“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Matthew 10:1–4 ESV)
We continue our profile of the Twelve Apostles. Today’s study concerns the Apostle John, the Son of Zebedee and the brother of the Apostle James. John was a member of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples; along with Peter and James. The Holy Spirit used John to write five books of the New Testament (The Gospel of John; I, 2, 3 John, and The Book of Revelation).
John appears in each of the lists of disciples in the New Testament (Matt 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16; Acts 1:13). As part of Jesus’ inner circle (along with Peter and James) he was present at several important occasions during Jesus’ earthly ministry. These include:
• The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter (Mark 5:37).
• The Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-2; Mark 9:2).
• The Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37).
“John may have been younger than his brother James, since he is usually mentioned after James. Together with their father, John and James were fishermen when Jesus called them. According to Mark, Jesus gave the two brothers the Aramaic surname Boanerges, translated as “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). The name may be linked to their fiery temperaments (Mark 9:38–41; Luke 9:51–56),” explains one commentator.
The Apostle John rarely speaks in the Gospels. During the only time when he is alone with Jesus, he says: “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us” (Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49). Jesus then corrects John and explains that the use of His name is not restricted to the disciples.
John is traditionally identified as the “beloved disciple” in the Gospel of John. Both are in Jesus’ closest circle and are companions of Peter. John is never explicitly named in the Gospel of John. He is indirectly mentioned in John 21:2, which says that “the sons of Zebedee” were together with Peter and some of the other disciples at the Lake of Tiberias (i.e., the Sea of Galilee). However, one unnamed disciple is presented as closest to Jesus:
• He leans on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper (John 13:23)
• He acts as an intermediary between Peter and Jesus (John 13:24–25)
• He is entrusted with the care of Jesus’ mother (John 19:26–27)
• He reaches the empty tomb before any other disciple (John 20:4)
• He is the first to believe in the resurrection (John 20:8)
• He recognizes the risen Lord and identifies Him for Peter (John 21:7)
Presumably John is called “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (e.g., in John 21:20). This beloved disciple is Peter’s companion. He is sometimes called “the other disciple” (John 18:15; 20:2). Other suggestions for the identity of the beloved disciple include Lazarus, Thomas, John Mark, or Matthias.
“John experienced exile under the emperor Domitian to the island of Patmos, where he received that heavenly vision that he recorded, as Jesus instructed him, which comes to us now as the book of the Revelation of Saint John (Rev. 1:9). In the book of Revelation, we have the marvelous vision of Christ’s triumph over all His enemies and the triumph of His people, who will participate in Christ’s triumph. We have the Apostle John to thank for that magnificent vision, as well as his great gospel,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.
Soli deo Gloria!
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