threedays.co.uk » Blog Archive » Who was Jesus’ favourite disciple?

This article was originally posted on askjesus.co.uk

The question of “who’s the best”, or “who is your favourite” is one that the disciples themselves asked (Mark 9: 33-36) and one that they were reprimanded for asking. Even so, it is clear that there was an inner circle, even among the twelve close followers of Jesus.

Jesus had many follows. Hundreds, even thousands of people were continually following him from place to place. There were twelve; known as the disciples or apostles who were individually called by Jesus to follow him . Though these 12 were his closet companions there was an inner group; Peter, James, & John that seemed to share with him many of his most important and poignant moments. (The Transfiguration, The Garden of Gethsemane, The raising of Jairus’ daughter; to name but three.)

From this inner group was one who comes across as maybe his closest friend. Described as “The one whom Jesus loved”, John would be, if such a description was appropriate, Jesus favourite disciple. John was never far for Jesus’ side and was even entrusted to look after his mother, Mary, when the time for Jesus’ death was drawing near (John 19: 25-27).

Favourite is not a term that I would choose but I think that it’s fairly plain that, like all people, Jesus had a crowd, he had friends, and he had close friends. John was perhaps his best friend.