x section of John 13 to 16. again very x high level overview we're just going to x skim the surface I I think sometimes x it's helpful to look at these bigger x sections without the chapters so like I x said the whole first Epistle of John x reading through that before class if you x could if you want to do something after x class read John 13 to 16 in one setting x it's it's really good to kind of get x this whole message of Jesus rather than x breaking it into chunks x so we're just going to skim the surface x um x but but we're going to look at John 13 x to 16 to see how many connections we can x find between these four chapters x so immediately after the Last Supper x John 13 verse 2 starts and tells us that x Jesus got up and starts to wash the feet x of the disciples x Peter being Peter uh tell us Jesus first x that he should never wash his feet x and Jesus responds by saying that if he x doesn't wash his feet then he has no x part with him x and so Peter tells Jesus not only to x wash his feet but to wash his hands and x his head also x and I think that's an interesting thing x to note because if there's one thing x we'll see about Peter is that he knew x more than possibly anyone else any of x the other disciples that his hope lay x only in Jesus x like Peter could not imagine not being x with Jesus so when Jesus says that you x know if I don't wash your feet you have x no part with me that scares Peter x you know this is Peter recognizes that x Jesus was The Man Who provided for him x all those years again he was the man who x pulled him out of the waves in the storm x there was nothing I think Peter feared x more than being separated from Jesus x Jesus then tells his disciple after x washing their feet that he did this as x an example for them to follow x you know they were similar they were x supposed to care for one another x if he their Master had done this kind of x gesture uh to them then none of them x were above serving one another x and in that context it's interesting to x note that Judas was actually still there x with them x which means that Jesus washed the feet x of the man who had already betrayed him x knowing he was about to go out and and x hand him over to his death x but it didn't matter Jesus washes his x feet anyways x Jesus 10 then he tells his disciples x that one of them will betray him and it x obviously causes quite a bit of stir x among the disciples x and Peter looks at the disciple whom x Christ loved and he who you know who's x laying on the bosom of Jesus it's x described for us in John 13 and he asks x him who is who would betray Jesus x and Jesus then shares some bread with x Judas and tells him to go and do what x he's about to do quickly and Judas x leaves x and then Jesus says that he had a new x commandment to give to his disciples in x John 13 34 as a new commandment I give x to you that you love one another x as I have loved you that you love one x another and by this all men shall know x that you are my disciples if you have x loved one for another x mirroring what he had just said about x washing their feet he tells them now to x follow his example and loving one x another x the same way that they should follow his x example and washing the feed they also x should follow his example on loving one x another with the same love which he had x loved them with x and I don't think this is lost on the x disciples when they look back x um x look back on this that Jesus had x literally just shown love to an enemy x you know we get these lessons from Jesus x where he says yeah x um y'all not just to love those who love x you back but to love your enemy as x yourself and I think you know looking x back they would have recognized that x Jesus loves them and so they also ought x to love one another and by that people x would know that they were his disciples x people would know that that they love x Jesus if they loved one another x and not just that they were um x sorry and not just their friends because x you know as Jesus says in the sermon of x the mount even the tax collectors and x the Sinners could do that they were x supposed to love those who despised and x hated them and by that they would be x known as the Disciples of Christ x so Jesus then and John 14 talks about x where he's going and he says he's going x to prepare a place for his disciples and x in John 14 15 he then says that if they x love him he they will keep his x commandment x so what commandment well the Commandment x to love one another that's the x Commandment he's just given him the new x commandment he says if you love me you x will keep that commandment because if we x love Jesus again we need to love one x another x John 14 21 uh Jesus says he who has my x Commandments and keeps them is the one x who loves me and he who loves me Will Be x Loved by my father and I will love him x and will disclose myself to him so x hopefully you'll see the cycle of this x that those three types of love working x together again x um as we go through some of these verses x in John 15 Jesus talks about being the x True Vine and in John 15 verse 9 he says x that just as the father has loved me I x also have loved you abide in my love if x you keep my commandment you x right after x they're right after John uh the the x story of walking on water in John 6 x Peter says Lord to whom will we go you x have the words of life he recognizes x that there's no one else x and Matthew 15 it's Peter