Thoughts for the Week - John the Apostle

(For those of you just joining me, I try to write Thoughts for the Week for our College Newsletter - so, welcome!)

I want to pick up my comments on the book Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur. It has been several weeks since I last picked this book up. I read a chapter a couple of weeks ago, but getting my thoughts about it on paper seems to have taken forever. I have already written about Peter, Andrew, and James. This week, I’d like to share some thoughts I had as I read about John, the Apostle. He is James’ brother, making him the other half to the Sons of Thunder, as Jesus so aptly described them. John wrote more of the New Testament than any other human author, aside from Luke and Paul. We attribute the gospel of John, 1, 2, 3 John, and Revelation all to this man. It is in John that we see major changes in his character the longer he spent time with Jesus and reflecting on his life after Jesus’ resurrection. John outlived all the other disciples, not dying until the end of the first century. We talk a lot about John being the disciple of “love” because it is a major theme in his letters. However, “love was a quality he learned from Christ, not something that came naturally to him.” (96) He, like his brother James, was more interested in the truth and making sure people knew it. He was “every bit as intolerant, ambitious, zealous, and explosive as his elder brother.” (96)

John may have been volatile early in his ministry with Jesus and the disciples, but he tempered himself well as he got older. His letters show a side of John marked with compassion and love, less intolerant, less explosive. His number one goal was always to tell the truth, though. “Of all the writers of the New Testament, he is the most black and white in his thinking. He thinks and writes in absolutes. He deals with certainties. Everything is cut-and-dried with him.” (97)

What is the main lesson we learn from John? There must be balance between truth and love. We must be fervent in making sure others know and understand the truth. However, it should always be tempered in love. Too much hard truth and you are intolerant and abrasive. Too much love and we are tolerant of everything and you are a pushover. The ideal is to find balance.

As a side note, here is an interesting thing I learned from MacArthur’s book, regarding John’s humility. “Throughout John’s Gospel, he never once mentions his own name. (The only “John” who is mentioned by name in the Gospel of John is John the Baptist.) The apostle John refuses to speak of himself in reference to himself. Instead, he speaks of himself in reference to Jesus. He never paints himself in the foreground as a hero, but uses every reference to himself to honor Christ. Rather than write his name, which might focus attention on him, he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7,20), giving glory to Jesus for having loved such a man. In fact, he seems utterly in awe of the marvel that Christ loved him.” (110-111) This is a totally new perspective for me regarding John. I thought that he might have thought a little too much of himself – being the disciple “dearly loved by Christ.” Who says that about himself?? I thank God for this new perspective and pray that I no longer jump to conclusions about someone solely based on what I think.

Well, thus ends the diatribe. We’ll pick up again with Philip.

Blessings!
Jerry