John the Apostle of Love
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Introduction:
Here we have another apostle who is quite well known. John’s Gospel has been a book that has been a powerful book.
By doing the Alpha series a story is shared by Nicky Gumbel that tells the story of scriptures in prison. Bibles are made availableto prisoners. Many inmates read these scriptures one particular innmate told of how he would read a page then roll it to smoke drugs and did this throughout the Old Testament and then into the New. When he reached the book of John he gave his heart to God.
John’s gospel is a book that is often recommended for new Christians to read first.
The Apostle John wrote much of the New Testament - the gospel of John and three epistles that bear his name and Revelations. Aside from Luke and Paul, John wrote more of the New Testament than any other human author. Due to this we are able to see much of John’s insights on his personality and character. Through the Gospel of John we see how He views Christ, in the epistles we see how he dealt wit the church and in the book of Revelation we see the future through the visions God gave him.
Thank God for John and what he has contributed to scripture. He has played a major role in the early church. He is a member of the Lord’s intimate circle but was no means dominant in that group. He was the younger brother of James and spent a lot of time with Peter.
John was in the background in the first 12 chapters of Acts but he did have his turn at leadership. He outlived all the others and filled a unique role that lasted nearly to the end of the first century and reached deep into Asia Minor.
James and John were brothers and had similar temperments and were inseparable. John was right there with James eager to call down fire on the Samaritians, he was also in the thick of debates about who was the greatest, and his zeal and ambition mirrored his brother. But with all that being said it is odd that he was named the “Apostle of love”.
But with all that being said it is odd that he was named the “Apostle of love”. He wrote more often than any other NT author about the importance of love - putting emphasis on the Christian’s love for Christ, Christ’s love for His church and the love for another that is supposed to be the hallmark of true believers. This theme flows through his writings.
He wrote more often than any other NT author about the importance of love - putting emphasis on the Christian’s love for Christ, Christ’s love for His church and the love for another that is supposed to be the hallmark of true believers. This theme flows through his writings.
Love was a quality that He learned from Jesus, not something that came naturally to him. There are many instances where John is seen as sectarian, narrow minded, unbending, reckless and being volatile. He was passionate, zealous and personally ambitious. But John aged well and the influence of Christ proved to work well for him.
He was an elder of the church, loved universally and respected for his devotion to Christ and his love for Christians worldwide. This is why he earned the name “apostle of love”.
John’s passion for truth gave him the balance he needed. He kept his strong love for God’s truth to the end of his life and remained bold in proclaiming it to the very end.
This evening we need to look at a number of things John illustrated in his life. Here are three that we are going to take a look at and apply to our own lives.
Balance of Love and Truth
Balance of Ambition and Humility
Balance of Suffering and Glory
John’s writings are to the point and very clear and precise. He is just that black and white. John knows that believers do sin but he is concerned with the overall pattern of a person’s life. He wants to underscore the righteousness (not sin) that is the dominant principle of a believer’s life. John’s personality exemplfies his love for truth and that was his passion. He spoke about absolute truths and did not spend time in grey areas.
A person out of balance is unsteady. Imbalance in one’s personal character is a form of intemperance - a lack of self control - and that is sin in and of itself. Three years with Jesus caused John to be transformed from self-centered fanatic to a mature man of balance. He moved from being a son of thunder to an apostle of love. At points where he was imbalanced Jesus gave him balance and in the process John was transformed from a bigoted hothead to a loving Godly elder fo the early church.
Life takes on a new meaning when you have an encounter with God.
The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.
As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”
When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.
John followed Jesus right from the beginning and was committed to truth early on. He sought to know the truth and follow it.
Balance of Love and Truth
Balance of Love and Truth
John was a follower of John the baptist and when he met Jesus he followed him.
He must become greater; I must become less.”
John the disciple was interested in truth, he didn’t follow John the baptist to join a personality cult therefore he left and followed Jesus as soon as John clearly identified him as the Lamb of God.