who seeks x greater understanding by asking Christ x to explain the parable x and Matthew 16 it's Peter who confesses x that Jesus is the Christ the son of God x it's also Peter who tries to prevent x Jesus from going to his death x he's you know he actually becomes an x adversary in that point because he loved x him so much he could not imagine Jesus x going to his death x it's Peter who wants to build x Tabernacles at the Transfiguration x it's Peter who didn't want to let Christ x wash his feet but then asks him to wash x his hands and his head also x it's Peter who denies ever falling away x at the Last Supper it's Peter who x follows Jesus Christ and to his trial x that's Peter who denies his Lord x it's Peter who jumps on into the water x to see Jesus after he appears to them x after the resurrection x and it's Peter who says Lord you know I x love you over and over again he says x that to Christ in John 21. x if there's one thing about the story uh x of Jesus asking Peter if you love him x three times over and over in John 21. x it's that obviously Peter loved Christ x he says you know that I love you it was x an obvious thing that Peter loved Christ x he's the disciple that loved Christ x that's who Peter was x he had uprooted his whole family his x whole life to follow after Christ x in fact when we look at Matthew 18 to x Mark 9 the disciples are debating over x who's going to the greatest in the x kingdom of heaven and Jesus grabs a x little child and sets them in their x midst x now uh brother recently pointed this out x to me do you ever about whose x child that was x most likely it's the child of one of the x disciples following Jesus there's not x going to just be some strangers just x children hanging around these are x Disciples of Jesus and probably their x children x they're with them x it's a child that that was you know they x would have all known we know that their x wives and mothers x um of these Men followed after Jesus it x was the mother of the sons of Zebedee x that came to Jesus and asks um for her x sons to be to set his right hand and his x left hand in his kingdom so we know that x the mothers were there and there's a x good chance that the children were there x as well x so it's very likely that Peter had x literally brought his whole family to x come and follow after Jesus and it's x possible that it's his little children x that Jesus picks up for his object x lesson x Peter was a Man Who Loved Christ with x all that he had to the point where it x kind of blunders into awkward situations x because he cares how much so there's so x much x but Peter wasn't perfect you know x there's a lesson that Peter really has x to learn in the end and he learns it x over and over again actually I think the x same lesson in his life and as if we x love God if we truly love Christ we must x feed his flock x we must be willing to care and love for x our brother x you know no one can say that he loves x God and hates his brother x Peter is someone who loved his Lord but x he often struggles to love his brother x and sister x um when again in John 21 when he's asked x three times x um to to x um how much it does if he loves Christ x Christ's response is to if you do care x for my flock x uh it's Peter who asks how many times he x needs to forgive his brother he was x struggled with that forgiveness they x didn't know how many times he had to x keep repeating this forgiveness x it's Peter who had to be reminded not to x call the Gentiles unclean x he's a great example for us that our x love for God and the Zeal that we should x have uh in showing our love for God x but it's also an important lesson for us x that if that love or that Zeal x um in order for that to actually mean x something then it needs to be shown in x the way that we love one another you x know no man can say he loves God and x hate his brother x the next type of love that I want to x look at then is God's love for us x and the disciple who exemplifies that x love is obviously a disciples whom x Christ loved x this particular phrase this peculiar x phrase in some ways is only used in x John's gospel x um x and even then that disciples not really x featured very often he doesn't actually x show up until the Last Supper over in x John 13. x it's that disciple who's leaning on the x on Jesus during the meal x um it's the same disciple who's at the x foot of the cross and is told to take x care of Jesus's mother x which is really neat when you think x about it for a second that you know in x all that pain and Agony this disciple x provided Jesus at least a little comfort x knowing that you know while he's there x on the cross his mother would at least x be taken care of x and it's this disciple who recognizes x Jesus first when the disciples are out x fishing in John 21 and after the x resurrection x and as I said tradition has it that this x disciple is John x um and based on some phraseology that x John uses at the end of his book saying x that you know this is the account of the x disciples in Christ's love x but the image that we're given of this x disciple is a thoughtful Discerning x person who Jesus has a very close x relationship with x and it might sound like the John we read x about in the three letters of John x but I don't think it really lines up x with the John that we read about in the x Gospels x you know and it's John and Mark 9 and x Luke 9 who rationally tries to prevent x others from