New Testament Characters - John

	In any group of people, there are those who stand out more than the others.  This is true even of the dozen men hand-picked by Jesus to be His apostles.  We have already seen, for example, that the New Testament provides more information about Andrew, James and Philip than about some of the other twelve.  There are three more original apostles, though, who merit consideration apart from the rest.  Peter and John clearly have special relationships with the Lord.  And Judas is in a class by himself, although that class is not a positive one.
	John is part of what some refer to as the "inner circle."  This group is comprised of Peter, James and John.  As we find in passages such as Mark 13:3, Andrew is sometimes included.
	When Jesus raises Jairus' daughter from the dead, He allows only three apostles to accompany Him.
	"While He was still speaking," Mark 5:35-37 records, "they came from the {house of} the synagogue official, saying, 'Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?'  But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, 'Do not be afraid {any longer,} only believe.'  And He allowed no one to follow with Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James."
	Peter, James and John accompany Jesus at the transfiguration.
	"And six days later," we read in Mark 9:2, "Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them."
	The same three go with Jesus to Gethsemane before the crucifixion.
	"And He took with Him Peter and James and John," Mark 14:33-34 says, "and began to be very distressed and troubled.  And He said to them, 'My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.'"
	Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare a place for the Last Supper.
	"And He sent Peter and John," Luke 22:8 notes, "saying, 'Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.'"
	These same apostles seem to take the lead after the church is established in Acts chapter two.
	"Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth {hour,} the hour of prayer," Acts 3:1-5 records. "And a certain man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.  And when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he {began} asking to receive alms.  And Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze upon him and said, 'Look at us!'  And he {began} to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.  But Peter said, 'I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene-- walk!'"
	As a result of the effect of this miracle, Peter and John have an opportunity to defend their faith before the Jewish ruling body. 
	"Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John," Acts 4:13 says of the Sanhedrin, "and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and {began} to recognize them as having been with Jesus."
	Peter and John are the ones sent to Samaria after Philip converts many people there.
	"Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God," we find in Acts 8:14-15, "they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit."

	Although he always refers to himself in the third person and never mentions his own name, John's Gospel account teaches us much about this apostle.
	John occupies the spot closest to Jesus at the Last Supper.
	"There was reclining on Jesus' breast one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved," is how the apostle records this event in John 13:23.
	As He is ready to die, Jesus entrusts His mother to John.
	"When Jesus therefore saw His mother," we note in John 19:26, "and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!'"
	John is the first apostle to witness the empty tomb.
	"And so she ran and came to Simon Peter," we read in John 20:2-5, "and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.'  Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they were going to the tomb.  And the two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying {there;} but he did not go in."
	It is not unreasonable to think that John is the disciple referred to in John 18:15-16.
	"And Simon Peter was following Jesus," this passage states, "and {so was} another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought in Peter."
	It would be easy to assume that John never does anything wrong or, if he does, the Bible simply glosses over it.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.
	"And James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Him," Mark 10:35-41 observes, "saying to Him, 'Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.'  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?'  And they said to Him, 'Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on {Your} left.'  But Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?'  And they said to Him, 'We are able.'  And Jesus said to them, 'The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.  But to sit on My right or on {My} left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.'  And hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John."
	Although Matthew 20:26 indicates that their mother may be behind this request, James and John are still willing participants.
	"And when His disciples James and John saw this," Luke 9:54-55 records of the time when the Samaritans refuse hospitality to Jesus," they said, 'Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?'  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, 'You do not know what kind of spirit you are of."
	As Jesus selects His apostles, He assigns a special name to James and John.
	"And James," the list reads in Mark 3:17, "the {son} of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, 'Sons of Thunder'."
	At the end of his Gospel account, John records an exchange between Jesus and Peter.  Then he adds a small epilogue. 
	"Peter, turning around," John 21:20-25 reports, "saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following {them;} the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper, and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays You?'  Peter therefore seeing him, said to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about this man?'  Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what {is that} to you? You follow Me!' This saying therefore went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but {only,} 'If I want him to remain until I come, what {is that} to you?'   This is the disciple who bears witness of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true.  And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written."
	John does eventually die, although not for many years.  Tradition states that he is the last apostle to leave this earth.
	He writes four more New Testament books, including Revelation.  In his three letters, he cautions over and over against false teachers.
	Whether we live a short time or many years, only one thing matters throughout eternity.  It is what we quote every Sunday from chapter eight, verse 32 of John's Gospel.
	Only the truth will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."