John’s love of truth is evident in all his writings. He uses the Greek word for truth 25 times in his gospel and 20 more times in the epistles.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
No one in all of scripture, except the Lord himself, had more to say praising the very concept of truth. John was exposed to an encounter with God that transformed his life therefore we can understand his need to shout it out that truth is needed and love was the reason that he knows what truth is.
Let’s take into account the Transfiguration:
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
This incident happened after the transfiguration of Jesus. That glorious mountaintop experience which was witnessed by only the inner circle of three (Peter, James and John).
This incident happened after the transfiguration of Jesus. That glorious mountaintop experience which was witnessed by only the inner circle of three (Peter, James and John).
And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
This sounds like a promise to the disciples that the millennial kingdom would come in the lifetime of the disciples. But here we are more than 1900 years after the death of the last disciple and we are still waiting for the establishment of the millennial kingdom here on earth. So what is this verse talking about?
In this verse Jesus was promising them a preview of what is to come. The three of them would have the priviledge of witnessing a brilliant foretaste of glory divine. They would see a glimpse of the glory and power of the coming kingdom. Jesus took the three most trusted, close friends to the mountain top where He pulled back the veil of His human flesh so that the shekinah glory - which means they got to see the very essense of the nature of the eternal God. The shekinah glory was out in blazing brilliance.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.
No one on earth had experienced anything remotely like this since Moses caught a glimpse of God’s back after being shielded in the cleft of the rock from the full display of His glory.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
Mark 9
It was a trancidental experience, it was something the disciples could have never imagined.
To add to this we see in verse 4
And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
Elijah appeared along with Moses and talking with Jesus. Talk about an experience. The discples were afraid and did not know what to say.
Peter in typical fashion spoke anyway. Peter may have thought the appearance of Moses and Elijah signified the setting up of the kingdom and he was eager to make it permanent. God’s voice spoke and said:
Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Mark 9:
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These were the same words they heard at Jesus’ baptism.
This was an amazing experience for Peter, James and John to behold. They were given a unique privilege, unparalleled in the annuals of redemptive history.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
They witnessed the most incredible thing but were not allowed to tell anyone about it. Talk about a difficult thing to have to keep secret!
The thoughts of these guys having arguments about being the greatest among them and now experienced something of this magnitide and have to keep it quiet. It was certainly difficult for them to have to do this indeed.
Imagine the questions from the other disciples? Where were you? What have you been up to?
Then in
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
Jesus did not ask this question because he needed the information, He was looking for a confession. Jesus already knew what they were talking about. But they were embarrassed. So they kept silent. These guys were brimming with confidence after the mountaintop experience and felt that they had the inside track. They had seen things so wonderful they could not even share it. But were looking to see who could be indicated as the greatest among the three. But when Jesus asked what they were arguing about they instantly grew silent. Then they knew they were wrong to be debating such things. Jesus knew all this and took the time to teach them.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Mark 9:2
This was a lesson about love.
Love is manifested in service to one another, not by lording it over each other.
This cut John in the heart. It was a serious rebuke and John got the message. This is where we find the only time John speaks in the synoptic Gospels
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
John was not a passive personality. He was aggressive, competitive and in the sting of Jesus’ rebuke he spoke those words as pennance. Something in John began to change and he was beginning to see his own lack of love . He realized through Jesus’ lesson that in order to reach his ful potential, he needed to balance those things with love. I think this episode is important to look at for him to move toward becoming the apostle of love that he ultimately became.
John who was always committed to truth and there is nothing wrong with that but it was not enough. Zeal for truth must be balanced by love for people.
Truth without love has no decency; it’s just brutality. On the other hand love without truth has no character; it is just hypocrisy.
Many people are just as imbalanced as John was only in the other direction. We often place too much on love side of things. I believe we need to learn this balance. We need to stand for truth in this day and not water it down, but we need to understand that God’s love is a powerful and need to point others to Him.
Manefesting truth and love is important for the mature Christian. True spiritual maturity is defined by manefesting truth and love. The Christlike person knows the truth and speaks in love.
Love and truth must be maintained in perfect balance. Truth is never to be abandoned in the name of love. But love is not to be deposed in the name of truth. That is what John learned form Christ and it gave him the balance he so desperately needed.