casting out demons in the x name of Jesus simply because they didn't x follow Jesus like the rest of them did x um John wants to call down fire on the x cities of those who reject Jesus on his x way up to Jerusalem and I will say that x is recorded as both James and John x saying that x um the calling on fire x so take that as you may but I the image x of dawn that we get is that he's this x young eager uh to fall he's eager to do x the right thing but if someone doesn't x really get the point of the Gospel quite x yet x so I have a hard time seeing that 18 to x 20 year old x um being the disciple whom Jesus loved x more than any other disciple x I mean the disciple whom Jesus loved he x was loved by Jesus enough that other x people knew him as the disciple whom x Jesus loved x and plus if John wrote the Gospel of x John then John's calling himself the x disciple whom Jesus loved and it just x kind of feels like an odd Flex it just x feels weird x so my different take my my my different x my my uh different take on this is I x think that the disciple whom Jesus loved x was actually James x um like we've said we don't really know x much about James so it's hard to prove x that x um but what we do know about James is x that when him and John are listed it's x always James listed first x which and of itself not a big deal x um but when talking about the brothers x almost all of the gospel writers list x them as James and John his brother like x John was known as the brother of James x James was the one everyone knew and John x was just oh that that's the brother of x James over there x you know anyone who's gone to school x after an older sibling kind of knows x what it's like to be oh you're just x Gideon Joshua's brother right like he x was second fiddle to James x um the way it reads x and at the time of the gospels I don't x think John was really a well-known guy x right remember he's pretty young he's x identified as being James's brother x James was the one that people knew he's x probably older he's probably more well x known at that time and John's kind of x just that younger brother who tagged x along x now if the disciple was known for being x the disciple that Jesus loves there's a x good chance that people knew him because x of the kind of character he had x um they would have been well known they x would have had a pretty incredible x character I think to be able to say that x Jesus loved you that you've got to have x a pretty incredible character x and John early on in the ministry of x Jesus and then in acts kind of always x seems to play second fiddle he's not x really a leading character x now when we come to acts when Peter and x John go out it's Peter who leads and x John who follows x um he's not really someone who took x charge until much later on in his life x so the question is why don't we know x much about James why if this is James x don't we know much about him x well I would suggest this because the x gospels all focus on Peter and John x Moore because Peter and John were the x ones who were active during the account x of the acts I mean if Peter had taught x you about Christ and you read an account x you know from Luke that Peter was there x with Christ it would have made that x account so much more credible x and James isn't featured because he is x not a big part uh AF you know after an x ax he doesn't play a big role in the in x the story of Acts x and I would suggest it's because he's x too busy taking care of Mary the mother x of Jesus x if James was a disciple whom Jesus loved x then it's James who was charged to take x care of Mary the foot of the cross x would you explain why after the x resurrection it's Peter and John who go x out preaching and not Peter James and x John who'd go preached Jerusalem x James had a different role to play his x job was to care for the flock to care x for the family of Jesus x so Peter is the disciple who loves Jesus x I think James is a disciple whom Jesus x loved why then is John included in this x Trinity of disciples x and I think it's because of that final x type of Love That brotherly love x I would suggest it's because the love x that James had for his younger brother x John x was so great x if Jesus wanted James and Peter his two x closest disciples to go somewhere with x him then James insisted that his younger x brother John come with him because he x loved him so much and he wanted him to x love Jesus the same way he did x you know and there's a reason why I x think this remember that that Trinity of x loves they're all related if we love God x like Peter we also need to love our x brothers and if we love our brothers x then God will love us x Jesus first showed his love to Peter x Andrew James and John by providing that x great catch of fish so that they could x provide for their families x this in turn caused Peter and James to x love their Lord but on top of that Peter x also or sorry James also loved his x brother in a way that maybe Peter didn't x love Andrew x Jesus you know saw that Brotherly Love x in James as an incredible example of the x character that he was trying to teach x his disciples x and so he loved James because of it x Jesus loved James because x James had that love for Jesus x because James loved Jesus he wanted his x younger brother to also love Jesus as x well and so he showed that love of Jesus x to him that which has first shown to him x by Jesus x James loved his brother and