John: the beloved disciple, a man changed by love

John, fisherman, son of Zebedee and brother of James, friends to Peter and Andrew, has the distinction of being called the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23). It is hard to believe that this beloved disciple was, at first, ambitious, judgmental and yet becomes the one who writes about the transforming power of Christ’s love and how it is available to all. He would write one of the four gospels and three letters with the central theme of God’s love. The word “love” would appear fifty-seven times in the gospel of John and forty-six times in 1 John. He would also write Revelation with the central theme of God’s justice. Who was John? What is the purpose of his gospel? How should we love as Christians? 

John was called by Jesus, with his brother, and they both immediately left their fishing nets and followed. As mentioned with Peter and James, John was chosen to be among the inner circle and saw the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36). Along with James, John had a tendency for outbursts of selfishness and anger. One instance, John calls Jesus’s attention to someone else using Jesus’s name to drive out demons, expecting Jesus to stop this man because he wasn’t one of the twelve disciples (Mark 9:38, Luke 9:49-50). He was with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-37, Mark 14:32-42). At his crucifixion, Jesus asks John to care for his mother, Mary, and Mary to take John as her son (John 19:25-25). John was with Peter as he healed a man at the gate called Beautiful (Acts 3:1-10). Along with Peter, John would stand firm before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22). John would later be exiled to the island of Patmos where he would receive the vision and write the book of Revelation. 

While Matthew and Luke included genealogies in their gospels for certain purposes, to establish Jesus as from the House of David both biologically from his mother, Mary, and legally from his earthly father, Joseph. However, John started with Jesus as the preexistent, eternal Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning (John 1:1-2). Jesus is the agent of Creation as God, the Father, spoke and Jesus, the son, made it happen. This is further illustrated by the seven “I Am” statements: Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Light of the world (John 8:12), the Gate (John 10:7-9), the Good Shepherd (John 11:11-14), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), and the True Vine (John 15:1.5). John describes a situation in which Jesus states he is eternal when He said, “I will tell you the truth before Abraham, I am!” (John 8:58). “I am” is a statement that would have had a huge significant impact on the Jews as it was a statement God made to Moses (Exodus 4:14). 

John began his journey with Jesus as a selfish man, looking out for himself, only to become a man of compassion and love. How? From the transforming love of Jesus Christ. Loving one another is the most basic, simplest part of Christianity. However, our ability to love is often shaped by our experience of love. Being loved is the most powerful motivation. God’s love is a great motivation for change and there is nothing that can remove God’s love from us (Isaiah 54:10). We are to love one another. Not just love with words but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). We say “I love you,” they are empty words until there is an action behind it. Jesus said “I love you” and he died on the cross. Jesus commands that we love each other (Matthew 22:39). He also said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13). Sacrificial love isn’t just dying, it is helping, giving, and meeting needs of another before our own puts love into practice.

In conclusion, after all he had seen and experienced with Jesus, he would leave behind ambition and embrace affection. John became the beloved disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. John would write his gospel to show that Jesus is the pre existent Word becoming flesh (John 1:14) and brought the world his message of love. Love is more than words, it is an action, a sacrifice of putting others before ourselves. Sadly, there are Christians who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. I know I sometimes struggle loving someone the way God would want me to, especially after I’ve been hurt or wronged. It is a constant prayer that He will change my heart and help me adjust my attitude. If His love can change John, I know He can change me.