Jesus Biographers - Flipbook - Page 9
John the Apostle
BEING LOVED is the most powerful motivation in the world! Our ability to love is often shaped by
our experience of love. We usually love others as we have been loved.
Some of the greatest statements about God’s loving nature were written by a man who experienced
God’s love in a unique way. Jesus’ disciple John expressed his relationship with the Son of God by
calling himself “the disciple Jesus loved” (John 21:20). Although Jesus’ love is clearly communicated
in all the Gospels, in John’s Gospel it is a central theme. Because his own experience of Jesus’ love
was so strong and personal, John was sensitive to the words and actions of Jesus that illustrated
how the one who is love loved others.
Jesus knew John fully and loved him fully. He gave John and his brother James the nickname “Sons
of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), perhaps from an occasion when the brothers asked Jesus for permission
to “call down fire from heaven” on a village that had refused to welcome Jesus and the disciples
(Luke 9:54). In John’s Gospel and letters, we see the great God of love, while the thunder of God’s
justice bursts from the pages of Revelation.
Jesus confronts each of us as he confronted John. We cannot know the depth of Jesus’ love unless
we are willing to face the fact that he knows us completely. Otherwise we are fooled into believing
he must love the people we pretend to be, not the sinners we actually are. John and all the disciples
convince us that God is able and willing to accept us as we are. Being aware of God’s love is a great
motivator for change. His love is not given in exchange for our efforts; his love frees us to really live
for him. Have you accepted that love?
JOHN (JESUS’ DISCIPLE)
Strengths and accomplishments
One of John the Baptist’s disciples before following Jesus
Wrote five New Testament books: the Gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Revelation
Weaknesses and mistakes
Along with James, shared a tendency to have outbursts of selfishness and anger
Along with James, asked for a special position in Jesus’ Kingdom
Notable fact
One of the 12 disciples and, with Peter and James, one of the inner three who were closest to Jesus
Jesus’ Biographers: A look at the writers of the four Gospels.The inside story of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
