John 13:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,

NIV: One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

NASB: Lying back on Jesus’ chest was one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

CSB: One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus.

NLT: The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table.

KJV: Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

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

Ancient literature often wrote in third person, which is the description of participants as "he, she, and they," rather than as "I" or "you." That was true even when someone wrote about first-hand experiences. In this case, the disciple "whom Jesus loved" is John, himself. This identity can be pieced together by John's other references to this person (John 19:26; 21:7), compared to those same events as described in other Scriptures (John 21:2; 21:20–21; Matthew 4:21; Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51). John's use of the term is meant, in part, to imply his especially close friendship with Jesus. In a literary sense, it's also a sign of humility, rather than to say, "it was me—I did that!"

Dinner customs of that era involved eating in a reclined position. People would lay on their stomach or left side and eat with their right hand. The disciple spoken of here will "lean back" against Jesus to ask Him a question, implying that he's to Jesus' right (John 13:25). That detail helps make sense of what happens next: Jesus will refer to a sign indicating which person is the traitor, but it seems this disciple does not see it. That's easier to understand when one considers that he's reclining with his back toward Jesus.

John 13:21–30 describes Jesus' awareness that Judas is a false believer. Rather than outing Judas as a traitor, Jesus simply mentions that one of the group will betray Him. That blunt statement confuses the disciples, who look at each other with suspicion. Jesus subtly identifies Judas in a comment made to John. This goes unrecognized until much later. Judas, however, knows exactly what the gesture means. At that moment, he is entirely under the control of Satan, and Jesus tells him to leave. The disciples assume Judas has been sent on a private errand.

Jesus meets with a smaller group, possibly only the twelve disciples, in a private setting. Before eating a meal, Jesus performs the work of a lowly servant, washing the feet of the disciples. He explains that this is an object lesson. Their Lord is willing to serve in humility, so they are obligated to do the same. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal, subtly telling Judas to leave and complete His conspiracy. The disciples don't realize what's happened, however. Peter foolishly brags about his loyalty. Jesus responds with a cutting prediction: Peter will deny his relationship to Christ three times in the next few hours.

The first twelve chapters of the gospel of John describe the public ministry of Jesus. Starting in chapter 13, most of what John describes are the last private moments Jesus enjoys prior to His crucifixion. This begins with Jesus washing the disciples' feet, establishing both an example and a command for humble service. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal and Peter's cowardly denials. Following chapters contain Jesus' last instructions to the disciples, including a rich collection of truths which are central to the Christian faith.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.