Christian Art Symbolism of Hands Crossed John the Belovedc

Particular from The Final Supper, by Carl Heinrich Bloch

After Peter, John is perhaps the best known of Jesus's original Twelve Apostles. He and his brother, James, were with Peter at some of the nigh important moments of the Savior'southward mortal ministry, and he has been traditionally associated with five different books in the New Attestation.¹ His personal closeness to the Lord is suggested by John 13:23: "Now at that place was leaning on Jesus' bust i of his disciples, whom Jesus loved." Throughout the ages, Christian fine art has reflected this image, picturing John equally a beau, oftentimes resting in the Savior'south arms. This is the origin of his unique title, John the Dear, merely his witness and mission reveal aspects of discipleship that we can all share.

John, Son of Zebedee

John'south Hebrew name, Yohanan, means "God has been gracious." Most of the details nosotros know about him come from the first iii Gospels, which tell the story of the Savior'south mortal ministry largely from the aforementioned perspective. They all concur that John was the son of a prosperous Galilean fisherman named Zebedee, who owned his own boat and was able to rent mean solar day laborers to assist him and his sons in their piece of work. John and his blood brother, James, also had a partnership with brothers Peter and Andrew, and all iv left their fishing business when Jesus called them to follow Him in full-fourth dimension discipleship.²

Christ Calling the Apostles James and John, Edward Armitage (1817–96) / Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust, United kingdom / © Museums Sheffield / The Bridgeman Art Library International

While the Gospels exercise not mention Zebedee once more, the female parent of James and John became a follower of Jesus, interceding with Jesus on behalf of her sons and being nowadays at the Crucifixion.^three Ordinarily identified past the name Salome, the mother of James and John may also take been a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, making them first cousins of Jesus and relatives of John the Baptist.⁴

Soon after his initial call, John witnessed many of the Lord's early miracles and teachings.^five Seeing these miracles and listening to discourses such as the Sermon on the Mount no doubt prepared John for the moment when Jesus called him to be one of His Twelve Apostles.^vi Of these special witnesses, Peter, James, and John formed an inner circle of shut disciples who were nowadays at significant moments of Jesus's earthly ministry:

• At the raising of the daughter of Jairus, seeing firsthand the Lord's power over expiry.⁷

• On the Mount of Transfiguration, where they saw Jesus revealed in His glory and heard the voice of the Father testify that Jesus was His Son in whom He was well pleased.^viii

• On the Mount of Olives for His final prophecy well-nigh the last days.⁹

• In the Garden of Gethsemane, where they were nearby as the Savior began His nifty piece of work of Atonement.¹⁰

Just every bit Jesus Christ gave Simon the additional name Cephas or Peter, which means "rock," He too gave James and John the championship Boanerges, or "sons of thunder."^xi Because they asked Jesus whether they should phone call downward fire upon a village of Samaritans who had rejected Him (see Luke 9:51–56), this nickname might suggest that they were hot-tempered or at least very stiff-willed. However, it is only as likely that the name was in anticipation of the powerful witnesses that they might go, much as Peter's proper noun probably reflected not then much his earlier devoted but impulsive nature as it did his compactness and forcefulness after Jesus's Resurrection.¹²

In John's appearances in the book of Acts, he is portrayed as a strong, steady companion of Peter. John was with Peter when he healed the lame man in the temple, and together they boldly preached before the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem. Together, the two Apostles traveled to Samaria to confer the souvenir of the Holy Ghost upon the Samaritans whom Philip had taught and baptized.¹³

All the same it is in the writings that are associated with John that he is best seen as a powerful witness of the divinity of his master and friend, Jesus Christ. These New Attestation books present John as both a instructor and a model for us in our own discipleship.

Beloved Disciple

Interestingly, John is never named in the Gospel that has traditionally been attributed to him. The Gospel of John mentions the two sons of Zebedee only in one case, in the final chapter, where they were two of the seven disciples who met the risen Lord past the Ocean of Galilee. Even at that place, nevertheless, they are not mentioned by name. Instead, tradition, supported past references in Restoration scripture,¹⁴ has identified John as being the anonymous "disciple whom Jesus loved" who was nowadays at the Final Supper, the Crucifixion, the empty tomb, and in Jesus's final Sea of Galilee advent.¹⁵

He may also take been the "other disciple" who, forth with Andrew, had been a follower of John the Baptist and heard him prove that Jesus was the Lamb of God (run across John i:35–40), and it is likely that he was the disciple who accompanied Peter after Jesus's arrest and helped Peter proceeds access to the court of the high priest (see John xviii:15–sixteen).

In the Gospel of John, the beloved disciple emerges every bit a close, personal friend of the Lord. Along with Martha, Lazarus, and Mary, John is described explicitly in this Gospel every bit one whom Jesus loved (run into John 11:3, 5). His position at the table during the Last Supper reflected not but honor but as well closeness.

Beyond his friendship with the Savior, other passages reveal him as a powerful witness of the most of import events of Jesus's mission: he stood at the foot of the cross to witness the Lord'southward decease every bit a sacrifice for sin, ran to the tomb later the Resurrection to confirm that information technology was empty, and saw the resurrected Savior.