because x James loved his brother and shared the x love of God with him James I think was x the disciple whom Christ loved x but we do know about James is that x eventually he's the first disciple to x die for Christ that's the one thing that x we can say for sure about James x he loved his Lord so much that he was x willing to lay down his own life for his x friend x which Jesus said there was no greater x love than that x if this is the case that again I know x it's a bit of a stretch but if we assume x that all of this all holds true then x James did an amazing example of how x these three love should work together in x the life of a disciple x and I know there's one major hole in x this Theory there's a small passage in x John 21 about uh you know the Book of x John being the account of this disciple x whom Jesus loved x um it's kind of the big the big hole in x this Theory I would say x but I'd say it's possible that James had x recorded these things long before John x wrote rewrote the gospel x you know it was John who distributed and x rewrote it distributed it among the x cliches and rewrote it but I think maybe x it's possible that James had recorded x this first account x maybe it was James sitting there with x Mary in the home uh with Mary talking x about the life of her son x who recorded this account for John then x to use and distribute x while Peter and John route preaching x it's possible that Jane James recorded x the events of the Life of Christ and x then entrusted that account to the life x of you know the life of Jesus to the x person that he loved very dearly his x younger brother John x it's possible that as John became older x and a leader in the equation he looked x back at the amusing love that his x brother had for him and that account x that had been given to him by his x brother and decided to take that account x and distribute distribute a copy to the x equations x over in John 21 Jesus tells Peter that x he would be led around by others in his x old age and Peter looks at the disciple x whom Jesus loved and says Lord what x about this man what about the man that x you love more than me you know what's x his fate gonna be x and Jesus answered if I want him to x remain until I come what is that to you x it doesn't matter you follow me x and if you know that is James the x disciple whom Jesus loved x I guarantee you that all these disciples x would have remembered those words when x James the disciple closest to Jesus was x killed because of his faith in loving x God x the very first of the eleven x you know the disciple who was a true x friend of Jesus x had been killed before Jesus had x returned x the kingdom hadn't been established in x time for him x they had to continue to wait for their x Lord's return x crisis said if I want him to remain x until I come what is that to you you x follow me x would they be willing to continue to x follow Jesus Christ if that is what it x meant x the brother who had loved John so dearly x that he dragged him along wherever he x went whose example of love I think x stirred up and motivated John to come x and follow the savior x was now gone from John's life x John was still a young man after the x events of Acts 12 and he had now lost x two incredible mentors x men who had showed him incredible love x two men who had been willing to lay down x their lives for him x and I think it's perfectly reasonable to x assume that that John picks up his his x brother's cross and follows in his x footsteps x he remembered the love that James had x shown for him he remembered the love x that his brother had for Jesus x to the point that he was willing to lay x down his own life x and John remembered the love that Jesus x had for his brother James x and years later I think when John sat x down to write the the letters to the x gospel uh to the colleges to remind them x of that great love that God had for them x and that love that they should you know x provoke in them x I think it's possible that he read x through that gospel account that his x brother had gave him and he remembered x the words of Jesus At The Last Supper x I think maybe it's a neat little tribute x to think that he thought back to that x incredible brother in the example that x he had laid down for John x and now John in writing his first x epistle encourage others and us to x follow that same example x John and his letters outlines like I x said these three types of love for us x showing how they work in our lives x we can look at these three disciples and x see great examples of how this love x should work in our lives x so to recap x the three there's three loves that we x see in the Bible x God first loved us x God's love for us should provoking us a x love for God x if we love God we should love our x brothers and sisters x and then if we love our brothers and x sisters x we should show them the love of God and x if we show them the love of God to x others God will again love us x Peter is a great example of someone who x loved God but had to learn to love his x brothers and sisters x John is a great example of someone who x received brotherly love and because of x it was stirred up to love his Lord x and James if he could handle stretching x and filling in the story a bit x can be a great example of someone who x God loves an example of what Christ and x God are looking for an example of all x three of these loves and how they should x work together in our lives