The Apostle John Series

QUESTION: What is the history of John, the disciple of Jesus?

ANSWER:

To learn the history of John, the disciple of Jesus, we begin with his life before he met Jesus. John, his brother James, Peter, and Andrew were all partners in the fishing business before becoming disciples of Jesus. John was the son of Zebedee, who was also a fisherman in Galilee. John's mother's name was Salome, and some say that Salome was the sister of Jesus' mother, Mary. John owned a home in Jerusalem. Shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, John moved to Ephesus.

John pastored a church in Ephesus. He communicated with other churches in the area, as stated in the book of Revelation. He advised and counseled many people who would later become believers in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

By order of the Roman Emperor, Domitian, John was exiled to the island of Patmos. Domitian ordered his exile because he saw John as a threat to his rule. However, his popularity and influence in the Christian community continued through correspondence with churches. John wrote the book of Revelation during his exile. When he was released from exile, he returned to Ephesus. John founded and built churches throughout Asia until he was old and died peacefully in Ephesus in the sixty-eighth year after our Lord's passion.

During his life, John wrote the Gospel of John and the first, second, and third books of John and the book of Revelation. Near the end of his life, it is said that he constantly repeated the phrase, "Little children, love one another!" He did that because he believed it was the Lord's most important commandment.

Learn More about the Book of John!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead, according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

Peter and the sons of Zebedee become Jesus' closest friends. While Matthew 10:2 and Luke 6:14 list Peter's brother Andrew next, Mark goes straight to James and John. Along with Peter and Andrew, Jesus had already chosen them to be disciples early on (Mark 1:19–20).

The James referred to here is not the same person who wrote the book of James. That letter was written by Jesus' half-brother and the church leader in Jerusalem. This James, John's brother, is the first martyr, and his execution by Herod is the only Apostle's death mentioned in the Bible, except for that of Judas Iscariot (Acts 12:1–2).

John becomes one of the most influential of Jesus' apostles. He is not to be confused with John the Baptist or John-Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark and the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). This John is the author of the Gospel of John; the letters 1, 2, and 3 John; and the book of Revelation. His Gospel is unique in that it focuses on the theology of Christ more than the miracles. John is also known as the disciple whom Jesus loves (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7). Although all the disciples love and admire Jesus, no one else is shown to be so assured of Jesus' love except maybe Mary of Bethany.

Despite John's simple devotion, he and his brother can be impulsive. Boanerges is Aramaic for "sons of rage" or "sons of thunder." Jesus' nickname for the brothers reflects that they have the destructive zeal of a thunderstorm. They live up to their name when they ask Jesus for places of honor in His kingdom (Mark 10:35–40). James, John, and Peter are the only people mentioned to whom Jesus gives nicknames.

Mark 3:13–21 is the third story about people's reactions to Jesus' ministry. Here, we establish which men Jesus chooses to be in His inner circle. Jesus separates ''the twelve'' for special training so they can be equipped to heal (Matthew 10:1), cast out demons, and spread the Gospel. Other than Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), there is no record that Jesus performed miracles of healing for them. However, they have witnessed Jesus' power and authority and are willing to dedicate themselves to His teaching. This is a stark contrast to Jesus' own family. This account is also recorded in Matthew

In Mark 3, Jesus calls twelve men to be His apostles. Among them are "James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder)" (Mark 3:17). This is the only place in Scripture that mentions the designation of the sons of Zebedee as the Sons of Thunder, and there is no stated explanation as to why Jesus named them this.