The disciple John, the one Jesus loved, wrote these words. It is interesting to me that John recounts this specific portion of the story long after he knew the realities that played out in the days ahead. This was the pivotal moment where Jesus, his teacher and friend, revealed His accuser. This was the start of the darkest time for John. He was soon to lose Jesus to a brutal death. He was soon to lose a friend named Judas to the pull of the enemy. He was soon to lose his confidence, his direction, his hope. Literally, this was a prominent moment of HURT in his life but when he went back to pen and paper and wrote down the account of this night, he felt it important to note that he was reclining against Jesus. 

Why tell that he was resting on the chest of his Savior? Why call himself “the one whom Jesus loved”? Why reiterate that he continued leaning against his Lord when the questions and fears began to arise from the worried friends around the table? 

John told this portion of the story because it mattered to him. In the moments before his world fell apart he recognized that he had been in the best place to receive such news. He was close to the One who loved him. He was leaning against the Pillar of grace, reclining against the Rock, and feeling the embrace of peace and comfort. John goes on in the text to describe the pain of the next several days, but before he chooses to highlight the pain, he decides to hone into this surreal and intimate moment. This moment where he knows he is loved, he is protected, he is comforted, and he is held.