John
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Introduction: Unlike Andrew and James, we actually do know quite a bit about John due to the fact that he wrote more of than New Testament than anyone besides Luke or Paul. Because we we can read his account of the ministry of Jesus as well as three of his epistles and the book of Revelation, we are able to learn a lot about who John was and how he thought. He, like James and Peter, was a member of the three disciples that was closest to Jesus. He was the younger brother of James and is often seen as a companion of Peter. When it comes to leadership among the twelve the order was likely Peter then James and then John. Of the three, John was the most in the background. However, he did play a key role in the formation of the early church due to the fact that he outlived all the other apostles. Of the twelve, he was the only one to die of old age.
Personality and Character
Personality and Character
Pretty much everything we have already observed about James is also true concerning John. He was after all the second half of the dynamic duo known as the “Sons of Thunder.” It is ironic that John is known as the apostle of love because he was pretty much inseparable from his older brother James. He was active with James in asking Jesus whether they could call down fire from heaven on the heads of the Samaritans, and he was also right there in the thick of the debates concerning who of them was the greatest.
For John, love was a quality that had to be learned. He was a rugged, hard-edged fisherman, and he was every bit as ambitious and explosive as his older brother. In fact, John is only recorded in the gospels as acting alone one time and it is the record of him rebuking someone for casting out demons in Jesus’ name even though he was not a member of their group.
With his passion, John also displays a zeal for truth. Although truth is good, truth without love can be cruel. And John had to learn that balance. He often wrote and taught in absolutes. In his gospel account he would set light against darkness, life against death, the kingdom of God against the kingdom of the devil, the children of God against the children of Satan, the judgment of the righteous against the judgment of the wicked, the resurrection of life against the resurrection of damnation, receiving Christ against rejecting Christ, fruit against fruitlessness, obedience against disobedience, and love against hatred. He takes a similar approach in his epistles. He taught that if we are born of God than we do not sin, if we love God then we do not love the world, if you are a friend of the world you are an enemy of God, if you say you are a believer and sin then you are a liar, whoever does good knows God and whoever does evil has never seen God (and the implication is that he never will), if you don’t love others then you do not have the love of God. Of course, John is fully aware that believers do sin (). However, in his mind, sin is such an out of the ordinary exception in a believers life that he is not really even interested in discussing it at length. His goal is to help us understand that the rule of the believers life is righteousness and not sin.
In short John was probably the least likely disciple to be remembered as the apostle of love. That is until he spent time with Jesus.
Excerpt From: John F. MacArthur. “Twelve Ordinary Men.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/tZGnK.l
Learning to Love
Learning to Love
John seems to have been committed to truth early on. He, along with Andrew, was a disciple of John the Baptist before he met Jesus, and when he met Jesus he quickly left John the Baptist in order to follow Jesus. However, John had to learn love in order to make the truth effective.
In John is seen making the following statement.
Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
This incident is very similar to the one where he and James asked if they could call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans. In the case of the Samaritans, James and John we enraged at the actions of the unsaved. In this case, John was similarly enraged at the actions of a fellow believer. Let’s look at the context.
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This incident must have sparked another debate concerning who was the greatest.
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The object lesson with the child must have convicted John and so he made this confession to Jesus. It is in this incident that we can begin to see the change happening in John’s life. He had rebuked a man for not being a member of their group. However, here he is recognizing that it was wrong and making a confession to Jesus. John was commited to truth but his lack of love caused him to rebuke someone who was serving in Jesus’ name.
Note: We must equally be aware of those who emphasize love without truth.
The goal is to speak the truth in love.
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
Ephesians 4:
This was the beginning of change for change, and he must have learned the lesson well since his second epistle is largely dedicated to the truth that it is necessary to be loving. However, he never lost his passion for truth.
For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.
Learning to be Humble
Learning to be Humble
Remember what we already know from the study of James. James and John were both ambitious and proud. They even sought to occupy the chief thrones next to Jesus and asked their mom to help them in accomplishing their goal.
Years later, after spending time with Jesus, John must have learned humility. In writing his gospel account he never even uses his own name. Whenever John refers to himself he refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John apparently learned humility. Instead of referring to himself as one who deserved a glorious throne he is filled with awe that Jesus would love someone who was as ambitious, proud, and stubborn as he was. In referring to himself in this way he deflects attention from himself and points out the fact that Jesus’ love extends to even the most unattractive and rough around the edges kind of people. He seems to be saying over and over again in his gospel, “If Jesus can love someone like me, then he can certainly love you.”
Jesus’ example of humility in washing the disciples’ feet must have made a huge impact on the heart and life of John. John’s gospel is actually the only one that records the incident.
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Learning to be Worthy
Learning to be Worthy
Recall John’s desire to have a chief throne. However, Jesus was quick to point out that before there was glory there was suffering. John was like the rest of us. We like glory, we do not like suffering. We would all like to be MVP quarterbacks but the hours of running, throwing, weight lifting, agility training, attention to detailed dieting is just not that attractive.
John learned that before glory comes suffering. John was the only apostle to live to old age. As a result, he suffered in ways the others did not. He was left alone to continue the work in a fallen world while the others had already made it home. He had to endure the pain of watching his friends martyred one by one. One by one he heard the news of their deaths. The first apostle to be martyred was his own brother.
Church historians tell us that John eventually became the pastor of the church founded by Paul in Ephesus. During the persecution of the church under Emperor Domitian, John was banished to a prison community on the island of Patmos. This was John’s cup that he was to drink - banished to a prison community on an island living in a cave. Imagine, old man John sleeping on rocks and fending for his own food in a prison community.
John writes this in
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Another evidence of John’s transformation is his interaction with Jesus on the cross.
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
Conclusion: Before he met Jesus John was an ambitious, self-righteous, loud, proud, rough man. After spending time with Jesus, however, he was transformed into the disciple of love. Of course, he never gave up his passion for truth. He was always intolerant of lies. You could still see the thunder in his eyes even as an old man as he called out false teachers and encouraged fellow believers to reject their teaching.
On the other hand, Jerome tells us that John became so frail in his old age that he had to be carried around and one phrase was constantly on his lips, “My little children, love one another.” So, John died the apostle of love.