Since the end of the first century, the beloved disciple has been commonly identified with
Jesus was closer to some of his followers than to others. He had many disciples, 12 apostles and an inner circle of three best friends: Peter, James and his beloved disciple, John.
During the life and ministry of Jesus in the 1st century AD, the apostles were his closest followers and became the primary teachers of the gospel message of Jesus.
Understanding Jesus' 12 Disciples
Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew/Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas the Greater, and Judas Iscariot are names that have been closely associated with the Jesus' teaching since the earliest days of Christianity.
In Christ we're no longer enemies of God or slaves to sin; we're now friends of God. No longer do we have to clamor to prove ourselves, get noticed, or live in fear. Jesus has made us friends with God. If you want to have real friends, you first have to know friendship with God through the cross of Jesus Christ.
We all know Judas is a complicated guy to say the least. He is the very definition of betrayal. Not only that, but Jesus' knows it beforehand! And yet, in verse 50 we read that Jesus calls him “friend”.
In the book of Isaiah, God refers to Abraham as “my friend” (Isaiah 41:8, ESV).
Since the end of the first century, the beloved disciple has been commonly identified with John the Evangelist. Scholars have debated the authorship of Johannine literature (the Gospel of John, Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation) since at least the third century, but especially since the Enlightenment.
1) The name John denotes God's grace and gift.
It implies that John had indeed been a blessing from God. Specifically, he had been a heaven-sent comfort for Jesus during His years of being with men. Like Jonathan to David, he had been a good friend to Him.
Jesus gave everything to his friends—his knowledge of God and his own life. Jesus is our model for friendship—because he loved without limits— and he makes it possible for us to live a life of friendship—because we have been transformed by everything he shared with us.
Peter was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus. Roman Catholic tradition holds that Jesus established St. Peter as the first pope (Matthew 16:18). Jesus also gave him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:19), which is why he is often depicted at the gates of heaven in art and popular culture.
“His statement then admits of but one explanation, namely, that he wishes to make Peter the head of the whole community of those who believed in him as the true Messiah … that the spiritual guidance of the faithful was placed in the hands of Peter, as the special representative of Christ.”
Jesus' Model for Friendships
Scripture lists the apostles (or disciples as many call them) in three groups of four, the first four always being Peter, Andrew, James, and John. This first group of four apostles had a special relationship with Christ since they were the first called to follow Him.
The premise of the book: two thousand years after Jesus' crucifixion, his best friend from childhood, a man named Levi, called “Biff,” has been brought back to life in order to tell the story of Jesus as only his closest companion would know it.
A Friend and Follower
In each of his interactions with Peter, Jesus meets him where he is, answering his questions and pointing out his doubts. Jesus is patient, teaching and guiding Peter to become a steady, dependable leader the early Christians can rely on.
The New Testament writings associated with John the Beloved present him as both a teacher and a model for our own discipleship. After Peter, John is perhaps the best known of Jesus's original Twelve Apostles.
Jesus Christ, Wife Mary Magdalene Had 2 Kids, New Book Claims - ABC News.
Judas is shown as Jesus' best friend, asked by Jesus himself to betray his identity to fulfill the prophecy and liberate his soul to ascend to heaven.
Mark 15: 21
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.
The brothers of Jesus or the adelphoi (Greek: ἀδελφοί, translit. adelphoí, lit. "of the same womb") are named in the New Testament as James, Joses (a form of Joseph), Simon, Jude, and unnamed sisters are mentioned in Mark and Matthew.
He said, “Friends are people who make it easier to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.” 1 In this sense, seeking another person's highest good is the essence of true friendship. It is putting someone else first. It is being strictly honest, loyal, and chaste in every action.
Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1; Joshua 14:6; Psalm 90:1; Ezra 3:2; 1 Chronicles 23:14; 2 Chronicles 30:16). Moses is the only person called “man of God” in the Torah.