#7~Apostle John: -- Was a son of thunder, now the Apostle of LOVE. ~ 1-18-14
~ John is the brother of James, often referred to as "James the great", I suppose it was to keep from getting the two apostles named "James" confused, the other James was, "James the less", possibly because he was small in statue, he was the son of Alpheaus.
~ Jesus brother James was not an apostle, none of the 4 half brothers believed on Him until after His resurrection, His brother James wrote the epistle of "James" after he became a believer of course. --- And in the book of Acts he was the pastor of the church at Jerusalem.
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~Jesus brother, Judas, wrote the epistle of "Jude".
Jesus had 4 half brothers, "James, Judas, Simon, and José" and at least two sisters. - Matt. 13:55-56.
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~ The gospel of John is the only gospel of the four that does not give a list of the twelve apostles.
~ The name John, or Jonas was a common name of that time, and is still a common name in our time. -- Every one listening today can think of numerous people named "JOHN" -- many of the names we find in the N.T. and some in the O.T. are still being used today. -- My dads name was; PAUL, my mothers name was, NAOMIE, my sons name is, JOSEPH, my mother-in-laws name was, EUNICE, My uncle's name was, JAMES, another uncle was BENJEMIN, a man in our church is named, SAMUAL. --- And all of us I'm sure could all go on and on.
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~ John and James both were apostles, were the sons of Zebedee and Salome, as I pointed out last time when we were talking about "James the great" Salome was the sister of Mary the Lords mother, and this means that James and John were cousins of Jesus, and they were also related to the family of John the Baptist,
* Gabriel said to Mary in; --- [Gabriel, is always the messenger angel.]
>Luke 1: 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
-- Mary and Salome, James and John's mother were sisters, so Elizabeth would also be Salome's cousin as well.
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-- John was younger than James; in fact, John was the youngest among all 12 of the apostles.
~ Zebedee, the father of James and John apparently had a successful fishing business, as we're told in MK.1:19-20 that he had hired servants.
~Also Jonas, who was Peter and Andrews's father, was in the fishing business together with Zebedee and son's.
> Luke 5:10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.
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~ In the gospel accounts, James is mentioned before John, probably because James was the elder. -- Only in Luke do we find one exception.
> Luke 9:28 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
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~John; in his own Gospel account, refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" rather than useing his name.
>John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, "whom Jesus loved." -- John here is talking about himself.
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~John was nearest of all to Jesus, the words, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" is found 5 times in Johns gospel -- (13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7 & v. 20), - and because of that love, he became known as "the apostle of love".
~The word "LOVE" is found 56 times in the gospel of John, and 51 times in John's three epistles. --107 Times.
~ The word "Light" 25 times in the gospel of John, -- 6 times in Johns epistles.
~ The word "life" 44 times in his gospel--15 times in his epistles.
~ The word "truth" 27 times in John's gospel -- 21 times in his epistles.
~ The word "believe" 98 times in John's gospel -- 8 times in his epistles.
* All of these words are important words when it comes too salvation.
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~ John was in the inner circle of 3 of the disciples, we often read "Peter, James and John"--
~ John wrote the gospel of John, also his three epistles, and while exiled to the island of Patmos by Emperor Domitian around 90-95 A.D., he received and wrote the Book of Revelation. --- Some say that he was boiled in oil but survived, and then exiled too Patmos.
~ He was later freed and it is said that he went to Turkey, perhaps on a mission to establish churches. ~~John was the only one of the 12 that died a natural death...that is by old age and not martyred. --
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* John is plain spoken in his writings; every-thing is cut-and-dried with John.
~John loves dealing in absolutes and opposites. -- He understands the necessity of drawing a clear line.
~ For example, he sets 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, -- and the receiving of Christ against the rejecting of Christ, -- fruitfulness against fruitlessness, -- obedience against disobedience, -- and love against hatred. -- John deals with certainties.
~ He had a passion for truth, and remained so to the end of his life.
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* In his second epistle, he calls for complete, and total separation from all that is false:
~Listen as John describes Gods message;
>1st. John 1: 5-10 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, --- (that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.) -- that is Johns message in a nut shell, -- John says that there is absolutely, not even the least bit of darkness in God.
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6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
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> 2nd. John 9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
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~ John ends his third epistle with these words in;
> verse 11: Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
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~But even as John is writing these things, he knows and understands that believers do sin.
>1st. John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
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~John seems to have been committed to truth very early in life. -- From the beginning we see him as a spiritually aware man who sought to know and follow the truth.
~ The first time we read anything about John we find that he was at the beginning a disciple of John the Baptist.
>John 1:35-37 Again the next day after John [Baptist] stood, and two of his disciples; 36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, [John] Behold the Lamb of God! -- 37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
~ These verses are the transition between the ministry of John the Baptist and the ministry of Christ.
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-- 40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
~Remember, the apostle John never mentions his own name in his gospel, every person that I've read behind says this is John.
~John without hesitation began following Jesus as soon as John the Baptist singled Him out as the true Messiah. ~~ Andrew and John were not being disloyal to the Baptist. --- But John the Baptist himself said of Jesus, -
>John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
~John was a disciple of the Baptist, but he was interested in the truth. Therefore he left John the Baptist to follow Jesus as soon as John the Baptist clearly identified Him as the Lamb of God.
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~As I pointed out last time as we were talking about James, Johns elder brother, they both seem to have been short tempered, especially during the early days of Jesus minister, especially when it came to things involving Jesus. -- thinking they were doing right, came to the defense of Jesus.
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~Even though this was talked about last time as it was about James, Johns brother, it needs to be mentioned again, because it's to do with John as well.
~ James and John asked Jesus if He wanted them to call down fire in revenge on a Samaritan village because they refused to allow Jesus to journey on too Jerusalem. -- This account is recorded only in Luke gospel, where we read:
>Luke 9:51-56 And it came to pass, when the time was come that HE should be received up, HE stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
~The Greek word for being received up occurs only here, Jesus death, as well as His ascension, is what this is referring to.
>52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
~The messengers were to go into this Samarian village and make advanced preparations to accommodate this great crowd that was following Jesus.
> 53And they [Samaritans] did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. --
~Notice the rejection by the Samaritans, we think of the "good" Samaritans because of the parable, but they were no more considerate than the Jews--both rejected Him.
~ LISTEN, there were long-standing tensions between Jews and Samaritans; the Samaritans would not knowingly accommodate travelers bound for Jerusalem.
~ Samaritans were a mixed breed of people; they were part Jew and gentile, most of the Jews looked down on the Samaritans as gentile dogs.
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> 53And they [Samaritans] did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. --
~John is always thought of as a kind- hearted apostle, but here we notice his fiery disposition.
> 54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" -- 55 But HE turned, and rebuked them, and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." -- 56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
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~ Because of James and John's attitude and temper, Jesus nicked named them, "Sons of Thunder"
>Mark 3:17-- he surnamed them Bo-an-er-ges, which is, The sons of thunder:
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~ Another incident recorded only by Luke, was the time James and John met an unknown disciple using the name of Christ to cast out devils.
~Evidently he was a believer in Christ, but he was not one of the Lords 12 apostles, John rebuked the unknown disciple with unnecessary sternness, on the ground that he was not one of the twelve.
~Both brothers were intolerant, resentful of abuse and stern in their attitude to-ward offenders.--- They found it much easier to call down fire from heaven, than to remain meek under insult, and when they became tired and weary move on to another village.
> Luke 9:49 -- 50 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
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~ So once again, [the sons of thunder]
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* John is the gospel to "whosoever will".
