John, Jesus' Lap Dog

I love John.  Mostly because of how he loved Jesus.  John was one of the twelve men Jesus chose to hang out with.  He got to spend some serious quality time with Jesus, walking all over Israel, hearing Him teach, watching Him heal and just growing to love Him with what I like to think of as puppy love.  We can learn some important things about John by studying the Gospels.  Today I will highlight just a few. {You should be warned that I just started a class on John so you might be hearing a lot about him!} Just as any good dog follows his owner, John does not hesitate to follow Jesus when He is called.  In fact John left everything behind to become a loyal follower of Jesus.  John got to spend intimate times with Jesus, watching Jesus pray.  Sure sounds like my dog, Pinot who curls up next to me as I work.  The key lap dog moment for John can be found in John 13:23 I love this verse for a couple of reasons.  The first being that John actually describes himself as the one Jesus loved.  I love that he thought it.  I love that he wrote it.  Isn’t it just like us to think, yeah but He loves me best?  Now, where was I?  Oh, yes, the other reason I like this verse is because I think it was true….I believe Jesus did have a heart for John.  I believe He has that same heart for each of us as well.  It is believed that John was younger than the others, kind of like a puppy I’d say.  I think Jesus loved his enthusiasm and playful side.  I like to think that John entertained Jesus in a way the others might not have. Jesus took John into the Garden on the eve of His death.  I cannot imagine what our playful puppy, John, experienced that night.  I shared yesterday that our puppy, Pinot tries to lick our tears away.  What must John have sought to do as he watched Jesus’ Agony in the Garden?  I tremble to think of it. The image of Jesus’ faithful lap dog is conveyed in John 19:26-27 John again wants us to know that He is loved by Jesus.  I think he is reminding himself of it as he watches this horrific scene unfold.  Yet, as a faithful guard dog he stands at the foot of the Cross when all the others have scattered.  His Master needs him and he is right there.  Jesus knows what a great guard dog John is and entrusts His Mother to John’s care.  I know he took care of her the way my puppy takes care of my kids. The final scene I offer you today is one where I playful puppy returns.  We find it in  John 20:3-4. Can you just see our puppy, John, running to the tomb on the off chance that his Master is alive?  I see the look on my dog’s face when I come home and she looks like, “I can’t believe you came back.”  Can you imagine John’s “I can’t believe you came back” moment?  I picture him running with reckless abandon to find his best friend…alive! What can we learn from John?  We can learn to be Jesus’ lap dogs.  We can learn not to hesitate when Jesus calls.  We can learn to obey the commands of our Master.  We can search out times of intimacy with Jesus when we are completely alone with Him.  We can learn to recline with Jesus and allow Him to teach us.  We can unite our suffering to His.  We can stand by Him when no one else does.  We can faithfully care for those He has given us.  And finally we can run like mad to meet Him whenever He comes.