John 13 · a question people ask
Who was the disciple "whom Jesus loved" (13:23)?
The chapter doesn't name him. "One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was at the table, leaning against Jesus’ chest" (13:23), and Simon Peter beckoned to him (13:24). John's Gospel speaks again of the disciple whom Jesus loved (19:26, 20:2, 21:7), and in its last chapter it looks back to this supper: "This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ chest at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”" (21:20). Near its end it says, "This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things" (21:24). The book never gives his name, and these notes name him no further.
The verses
“One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was at the table, leaning against Jesus’ chest. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.” He, leaning back, as he was, on Jesus’ chest, asked him, “Lord, who is it?””
“Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!””
“Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!””
“That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea.”