Twice the Gospel of John mentions that information technology is based upon the eyewitness of the love disciple and emphasizes that his witness is true,¹⁶ something which echoes Joseph Smith's retitling of the Gospel as "The Testimony of John."¹⁷

While scholars still argue the identity of the dearest disciple, if he were the Apostle John, so he was the source of the material in the Gospel, if not its original author.¹⁸ Why then did he remain unnamed, never existence directly identified as the Apostle John? The answer might partly be considering he intended his own experiences to be types for believers and disciples in every age. By remaining bearding, he could allow us to projection ourselves into his experiences, learning how to love and be loved by the Lord and so gaining our own witnesses, which nosotros are then called upon to share with others.

The Epistles: one, 2, and 3 John

Like the Gospel of John, none of the three letters attributed to John ever directly proper name him. Nevertheless, i John, which is more of a doctrinal treatise than an actual letter, is closely associated with the Gospel in its manner and topics, which include the importance of honey and obedience, themes that the Savior taught in John'southward account of the Concluding Supper.

Written after the Gospel, 1 John begins past declaring the author'southward witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, "which was from the starting time, which we take heard, which nosotros accept seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands take handled, of the Word of life" (1 John 1:1; emphasis added). Too restating the opening lines of the Gospel of John, the author stresses his powerful, personal, physical witness of Jesus Christ, who was the Word of God literally made flesh.

The early on Christians, who were the book's original audience, had apparently suffered internal sectionalisation with a group who consort incorrect beliefs about Jesus having left the Church.¹⁹ In ane John, the author is not just a witness; he is an authority called upon to right simulated doctrine and counter threats to organized religion from anti-Christs and faux spirits (see 1 John 2:18–27; 4:ane–6). His mission was also to encourage those who remained faithful by sharing meaningful truths about God and Christ and the importance of continued faith and righteousness.

In 2 John and 3 John, he identifies himself simply as "the elder" and continues to stress the importance of love and obedience and the dangers of false teachers and those who turn down proper Church authorisation.²⁰

All three of these books teach us the importance of continued devotion to the revealed Jesus Christ.

The Revelator

Of the five books attributed to him, but Revelation actually uses the name John, identifying its author 3 times by that name in its opening verses (see Revelation ane:1, 4, ix). Other than identifying himself equally the servant of God, the author gives no other indication of his position or calling, only nigh early Christian government believed that he was John, son of Zebedee.

The Volume of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants confirm that the Campaigner John had been given a special committee to receive and write the visions that he received.²¹ A circuitous and heavily symbolic book, Revelation was intended to comfort and reassure Christians suffering persecution or trials in every age while at the same time revealing the role of Jesus Christ throughout history.

Although two different dates take been proposed for when John wrote Revelation—an early on date in the Advert 60s during the reign of the emperor Nero and a later date in the Advertizing 90s during that of the emperor Domitian—both would have been afterward the martyrdom of Peter, making John the senior Apostle left living.

His calling, nonetheless, was not only to receive and record the visions contained in the book. In one of his visions, an angel told John the Revelator to take a small volume, or scroll, and to eat it. Sugariness at beginning in his oral cavity, it made his abdomen bitter, which Joseph Smith interpreted equally representing his mission to help gather Israel as part of the restoration of all things (see Revelation x:nine–11; Doctrine and Covenants 77:14). This mission was possible because of John's continuing ministry after he was translated. While commentators, ancient and mod, have been divided regarding the meaning of Jesus'due south statement to Peter about John'south fate at the end of the Gospel (see John 21:20–23), Joseph Smith received a revelation confirming that John'due south mission volition continue as a translated being until the Savior's render (see Doctrine and Covenants 7:i–6). In other words, he not only prophesied of the end times, but his mission includes helping fulfill these prophecies as well equally witnessing the fulfillment of the things that were revealed to him.

Although our ain missions may not be as grand, John's example teaches us that our love for Jesus Christ leads us to accept our own calls and challenges in life, no matter how bittersweet they at times may seem.

A powerful witness of the most important events of Jesus's mission, John stood at the foot of the cross to witness the Lord's death, ran to the tomb after the Resurrection to confirm that it was empty, and saw the resurrected Savior.

John and Peter at the Tomb, by Robert T. Barrett

Becoming Honey Disciples Ourselves

John was a leading member of Jesus'due south original Twelve Apostles, ane who had a close personal relationship with the Savior and served of import roles as His witness, as a leader of the Church building, and as a revelator. Still the style he chose to portray himself as the dear disciple in the Gospel that bears his proper noun allows him to serve as a model for all of united states of america in our own discipleship. From him we learn that as followers of Jesus Christ, nosotros tin all rest in the artillery of His love, which love we realize almost fully through ordinances such as that which He established at the Concluding Supper. We also tin can symbolically stand at the foot of the cantankerous, testifying that Jesus died for us, and run with hope to acquire for ourselves that the Lord lives. Like John, every bit love disciples our telephone call is to share that witness with others, testifying of the truth and fulfilling whatsoever calls come our way until the Lord comes over again.

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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2019/01/john-the-disciple-whom-jesus-loved?lang=eng

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