01.074. JOHN’S TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH

Lesson Sixty-two JOHN’S TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:21-22, Mark 1:19-20, Luke 5:1-11, John 21:20-25.

Scriptures to Memorize: “And on going from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:21-22).

103.    Q.    Who was John, the writer of the fourth Gospel Narrative?

A.    John, the writer of the fourth Gospel Narrative, was one of the original group of Twelve Apostles.

See Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16.

104.    Q.    How many books of the New Testament Canon were written by the Apostle John, and what are they?

A.    The Apostle John wrote five books of the New Testament Canon, viz., the fourth Gospel, three Epistles (1 John, 2 John, 3 John), and the Revelation.

105.    Q.    Of what nationality was the Apostle John?

A.    The Apostle John was a Jew.

John and his brother James were the sons of a certain Zebedee. Matthew 10:2—“James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother.” Matthew 20:20—“Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her two sons,” etc. There are three men by the name of John frequently mentioned in the New Testament writings: (1) John, the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth (Luke 1:6-23; Luke 1:57-80), who, when he began preaching the approach of the Kingdom, and baptizing converts in the Jordan River, came to be known as John the Baptizer (Matthew 3). (2) John Mark, the son of a certain Mary at whose house in Jerusalem the disciples met from time to time (Acts 12:12). This was the John Mark who traveled extensively with Barnabas, Paul and Peter, and who wrote the second Gospel. (3) John the Apostle, brother of James and son of Zebedee, the intimate friend of Jesus, and the writer of the fourth Gospel. This is the John whom we are studying in this lesson.

106.    Q.    What occupation did John follow, prior to his call to the apostleship?

A.    John was a fisherman, prior to his call to the apostleship.

Zebedee and his two sons were all three fishermen on the Lake of Galilee. See Matthew 4:21-22, Mark 1:19-20, Luke 5:1-11.

107.    Q.    Where in the apostolic writings do we find the account of John’s call to the apostleship?

A.    We find the account of John’s call to the apostleship in Matthew 4:21-22, in Mark 1:19-20, and in Luke 5:1-11.

Matthew 4:21-22—“And on going from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him.” Cf. Mark 1:19-20, Luke 5:1-11. According to Luke’s testimony, Zebedee and his two sons were in partnership with Simon Peter in the fishing industry. It is obvious from these accounts that James and John were quite young men when they received their call to the apostleship.

108.    Q.    By what particular designation does John frequently allude to himself in his own writings?

A.    John frequently alludes to himself in his own writings as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

(1) John 13:23—“There was at the table reclining in Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples whom Jesus loved.” John 19:26—“when Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved,” etc. John 20:2—“She runneth therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved,” etc. John 21:7—“That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter,” etc. (2) John 21:20-23, “Peter, turning about seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee? Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die; yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” That John thus alludes to himself, is obvious from the connection between the above verses, and John 21:24, which follows: “This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true.” That is, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” and of whom Jesus said, “If I will that he tarry till I come,” etc., is, “the disciple that beareth witness of these things” (the things written in his, the fourth Gospel). Jesus’ promise that John should tarry till He came, was evidently fulfilled when Jesus in His capacity of The Living One and the Sovereign of all things (Revelation 1:9-20), appeared to John on the isle of Patmos and communicated to him the series of visions recorded in the book of Revelation. (3) It will be noted, therefore, that John, with the becoming modesty that forbade his mentioning his own name outright, thus, in alluding to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” testifies to his own loving intimacy with the Master throughout the period of their earthly labors.

109.    Q.    With what special group of the Apostles was John identified?

A.John was one of the apostolic trio commonly designated as the “inner circle.” This “inner circle” consisted of Simon Peter and the two brothers, James and John. These three were specially privileged to have been eyewitnesses of the most sublime incidents in the life of Jesus: (1) His Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13, 2 Peter 1:16-18); (2) His raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:35-43, Luke 8:49-56); and (3) His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42).

110.    Q.    What special designation did Jesus Himself give to James and John?

A.    He gave them the designation “Boanerges,” which means “Sons of Thunder.”

Mark 3:17—“and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James . . . them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder.” This designation was obviously bestowed upon them in allusion to their fieriness of temperament and intensity of zeal. We see these traits exemplified. in John: (a) in his confession of having forbidden a man to cast out demons in the name of Christ because the man followed not with the Apostles (Mark 9:38-40); (b) in his joining with James in demanding that Jesus call down fire from heaven upon the natives of a certain Samaritan village in retaliation for their refusal to extend hospitality to Jesus and His companions (Luke 9:51-56). Yet the Apostle John, despite his fieriness and intensity, lived to become known throughout all ages as the “Apostle of love.” Cf. John 3:16; 1 John 3:13-24; 1 John 4:7-21, etc.

111.    Q.    What additional facts are given us in the New Testament writings about the Apostle John?

A.    The additional facts given us in the New Testament writings about the Apostle John are as follows

1. That he reclined upon the bosom of Jesus, on the occasion of the Last Supper (John 13:23-25). 2. That, on the occasion of the betrayal, he, with Peter, followed Jesus, while the other Apostles sought safety in flight (Mark 14:50, John 18:15). 3. That he went on with Jesus into the council-chamber of the high priest, while Peter remained outside (John 18:15-27). 4. That he alone of the Twelve remained with Jesus until the latter had expired on the Cross (John 19:26-37). 5. That before Jesus yielded up His life, He committed unto John the safekeeping of Mary His mother (John 19:25-27; cf. Acts 1:14). 6. That he was one of the first to investigate the empty tomb and to believe that Jesus had risen (John 20:1-10). 7. That he shared with the other Apostles the stirring experiences of the fifty days that followed (Acts 1:1-14; Acts 2:1-4). 8. That he figured prominently in the history of the beginnings of Christianity, as related in the first eight chapters of the book of Acts (Acts 3:1; Acts 3:11; Acts 4:13; Acts 8:14; Acts 12:2, etc.).

A.    We are reliably informed that John spent the last years of his life at Ephesus where he labored long and diligently in the Gospel.

Well-authenticated tradition supplies the information that John outlived the rest of the Apostles by a considerable number of years (cf. John 21:21-23); that he lived in fact to the end of the first century; that he spent the closing period of his life at Ephesus, where he labored long and faithfully; that he was at last exiled to Patmos, where he was allowed to see Christ’s glory in heaven (Revelation 1:9-20), and to receive the visions which he recorded in the book of Revelation; and that finally, at an extreme age, he died the death of a martyr.

REVIEW EXAMINATION OVER LESSON SIXTY-TWO 103.Who was John, the writer of the fourth Gospel Narrative?

104.    How many books of the New Testament Canon were written by the Apostle John, and what are they?

105.    Of what nationality was the Apostle John?

106.    What occupation did John follow, prior to his call to the apostleship?

107.    Where in the apostolic writings do we find the account of John’s call to the apostleship?

108.    By what particular designation does John frequently allude to himself in his own writings?

109.    With what special group of the Apostles was John identified?

110.    What special designation did Jesus Himself give to James and John?

111.    What additional facts are given us in the New Testament writings about the Apostle John?

112.    What additional information do we have regarding the last years of John’s life and ministry?