John the Evangelist
· John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of James the Greater. His family lived on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The two brothers were called “Boanerges,” which means “sons of thunder,” a name given to them by Jesus.
· John and James were fishermen and fished with their father in the Lake of Genesareth. The brothers were called by Jesus to become his followers while they were beside the sea, fixing their fishing nets.
· John, who was a virgin, has been described as being meek with a peaceful disposition. He was probably the disciple that was most like Christ.
· In the list of disciples, John has the second place. He is listed after James with the exception of a few passages. This probably signifies that James was the older of the two. John has been referred to in the scriptures as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
· Jesus showed John particular instances of kindness and affection above all the rest. It is said that during the Last Supper, John lay with his head on Jesus’ chest – it was a custom among Jews of the time to lie upon couches at meals, so that one might lean his head upon the chest of the person that lay beside him – an honor Christ only gave to John.
· It is believed that John and Peter also had a very close friendship.
· According to the general interpretation, John was the “other disciple” who, along with Peter, followed Christ after the arrest into the palace of the high priest.
· John alone remained near Jesus, at the foot of the cross on Calvary, with Jesus’ Mother, Mary, and the pious women. After the crucifixion, John took Mary into his care at the request of Jesus; this was considered the highest privilege.
· After the Resurrection, John and Peter were the first of the disciples to go to Jesus’ tomb. John was the first to believe that Christ had truly risen. When later Christ appeared at the Lake of Genesareth, John was also the first of the seven disciples there who recognized his Master standing on the shore.
· After Christ’s Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit, John took, together with Peter, a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the Church. It is thought that he probably stayed in Jerusalem until the death of Mary. Later, he traveled to parts of Samaria and Palestine. At one point, he and Peter were thrown in jail for preaching after Pentecost.
· John wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and possibly the Book of Revelation. He is often referred to as "John the Evangelist" or "John the Apostle," although some Bible scholars dispute that they are the same person.
· John returned to Jerusalem, along with the other disciples, for the Apostolic Council (around 51 A.D.).
· It is almost certain that John lived in Asia Minor during the last decades of the first century.
· John supposedly lived in Ephesus for a while before being banished to Patmos to labor in the mines during the reign of the Emperor Domitan. According to historians, the Emperor had John brought to Rome where he was beaten, poisoned, and thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil before the Porta Latina at Rome without suffering any injury.
· After Emperor Domitan’s death, John returned to Ephesus. In his old age, when he grew too weak to be able to preach, he would be carried to the assembly of the faithful by his disciples, and every time said to those gathered only these words, “My dear children, love one another.” When asked why he constantly repeated the same words, he replied, “Because it is the precept of the Lord, and if you comply with it, you do enough.”
· John died in Ephesus around 100 A.D. at a very old age. He survived all his fellow apostles. He was buried on a mountain near the town. A church was built over his tomb, which was later converted to a Turkish mosque.
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