Balance of Ambition and Humility
Balance of Ambition and Humility
The balance of ambition and humilty must be struck or it will become a vice.
When John was younger he had ambitious plans for his life. Hear me tonight it is not wrong to have ambition and to desire success. It is wrong to have selfish motives about it and John did.
But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark
This was a statement from Christ that led to John’s first confession in .
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Jesus was simply stating the same lesson He had taught them over and over about himility. Then later on we see these disciples on a quest for chief of thrones. Here we see that they were seeking favor secretly because the others learned of this afterwards according to v. 41
Coming after so many rebukes by Jesus, the brothers request to shows that they had a lot of nerve. It reveals how little true humilty they had.
There is nothing wrong with ambition and nothing wrong with the disciples James and John wanting to sit next to Jesus in the kingdom. Who wouldn’t want that honor?
The other disciples surely did and that is why they were displeased with James and John. Jesus did not rebuke them for that. Their error was in desiring to obtain the position more than they desired to be worthy of such a position. Their ambition was untempered by humility. Jesus told them that was not up for Him to decide but His Fathers and that this position is reserved for the most humble saints on the earth.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 9:
The lesson is clear here, those who want to be great must first learn to be humble. Jesus was the greatest example of this and was the perfect example of true humility. The kingdom of God is advanced by humble service and not by politics, not by status and not by power. Aren’t you thankful for this?
Jesus made this point clear when he brought a child in the midst of the disciples and talked to them about being childlike as a true believer.
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 1
Take note of the second half of that verse. If you want to be great in the kingdom, you must become the servant of all.
Jesus illustrates this point on the final night of his earthly ministry. Not one of the disciples had the humility to pick up the towel and washbasin and perform the task of a servant . So Jesus did it Himself. ().
John did eventually learn the balance of humility and ambition. And because of this lesson humility is one of the great virtures that comes through in his writings.
Throughout John’s Gospel he never once mentions his own name. He refuses to speak of himself in reference to himself. Instead, he speaks of himself in reference to Jesus. He never puts himself in the foreground as a hero, but uses every reference to himself to honor Jesus Christ.
All the praises shall be given to my Jesus, He’s the one who lifts me up when I am down along the way.
All the praises shall be given to my Jesus, He’s the one who makes me what I am today.
Jesus loved all His apostles to perfection. But it seems there was a unique way in which John gripped this reality and he was humbled by it. In fact it was John’s gospel that records in detail Jesus’ act of washing the disciples feet. It is clear that Jesus’ own humility on the night he was betrayed made a lasting impression on John.
John’s humility also comes through in the gentle way he appeals to his readers in every one of his epistles. He calls them “little children”, “beloved” and he included himself as brother and fellow child of God.
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
There is tenderness and compassion in these expressions that shows us his humility. His last contribution to scripture is Revelation where he decribes himself as “your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ”.
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Somewhere along the line, John’s ambition found balance in humility. John was mellowed but yet he remained courageous, confident, bold and passionate.
This shows when you surrender to God He still uses you and your drive can be the same yet harnessed by His spirit and made tender but still effective.
Balance of Suffering and Glory
Balance of Suffering and Glory
Here is another example in how important balance is here.
John had a thirst for glory and an aversion to suffering. To have a balance to these things where they seem like polar opposites seems impossible. But John has been used to illustrate that it is possible.
John did learn the balance
John’s thirst for glory is seen in his desire for the chief throne. His aversion to suffering is seen in the fact that he and the other apostles forsook Jesus and fled on the night of his arrest.
Then everyone deserted him and fled.
Both desires are perfectly understandable. Afterall, John had seen Jesus’ glory firsthand on the Mount of Transfiguration and John treasured Jesus’ promise that he would share that glory.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
How could he not desire such a blessing? An truly no one but a madman enjoys suffering. There was nothing sinful in John’s desire to participate in the glory of Jesus’ eternal kingdom, afterall aren’t we all here longing for that day as well?
One glimpse of Jesus in the fullness of His glory will be worth all the pain and sorrow and suffering we have endured here on earth.
