But by the next afternoon, John had recovered and was the only one of the apostles who stood by Jesus' cross (Jn. 19:26), showing more love for Jesus than all the other apostles. In fact, John's love was so great that "from that hour" he considered Mary as his own mother.

John's love was like a deep and broad river, which flows with tranquil blessings till it meets some great obstacle of wrong. Then it rises into a mighty, impetuous torrent; bursting forth into intense moral indignation, sweeping away anything seeking to destroy the person and cause of his beloved Jesus. It is John's passionate affection that made him so indignant at the Samaritans who refused to receive Jesus, that he would have called down heaven's lightenings to blast them (Lk. 9:54), that, in large part, made him ambitious to sit close to Jesus in His kingdom (Mk. 10:27), and made him so courageous in the high priest's palace, while Peter the bold was denying his Lord.

In five New Testament books the Holy Spirit inspired John to write the word "love" ('agape'), one hundred and one times. It is no wonder that John is called "the apostle of love." Love is the greatest word in existence (1 Cor. 13:13; 1 Jn. 4:8, 16); the most difficult, most divine, most manly and virile.

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