John was the Lord’s most beloved disciple. The apostle who leaned on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper. I guess all of us asked at least once why Jesus called John The Beloved One and why did Jesus choose John to be one of His disciples. The Apostle John is also called John the Evangelist, John the Theologian, John the Apostle of Love, or the Son of Thunder. Reading our article, you will find relevant facts about John and, finally, understand why Jesus entrusted John to care for His mother while He was on the cross. Enjoy reading it; if you have questions, do not hesitate to ask.
The apostle John
Saint John was one of the first close disciples of the Saviour Christ. The Evangelist John is the first of the saints to be called “Theologian.” Together with his brother James, sons of Zebedee and Salome, half-sister grandsons of Jesus. After the Teacher of Nazareth calls Andrew and his older brother Peter to the apostolate, it is the turn of John and James, his close relatives.
According to Church tradition, Salome was one of the three daughters of the righteous Joseph, betrothed to the Virgin Mary from his first marriage. Thus, the sons of this woman are mentioned among the Myrrhbearers. Those who received the news of the Lord’s Resurrection were grandchildren of the Saviour’s sister.
John and Andrew were the first to follow the Saviour Christ. John loved Jesus dearly and of all the apostles. Only he remained by the cross of Christ when all the others had left Him.
How did John the Apostle meet Jesus? What connection was between them?
John was a fisherman, so he met Jesus on the sea of Galilee, where Jesus told him to follow His steps. In the path of Jesus’ journey on Earth. Jesus was related to John in the flesh, or instead, he was his cousin. Or others may say that John was Jesus’ uncle, so we think they knew each other before Jesus’ baptism.
The Apostle John was the son of Zebedee. A fisherman from Bethsaida Galilee and Salome, one of the Myrrhbearers mentioned in the Bible. Who was one of Joseph’s daughters, the Virgin Mary’s betrothed? John’s brother was James, also one of the 12 apostles.
John was the youngest and most handsome. Before the Saviour called him to discipleship and made him a fisher of men, John the Theologian was a fisher of the sea. One day, while fishing with James at the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus told them to follow Him. And they, leaving their father and former lives, followed the Savior. But John was first a disciple of Saint John the Baptist (Just like Philip the Apostle, if you are curious about his life, you can click on his name and you will access the article), who instilled in their faith in the Lamb of God who was to take upon himself the sins of the world.
John the Apostle’s life
The Apostle and Evangelist John were from Bethsaida Galilee. He did not know any books or was a sage man at the beginning, like the other Apostles, but was from a wealthy family. Zebedee’s father was a fisherman with several employees, including his two sons, James and John. As for John’s mother, Salome, a cousin of the Mother of God, we learn from the Gospels that she served Christ.
When John the Forerunner (You may also want to access our article called Who was John the Baptist?) began preaching in the Jordan wilderness about the coming of Christ. They went close to him and became his disciples. The day after the Lord’s baptism, the forerunner showed them Jesus passing by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” They followed Him for the rest of their days. The Evangelist Mark tells us that John and Peter prepared the Last Supper before the Savior’s capture. In the Gospel of John, the disciple “the Lord’s beloved” is not mentioned by name, but only twice, together with his brother, as “sons of thunder.”
Why did Jesus give His mother to John?
John proved to be the most compassionate and obedient apostle. And Jesus was convinced that he would take care of Mary and his mother, perhaps even better than this. That’s why Jesus entrusted Mary to John. The Saviour, looking lovingly at John, commissioned him to his Mother and the Virgin Mary to his care. This is why in his Gospel, John calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” For this great love, God blessed John with long life, well into old age. The Apostle John lived 105 years, remaining the last apostle on Earth.
Evangelist John was the youngest disciple of Christ. And there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and John. And Jesus. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing by his side, he said to the disciple. “Behold, your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her to himself.”
Was John the Apostle married?
John the Apostle was never married. He chose to live as a celibate, as a single person. To avoid any harmful excesses generated by an unbalanced ascetical understanding. Paul says: “As for virginity/celibacy, I have no commandment from the Lord. But I give you my advice, as one who has been married by the Lord, that I may be credible. Therefore, this is good for the need of the hour: it is suitable for man to be so. Have you bound yourself to the woman?
Seek not to disfellowship. Have you bound yourself to a woman? Do not seek another woman. But if thou wilt marries, thou hast not erred. Neither has the virgin; if they match, they have done wrong. Only such as these will have sorrow in their bodies. But I can just spare you.