As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Can you feel the sense of excitement in these scriptures?
What a day that will be!
But the thing is if we participate in heavenly glory we must also be willing to partake of earthly sufferings. This was Pauls desire:
I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
Paul wasn’t saying he has an unending desire for pain, he was recognizing that glory and suffering are inseparable. Those who desire the reward of glory must be willing to endure the suffering.
Suffering is the price of glory.
Wow! Pastor you are not making this walk sound that good.
Friend let me tell you the splendor of heaven will outweigh this world’s suffering and pain.
It will be worth it all
When we see Jesus
Life’s trials will seem so small
When we see Christ
One glimpse of His dear face
All sorrows will erase
So bravely run the race
Till we see Christ.
We are heirs to
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Jesus taught this principle again and again.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Suffering is a prelude of glory. Our suffering as believers is the assurance of the glory that is yet to come.
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
All the disciples wants this remember how they wanted the chief seats in glory. But Jesus said there is a price for those seats. Not only are those seats reserved for the humble, but those who sit in those seats will first be prepared for the place of honor by enduring the humility and suffering. That is why Jesus told James and John that before they would receive any throne at all they would be required to drink from that bitter cup. James and John had no clue what they were volunteering for. They were boasting that they would follow Jesus to the death but when faced with the opportunity they forsook Him and fled.
But the goodness of God does not end there. You see thankfully Christ does not regard such failure as final. All eleven disciples fled on that night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest. But everyone of them was recovered and they all learned to suffer willingly for Christ’s sake.
All of them except John suffered and ultimately died for their faith. They were martyred one by one in the prime of their life. John was the only disciple who lived to an old age. But he suffered too, in ways the others did not. He was still enduring earthly anguish and persecution long after the others were already in glory.
John was the only disciple who was an actual eyewitness of Jesus’ crucifixion. He was standing close enough to the cross to see him.
He probably watched as the soldiers drove in the nails. He was there when they peirced Jesus’ sides with a spear. And perhaps at that time he remembered that he agreed to take on the same baptism.
When John’s brother James was martyred John bore the loss in a more personal way than the others. As the disciples were martyred one by one, John suffered the grief and pain of loosing these friends and companions. Then he was alone, probably the worst suffering of all.
John learned to bear suffering willingly. There is no complaint about his sufferings anywhere in the book of Revelation or the epistles. It is certain that he did write the book of revelation in the most extreme kind of hardship and deprivation. But he makes minimal mention of these difficulties.
Conclusion:
John learned these lessons of balance. He grasped the character of Jesus in a powerful way and this transformed him greatly. He then became a human model of what righteous, Christlike character ought to be.
He learned to be a humble, loving servant or else Jesus would not have placed his mother in John’s care. He learned to love others as the Lord loved them. Love became the anchor and centerpiece of the truth he was most concerned with. His theology is best described as a theology of love.
John taught that God is love, that God loved His own Son, that God loved the world, that God is loved by Christ, that Christ loved His disciples, that Christ’s disciples loved Him, that all men should love Christ, that we should love one another, and that love fulfills the law. Love was a critical part of every element of John’s teaching.
His love was not indulgent sentiment. To the very end of his life John was a thunderous defender of the truth. He did not loose tolerance for lies. The Lord knew that the most powerful advocate for love needed to be a person who never compromised the truth.
May we fiercly defend His truth and show devout and undying love to those we are connected with.
May we follow the example set by John by this. John leaned on Jesus’ shoulder not only because he enjoyed the pure love his Lord gave him, but also because he wanted to hear every word of truth that came out of the mouth of Christ.
Tonight, let us learn these lessons of balance and ask the Lord to give us the strength to endure the trials and suffering of life because the glory and splendor of heaven awaits. It will be worth it all!
May we not get caught up in ambition to be the greatest and best and neglect how Christ showed the perfect example of humility and service. Make me more like thee Jesus.
And may we pursue the love of Christ and show it to all those we come in contact with all the while standing for the truth of who we are in Christ and what the scriptures stand for.