In doing the research on the sermon I had made an assumption the scholars have refuted and I'm not sure what we do about it. I have always assumed the "Beloved Disciple" was John Mark. I think that has been the traditional understanding. It was John Mark who was sitting next to Jesus at the Last Supper. It was John Mark at the foot of the cross and Jesus asked him to take care of his mother. It was John mark who came to the tomb after Jesus' death on the cross.
Scholars who have looked into this more carefully than I have had a chance to do have concluded that the Biblical writers are intentionally ambiguous about who the "Beloved Disciple" is. They claim it is a mistake and unfair to the intent of the writers to assume. Part of the message is the ambiguous nature of the fact that we don't know for sure.
It could have been Peter, or Judas, or Mary, or John, or James. Who was Jesus' best friend. The mystery of that is the message.
It makes us explore the meaning of friendship. It causes us to review the way in which Jesus treated his friends and his enemies. Maybe every one of the disciples thought they were the "Beloved Disciple". I think there is an important message in that assumption. What do you think?
Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you
Charles Schuster
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RE: I have always assumed the "Beloved Disciple" was John Mark.
While you have assumed this, many others have assumed that the Apostle John was the unnamed "other disciple, whom Jesus loved" (i.e., the unnamed author of the fourth gospel).
www.BelovedDiscipleBibleStudy.com features a presentation of the biblical evidence on this unnamed disciple that makes the case from scripture that this unnamed disciple was not John Mark and it could not have been the Apostle John. The most reasonable candidate for who this person was it the ONLY man in the entire New Testament who fits with ALL of the data points that are required by ALL of the facts that are recorded in scripture about this unnamed "other disciple". Hope you find it helpful.
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