Friend of God: Letting Jesus Say Who You Really Are

By Rusty George

You are not the sum of what other people think of you. You are more than your victories or your mistakes. You, like John, are the one Jesus loves.

The apostle John grew up just like us. People handed him a ready list of labels—the brother of James, a Jew, a fisherman, a hothead—but then Jesus gave him a new direction in life. Writing about these events many years later, John referred to himself using a curious label. He always writes as “the one Jesus loved.” Many wonder about this choice. Some even think it’s presumptuous. Why would anyone single themselves out as the one loved by Jesus?

Rusty George wisely sees that John called himself “the one Jesus loves” so every reader could see that Jesus values and deeply loves them. Friend of God takes you inside John’s writings—his Gospel, his letters, and the Revelation—so you can discover how Jesus saw John, and thus how he sees you. The only person who gets to say who you are is Jesus.

Written as short devotional entries, Friend of God encourages you to take the next 45 days and see how your relationship with Jesus grows.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leafwood Publishers
• Release date: Mar 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9781684268672

Rusty George

Rusty George is the lead pastor of Real Life Church Ministries in Valencia, California. For almost twenty years, Rusty has provided visionary leadership and teaching to his churches in the Santa Clarita Valley and Simi Valley, California. Rusty’s heart for those far from God drives his organizational leadership, weekly teaching, and conference speaking engagements. Rusty is a loyal Kansas City Chiefs and Royals fan and lives in Santa Clarita with his wife, Lorrie, and their two daughters.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

I Am the One Jesus Loves

JOHN 13:23

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

—John 13:23 NLT

In 2022 a popular trend called That’s Not My Name emerged on the social media platform TikTok. Celebrities used this as a fun way to distinguish themselves from characters they once played. Drew Barrymore is not Gertie from the movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Jennifer Aniston is not Rachel from the television show Friends. And Christian Bale is not Batman from The Dark Knight movie trilogy.

We all know that names carry a lot of weight. Celebs Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott originally named their son Wolf. A month later they decided they would change it, saying, That’s no longer his name. At the time of this writing, he’s still named Wolf. If that name ends up sticking, I think he’ll appreciate it when he grows up. Who wouldn’t want to walk into a conference room one day and say, Wolf has arrived!

The right name can define you.

Reverend Michael King knew that. On a trip to Germany in 1934, he became captivated by the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. His willingness to go against the religious norm motivated Michael enough that he even changed his name and then his son’s name. You’ve probably heard of his son, Martin Luther King Jr., another man who would go against the religious establishment of his day. That name did more than describe a person—it even defined a destiny.

Sometimes the nickname can define you as well.

Some names are good. Champ. Winner. Miss Get-It-Done. Mr. Organized.

Some are not. Thrice-divorced. Drama queen. Can’t keep a job. Addict.

These names do more than describe. They define.

What names define you? Or, better yet, what nicknames define you?

Would you ever think of yourself as the one Jesus loved?

The apostle John did.

As John shares the details of the Last Supper, he lets us know that the disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to him.

When Jesus is breathing his last on the cross, John lets us know Jesus instructed him, the disciple he loved, to take care of his mother.

After Mary Magdalene tells the disciples about the empty tomb, Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, take off running for the tomb.

And then John drops the mic when he says, This disciple is the one who testifies to these events (John 21:24 NLT). In other words, I am the one Jesus loved.

Sounds strange. Almost braggadocious. John, get over yourself. Jesus loves everyone.

But all of us define ourselves by how others perceive us.

You can’t pay your bills and lose the house. You are not the one who was swindled by your partners and caught a bad break. The bank says you are the one who is in foreclosure.

Your spouse walks out on you. You are the one who tried everything to make it work, but they weren’t willing. You are the one who is divorced.

Maybe you are the mom who is always late. Or the deadbeat dad. Or the girl who never measured up to her sister.

We define ourselves by how others perceive us.

So does John. And he says, I am the one who Jesus loved.

Here’s something I find stunning. John doesn’t write his Gospel after the Last Supper when he reclined near Jesus. Nor does he write this after the resurrection, and all was right in the world. John writes this after being persecuted for his ministry for years. He writes this after years of seeing his church struggle to survive. And when he sits down to write his letters to other believers, he says, I still see myself as one loved by Jesus.

