2 John 12 KJV
[12] “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.”
You will have to decide for yourself who you believe the identity of this lady is. Is she Mary, the mother of Jesus? Is she a well-respected lady in the community? Is she the local church? These are questions for you, the reader, to sort out.
However, we do know that John had a strong desire to see her. He has many things to say to her, and the thought of fellowshipping together would have given them both great joy. These are facts that we read about in this verse. There are also things in the verse of great wonder.
One mystery of our text is, what else did John want to say to her? What were the “many things” he desired to write to her? No doubt it was more spiritual instructions to help her stand in the day in which she was living. The Holy Spirit did not want us to have those instructions, or he would have moved on John to have written them.
Another question is, why did John choose not to write those things down from a human standpoint? We accept that it is God’s letter, not John’s, but I still cannot help but wonder what went through his mind. Maybe he was too tired to write the “many things”. Perhaps he thought it would be better said face to face.
The final mystery to this text is, did he ever get to see her? We know he had the expectation and desire. His age and his health no doubt were factors. Time was no longer on his side, and would he be able to get to her to have that final conversation? If not here, no doubt over yonder! It does not matter who this lady is, for we know heaven finally brought them together face to face.