John (Apostle)
| John | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Period | Apostolic Age |
| Family | Father: Zebedee Brother: James |
| Occupation(Features) | Former fisherman Disciple of Jesus Writer of the Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation |
| Activity area | Judea, Galilee, Patmos in the Mediterranean Sea, Ephesus |
John the Apostle (Greek: Ἰωάννης)[1] was one of the twelve apostles personally chosen by Jesus Christ. To distinguish him from John the Baptist, he is commonly referred to as Apostle John. He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James the Apostle. Originally a fisherman from Galilee, John became one of Jesus’ first disciples, together with Peter, Andrew, and James. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, John remained close to Him and was known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John is traditionally recognized as the writer of the Gospel of John, the three epistles of John (1, 2, and 3 John), and the book of Revelation, which he wrote while exiled on the island of Patmos in the Mediterranean Sea. According to Christian tradition, he spent his final years in Ephesus, where he eventually passed away at an advanced age.[2]
Historical Background
At the time of Jesus’ birth, Judea was a small colony under the Roman Empire, and Galilee, where Jesus lived, was ruled by Herod Antipas (4 B.C.–39 A.D.). Jesus chose the twelve apostles and preached the gospel of the kingdom of heaven throughout Judea and Galilee. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the Church of God, led by the apostles, spread the gospel throughout Asia Minor and Europe, even amid severe persecutions.
Life of John
Called by Jesus
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John was a fisherman in Galilee, working alongside his father Zebedee and his brother James. They were also business partners with Simon Peter. One day, while John was mending his nets, Jesus, who was preaching along the shores of Galilee, called him to follow.[3] Without hesitation, John left his boat and nets behind and became one of Jesus’ apostles.[4]
On one occasion, as Jesus and His disciples passed through a Samaritan village, the villagers refused to let them in. Angered by this rejection of their Master, John and James asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”[5] Because of their fiery zeal, Jesus gave them the nickname Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder.”[6]
Walking With Jesus
John walked the path of faith as one of Jesus’ closest disciples, together with Peter and James. Jesus regarded these three with special affection and allowed them to witness some of His most sacred moments. He took them alone to a high mountain, where they beheld His transfiguration in glory.[7] John was also present when Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law[8] and when He raised the synagogue leader’s daughter from the dead.[9]
When the time came for Jesus to keep the last Passover, He entrusted its preparation to John and Peter.[10] Following the Lord’s instructions, John prepared the Holy Supper of the Passover—the Last Supper through which Jesus gave the promise of forgiveness of sins to humanity.[11] During the supper, John leaned back against Jesus.[12][13]
After the supper, John accompanied Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Lord, anticipating the agony of the cross, prayed with such earnestness that His sweat fell like drops of blood.[14] Even as Jesus hung on the cross, John remained near Him until His final breath, faithfully standing by the Savior in His hour of suffering.[15]
Bold Preaching
After witnessing Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, John devoted his life to spreading the gospel alongside Peter in the early Church, which was established after the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost. His life was wholly dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of Christ Jesus and leading many to the way of salvation.
One day, as John and Peter prayed in the name of Jesus, they healed a man who had been lame from birth. The miraculous healing drew a large crowd, and the apostles boldly preached the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. As a result, more than five thousand people came to believe in Jesus. However, the Jewish religious leaders, angered by their teaching, seized Peter and John and threw them into prison. Yet even in confinement, they remained fearless, boldly declaring that Jesus is the only Savior. When the authorities threatened them and commanded them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, they stood firm in faith, replying that they could not remain silent about what they had seen and heard.
The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. . . . When they saw the courage of Peter and John . . . “But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
After being released from the Sanhedrin, Peter and John returned to the other disciples and prayed earnestly for even greater boldness in proclaiming God’s word. Their heartfelt prayer was answered as they were once again filled with the Holy Spirit, empowering them to preach the gospel with renewed courage and conviction. Later, Apostle Paul referred to John, Peter, and James as “pillars of the church.”[16]
Exile on Patmos
As the gospel spread from Jerusalem throughout Asia Minor and eventually reached Rome, Christians began to face growing hostility from the polytheistic Romans, who worshiped many gods. This hostility escalated into widespread oppression and persecution under the Roman Empire. The persecution of Christians, which began during the reign of Emperor Nero, continued for nearly 250 years, until Christianity was officially recognized by Emperor Constantine in AD 313.
