First John-Introduction-First John: The Apostle John Before Pentecost
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday February 7, 2017
First John: The Apostle John Before Pentecost
Lesson # 5
John was the first cousin of Jesus (his mother was Salome, a sister of Mary; cf. Mt. 27:56; Mk. 16:1; Jn. 19:25), a fisherman, one of Jesus inner circle (together with James and Peter) and “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (Jn. 13:23).
The call was given to John and to his brother James at the Sea of Galilee, while in a boat with their father Zebedee, “mending their nets” (Matt 4:21-22, and parallel passages).
Jesus told them He would make them fishers of men (Mark 1:17; on the earlier call in Judaea, John 1:35 ff.).
The Zebedee family apparently lived in Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:21).
The family must have been prosperous, because the father owned a boat and hired servants (Mark 1:19-20).
Salome the mother provided for Jesus out of her substance (Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:3).
John must have been the younger of the two brothers, for he is always mentioned second to James in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The brothers Zebedee were the first disciples called by Jesus after His baptism (Mark 1:19-20).
This happened immediately after the call of two other brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew (Mark 1:16-18), with whom they may have been in partnership (Luke 5:10).
Three of the four-Peter, James, and John-eventually became the Lord’s most intimate disciples.
They were present when He healed the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51).
They witnessed His transfiguration (Matt 17:1-2; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28-29), as well as His agony in Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33).
Along with Peter, John was entrusted by Jesus with preparations for the Passover supper (Luke 22:8).
John was probably the younger brother of James (Matt 4:21).
The mention of the “hired servants” (Mark 1:20); of the “private means” of those women who supported Jesus, which probably included Simone, John’s mother (Luke 8:3); of “his own household” (John 19:27), and of his acquaintance with Caiaphas the high priest (18:15) all imply a position of at least considerable influence and means.
John’s mother, who manifested an earnest desire for the welfare of her sons (Matt 20:20), probably instructed him in religious things.
His trade of fisherman was adapted to holy meditation, since it frequently required him to pass whole nights in stillness upon the water.
John’s introduction to the Lord Jesus is recorded in John 1:35-39 would seem to indicate that John had first become a disciple of John the Baptist.
His mention of Andrew only by name is consistent with his usual manner of naming himself as “the other disciple,” the disciple “whom Jesus loved.”
John was probably among the disciples who followed their new Teacher to Galilee (1:43), were with Him at the marriage feast of Cana (2:2).
They journeyed with Him to Capernaum and then to Jerusalem (2:12, 23).
They came back through Samaria (4:5).
John then returned to his former occupation.
John was not the soft and feminine character that he is often portrayed, but full of intense, burning zeal, ready to drink the Lord’s bitter cup and to be baptized with his fiery baptism (Isaiah 58:1; Jeremiah 23:29; Matthew 20:22; Luke 12:49-50).
He was impatient of anyone in separation from the Lord’s company, and eager for fiery vengeance on the Samaritans who would not receive Him (Luke 9:49, 53-54).
This characteristic was not restricted to his as yet undisciplined state.
It appears in his denunciations long afterward (1 John 2:18-22; 2 John 7-11; 3 John 9-10).
Through his mother John gained his knowledge of the love of Mary Magdalene for the Lord, which he so vividly depicts (John 20).
The full narrative of Lazarus’ restoration to life (John 11) shows that he was an eyewitness, and probably was intimate with the sisters of Bethany.
James and John must have contributed a headstrong element to Jesus’ band of followers, because the Lord nicknamed them “sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17).
On one occasion (Luke 9:51-56), when a Samaritan village refused to accept Jesus, the two offered to call down fire in revenge, as the prophet Elijah had once done (2 Kings 1:10,12).
On another occasion, they earned the anger of their fellow disciples by asking if they could sit on the Lord’s right and left hands in glory (Mark 10:35-45).
The name of John appears in all the lists of the apostles given in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 10:2 and parallels).
While his name appears rarely in a position by itself, he is still one of the most prominent of the disciples.
Mention is made of John at the restoration of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31) and also at the ordination of the twelve apostles (3:17), where he and his brother received the surname Boanerges (“sons of thunder”) from the Lord.
John was at the raising of Jairus’ daughter (5:35-37; 8:51), and as we noted at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28).
He was present at the apostles’ rebuking of one who cast out devils in the Lord’s name because he was not one of their company (9:49).
John was with Jesus upon the Mount of Olives when He foretold the destruction of Jerusalem (13:3).
He was sent by the Master to prepare, with Peter, the Passover (Luke 22:8).
He asked Jesus, at the Last Supper, who would betray Him (John 13:23-26) and was present with Peter and James in Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-33).
When the betrayal occurred, Peter and John followed from a distance and, through the personal acquaintance between the latter and Caiaphas, gained admittance into the palace (John 18:15-16).
It is apparent that John of the three was on the most intimate terms with the Lord Jesus.
John was the only disciple present at the crucifixion and was appointed by Jesus to care for Mary (19:26-27).
It is also interesting that he never suffered martyrdom but died of natural causes.
He was the first of the apostles to believe that Jesus rose from the dead (Jn. 20:8).
He was also given the honor of penning the book of Revelation, which is the last book written in the Bible.
John’s fiery character was held in check during the three and a half years of the Lord Jesus’ ministry.
He was allowed to vent only on occasions when it was permissible, and even necessary.
So in his writings, and in the reflections in the Gospel, we note this character displayed.
However, this was directed only against those who refused to believe in, and to acknowledge, Jesus.