Have you ever imagined being known by the world as the one Jesus loves? Man, I wanna live to hear Jesus tell people, "I love Moses and everything about him."
A group of siblings in ancient Israel attained this level in God as an example to us that it is possible to establish an exceptionally intimate relationship with the Lord.
In John 11:3 we see Lazarus' sisters speaking of him as the one Jesus loves. Verse 5 further says, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." Jesus so loved His own Jewish people - that's why He came to save them, but for some reason He became known as the One who loved Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In our present day, though He loves all mankind He also wants to be known as Jesus who loves . . . (type in your name).
I have some reasons why I think this family endeared Jesus to themselves; emulating them will bring us to the same "super-love" status they had with the Master. Mary was once delivered from demons by the Lord. Because she was set free from much she loved much, Luke 7:47. And having delivered their sister from satanic oppression, Martha and Lazarus invariably fell in love with Him. Then their love was not just lip service, it was practical. For we see them making supper for Jesus - a dinner in His honor (John 12:2) the Complete Jewish Bible says, and then (specifically Mary) anointing the Lord with expensive perfume (John 12:3) like the one I used yesterday. Evidently the Lord loved them just like He did everyone else, but because they received and reciprocated His love they were then SPECIALLY loved. When they loved Jesus who first loved them (1 John 4:19), then they experienced His manifest-love reserved only for true lovers.
"He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him,” said Jesus in John 14:21. When you love Jesus by observing what He has revealed to you (and hosting Him for dinner in addition to giving Him expensive perfumes of prayer, praise and worship) you will get the Martha-Mary-Lazarus accolade - the one Jesus loves.
To realize that three siblings brought Jesus to tears is mind-blowing. The Lord loved them so much that what made them cry, caused Him to weep (John 11:35) and at that in public. I believe their relationship had passed the level of just unconditional agape-love to friendship phileo-love. They were more than humans Jesus came to save; they had become friends with Him.
That my brothers and sisters is what God desires of us; He is looking for friendship. Will you be the one to feel that void in His heart? On my part I am in pursuit of that. I recall the day it was revealed to me in a dream that in time to come I will talk to God face to face as a man speaks with his friend (Exodus 33:11). Should Jesus tarry, God should tell generations to come that, "Pastor Moses was my friend." He said it of Abraham (Isaiah 41:8), now He wants to say it of you and I.
If Mary so loved the Man who set her free from demonic bondage, how much more us who He has made to sit in the heavenly places with Him, (Ephesians 2:6)? As we daily appreciate His love-sacrifice for us, spending time with Him and obeying His commands, we will come to the point when He will no longer call us servants but friends, John 15:15. And when we are long gone, He will boast of us saying, "(S)he was My friend."
God bless you.