Despite the intense suffering and danger, John remained steadfast in his mission to preach the gospel of the new covenant, leading many to repentance and faith. According to historical tradition, he was persecuted under Emperor Domitian (reigned AD 81–96) and exiled to the island of Patmos, located about 90 kilometers southwest of Ephesus.[17][18] At that time, Patmos was a desolate and rocky island, used by the Romans as a place of banishment for political prisoners and exiles.[19]
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
John recorded that he was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God. Yet, he did not lament his suffering; rather, he accepted it as a natural part of his mission. Through his steadfast example, John testified that those who endure hardships for the sake of the gospel will enter the kingdom of heaven—the kingdom of Christ.
Achievements as a Gospel Writer
John was a distinguished writer of the New Testament of the Bible, writing five of its twenty-seven books: the Gospel of John, the three epistles (1, 2, and 3 John), and the book of Revelation.
Testifying About Christ
The Gospel of John contains numerous references to the Trinity. Throughout his writings, John emphasized that God, the Creator, came to this earth in the flesh out of His immeasurable love for the world (humanity).[20][21]
In the beginning was the Word, . . . and the Word was God. . . . The Word [God] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only[Jesus], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John also clearly wrote that the Holy Spirit is the Advocate who is the same as Jesus Christ.[22][23]
Emphasizing Love, the New Commandment
John, who had received special love from Jesus Christ, often highlighted love as the central theme of his writings.[24] He humbly referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”[12][15][25][13] In his letters to the saints, he taught that love is the greatest virtue for a Christian.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
John witnessed that God came in the flesh out of His boundless love for humanity and offered Himself in sacrificial love to save sinners destined for death. Through this, he came to deeply realize that God’s work of redemption is ultimately fulfilled through love. In particular, John emphasized the new covenant—especially the Passover,[10] the commemoration of the Redeemer—as the supreme commandment of love.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
The New Covenant Passover, the new command, is a sacred feast through which we become one with the God of love. Whenever we keep the Passover of the new covenant, we engrave God’s love upon our hearts. Through it, we learn to love God more deeply and to love our brothers and sisters, who are one body in Christ.
| Content | Verse |
| “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” | Jn 15:12 |
| Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. | 1 Jn 2:10 |
| We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. | 1 Jn 3:14 |
| Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. | 1 Jn 3:18 |
| If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. | 1 Jn 4:20 |
| This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. | 1 Jn 5:3 |
Lesson
God, who existed from the beginning, came to this earth in human form to bring salvation to humanity. However, the Jews did not recognize Jesus, who came in the flesh. Instead, they opposed Him by raising false witnesses, spreading lies, and slandering Him[26][27] as belonging to the “Nazarene sect.”[28] Some even sought to stone Him to death.[20] In contrast, John and the apostles recognized and received God who came in the flesh. John, who welcomed Christ with joy, boldly testified to Jesus’ divinity from the very beginning of his Gospel, proclaiming:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Those who receive God gain the right to become His children. Realizing this, John devoted himself to testifying about the Christ, God who came in the flesh. Even in the last age of the Holy Spirit, those who accept and preach about God in the flesh will be acknowledged as God’s children and saved.
See also
Related videos
- Sermon: The Faith of the Early Church
- Sermon: God and Love
References
- ↑ Strong's Greek: 2491. Ἰωάννης, Bible Hub
- ↑ St. John the Apostle, Britannica
- ↑ "Luke 5:10".
- ↑ "Matthew 4:21–22".
- ↑ "Luke 9:52-56".
- ↑ "Mark 3:17".
- ↑ "Matthew 17:1–2".
- ↑ "Mark 1:29–31".
- ↑ "Mark 5:37–42".
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Luke 22:7–20".
- ↑ "Luke 22:13".
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "John 13:23–25".
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "John 21:20–24".
- ↑ "Mark 14:32–33".
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "John 19:25–27".
- ↑ "Galatians 2:9".
- ↑ Patmos, Bible Study Tools
- ↑ John of Patmos, New World Encyclopedia
- ↑ Patmos, Orr, James, M.A., D.D., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1915
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "John 10:30–33".
- ↑ "John 14:6–7".
- ↑ "John 14:26".
- ↑ "1 John 2:1".
- ↑ The word "love" appears 57 times in the Gospel of John, more often than in the other three gospels combined.
- ↑ "John 20:2".
- ↑ "Matthew 26:59–61".
- ↑ "Matthew 28:12–15".
- ↑ "Acts 24:1–5".