Most of us define God by what he’s done for us. When things are good, then God is good, but when things are bad, then we must have been bad. I am the one God is disappointed in. I’m the one God is annoyed by. I’m the one God has put in time out. I’m the one God has forgotten. And John would tell you—that’s not the God I know. I know someone different.

My identity is not defined by what Jesus has done for me lately.

My identity is not defined by what someone else said about me.

My identity is not defined by what others said about Jesus.

I am the one Jesus died for. I am the one Jesus called. I am the one Jesus commissioned. I am the one Jesus rescued. I am the one Jesus loved.

And so are you.

You are more than your nickname. You are more than what your high school gym teacher said. You are more than the names your brother used to call you. You are more than the sum of all your mistakes and regrets. You are more than a collection of your biggest wins and successes.

You are the one Jesus loves.

A Point to Ponder: How would your self-perception change if you saw yourself as the one who Jesus loved?

A Prayer to Pray: Jesus, help me to see that, regardless of my circumstances, I am still loved by you.

A Purpose to Pursue: Today, write T.O.J.L. (for The One Jesus Loves) on five Post-it notes and put them where you’ll see them. Let this begin to shape your identity.

CHAPTER TWO

I Am the One the Father Loves

JOHN 1:1–14

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

—John 1:12

It’s been a while since John last saw Jesus face-to-face.

And even though it’s been probably more than twenty years, it seems like yesterday. One day he was fishing with his brother and their father, and the next he was fishing for men. Suddenly he was no longer going through the tedious work of cleaning and mending nets, but now he was on a three-year adventure around Galilee and Jerusalem. He witnessed miracles, heard messages of hope, and received the power to do the same. In just three years, he watched as his teacher turned into his Lord. And yet Jesus was more than just the Son of God; he was John’s friend.

For years John has shared his stories about Jesus. Tell us another one, John! Tell us about the time you saw a sack lunch feed five thousand men. Explain to us again how we are blessed, even if we are poor. Remind us again how to live in light of this new truth about God. So John decided to write these things down.

John knew that eventually his memory would fade, so why not get these things down on paper so they could be passed from church to church? Matthew had already written down a very detailed account. And John would give us some of those details as well. The feeding of the five thousand is always a hit. Obviously, the crucifixion and resurrection are key to all of this. But what could John share that Matthew may have left out? For some reason, John can’t get over the conversation that happened over a Passover meal in a rented upper room. So John gives us more detail than any of the other biographers. (More on this to come.)

And as John gets to that scene, he can’t shake something Philip said: Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us (John 14:8).

Just show us the Father. We’ve been with you for three years, Jesus. You’ve told us stories about the Father. We’ve learned how to pray to the Father. But he’s your Father. Can you introduce us? Just show us the Father.

Not an unreasonable request. A little like watching a crime drama only to have the detective take thirty minutes to tell us who committed the crime. Just tell us already! Jesus’ response is direct.

Jesus answered: Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves (John 14:9–11).

In other words, If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.

When Jesus says, I chose you; I love you; I am with you, he’s speaking not just on his behalf but also on the Father’s behalf.

So even at the beginning of his letter, John wants to give us this breadcrumb. Here’s where we are going: Jesus gave us the right to call his Father our Father.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

What kind of father? Not everyone has great memories come to mind when they hear that term. What do you think of when you hear the word father? Taskmaster? Angry? Distant? Abusive? Neglectful? Pushover? Disappointment?

I’m reminded of a story that came out of the rubble of an Armenian earthquake years ago. An 8.2 magnitude earthquake killed 30,000 in less than four minutes. While many buildings were reduced to rubble, one of great significance was a school. Parents raced to the school to find their children, but when they got there, they were told it was too late. Even the rescue efforts had ceased due to the devastation. No one could have survived. But then a father ran through the pack of mourners, refusing to be stopped. People tried to hold him back and help him face reality, but he traveled back to the debris where his son’s class had been. He said, I’ve always told my son, Armand, I’d be there for him. So he started searching. Armand! He dug for hours. The hours turned into days. And at the thirty-eighth hour, he pulled back a boulder and heard voices. Again, he screamed, Armand! Back came the words, "Dad?! I told them! I told the other kids that if you were still alive,