This suffering consists mainly of the daily worries and various conflicts that can arise in the bosom of any couple. Although Saint Paul proposes to keep unmarried people celibate precisely so they can avoid these sufferings, he nowhere says they are useless or impossible to overcome.
Apostle John in Ephesus
After Jesus died, John went to Ephesus to spread the good news of salvation. After the Assumption, Saint John went with his disciple Prochor to Asia Minor, where it fell to him to preach the Word of God. The good news is that Jesus assured the members of the Church in Ephesus that they would be able to eat from the tree of life and have access to God’s heaven. But these blessings are for those who obey God’s Word and are overcomers: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said unto the churches, To him, that overcome the will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the heaven of God.”
According to the New Testament, a person is victorious in two ways: by salvation and by sanctification. The Apostle John states, “whoever is born of God overcomes the world; and what wins the victory over the world is our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Therefore, beloved, as you have always been obedient, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, not only when I am present but much more now in my absence. God works in you and gives you, according to His pleasure, both the will and the doing.
Do all things without murmuring and wavering, that you may be blameless and pure, children of God, without blame. Amid a wicked and corrupt nation. You shine as lights in the world, holding up the Word of life. So that in the day of Christ, I may boast that I neither ran nor toiled in vain.
Was the Apostle John boiled in oil?
He is thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil but manages to escape unscathed. He was persecuted for his witness to Christ both in Jerusalem and Asia. In 95 AD, he was sent to Rome. At that time, Domitian, Emperor of Rome, raised a great persecution against the Christians, and John was slandered before him. The bishop of Assyria, seizing the saint, sent him bound to Caesar in Rome, where, for his confession of Christ, John first suffered blows and then had to drink a cup full of deadly poison.
He is then exiled to Patmos island by Emperor Domitian’s order. On the island of Patmos, he receives an eschatological revelation about the history of all humankind, summarized in the book that concludes the New Testament, suggestively entitled ‘The Apocalypse.’ He returns to Ephesus in 97, during the reign of Emperor Nerva.
Facts about the Island of Patmos
John was exiled to the island of Patmos under and by Emperor Domitian’s request. After his return from exile, Clement the Alexandrian tells us that John continued his apostolic ministry. He was visiting the surrounding area, setting up bishops, founding Christian communities, Drive-Thru, and reconciling the brethren.
The apostle John is best known and honored for his Gospel, one of the most beautiful biblical writings. Many profound theological themes and images inspired the Church’s life. The Apostle John spent a long time on the island of Patmos in exile. He wrote the Gospel, the three canonical epistles, and the Apocalypse by divine inspiration. The mountain on which the Church of the Apostle John is built is called Livaton.
After the death of the Saviour, the Apostle John took the Blessed Mary just like he was his beloved son. It is here, in a cave on the island.
How old was John when he wrote Revelation?
John was 99 years old when he wrote Revelation on Patmos Island. He also wrote three other Sovereign Epistles, addressed to the whole of Christendom, which is also included in the canon of the New Testament. The Acts of the Apostles shows the disciple and Apostle John with Peter both in the healing and in the imprisonment of the two in the dungeon, which speaks of John’s role in the early Christian community in Jerusalem.
Saint Paul calls him, along with Peter and James, one of the three pillars of the Church who extended his right hand as a sign of brotherhood and sharing in the apostolic ministry.
Was John blind when he wrote Revelation?
John was blind when he wrote the Revelation Book, but guided by the Holy Spirit, he finished writing it. And then he found his end suffering martyrdom. The only eminently prophetic book of the New Testament, the Apocalypse, is traditionally also attributed to St John the Evangelist. John, the Lord’s most beloved disciple, leaned on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper. The Apostle John is also called John the Evangelist, John the Theologian, John the Apostle of Love, or the Son of Thunder. He was blessed with the power from above to write what he saw in the prophecies God revealed to him through His glory.
When he came to an end, the Apostle of Love no longer spoke with length/long words but only repeated these words over and over to his disciples and those who came to see him: ‘My children, love one another. And he did this because he had received the commandment from the Lord, telling them that its fulfillment was enough for their salvation.
Primary Takeaways
- John wrote sublime epistles for the early Christians
- John had a different and strong relationship with Christ
- Apostle John was baptized with Holy Spirit
- He had visions about the End and the Second Coming of Christ
If you enjoyed our article, check out our Bible Trivia section for a Quiz about John the Apostle. Thank you. Also, I recommend you check our article about Luke related to this one. Have a blessed day!
