Was John the only disciple at the crucifixion of Jesus?

A:There is no easy answer to this question. The synoptic gospels make it clear that those of Jesus' acquaintance, including his mother Mary, looked from afar off; there was no disciple or friend of Jesus at his crucifixion. However, John's Gospel says that the 'disciple whom Jesus loved', alone of the disciples, stood at the foot of the cross with Mary. In this gospel, Jesus told the beloved disciple to look after Mary like his own mother.

There was speculation from the time the fourth gospel was written as to just who this beloved disciple was. As with all the New Testament gospels, this gospel was originally anonymous. Later in the fourth century, after authors had been attributed to the other gospels, the Church Fathers noticed that the apostle John was not mentioned in the last gospel. They decided that the answer must be that this disciple was John. They then decided that the same disciple must have been the author of the gospel, being too modest to use his own name for this most important and beloved disciple. Thus, on the basis of speculation alone, the disciple at the foot of the cross was John, but only in the gospel now known as John's Gospel.