To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion.
Posts tagged Disciple
John The Beloved
0“And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.” (Mark 1:19-20, ESV)
John the beloved lived a life customary of that of a Christian. He suffered greatly, but was also blessed in his ministry. John began his spiritual journey on a harbor in Galilee and finished his journey in Ephesus, the same place that was written to by Paul in the book Ephesians. It is believed that John was one of the youngest disciples, and that he was also one of the disciples that was the closest to Jesus. John wrote five of the sixty-six books of the bible. He wrote one gospel, the epistles, and Revelation, the book of the bible describes the full glory of Jesus and things that are to come. John the beloved was the first living man to see Jesus both fully crucified, and fully basking in heavenly glory. In essence, John lived a full life.
John the Disciple
John’s gospel is unique. John places a great deal of emphasis on the personality and feelings of Jesus. John includes narratives such as the “wine into water” miracle that is not found in any other gospel. John’s relationship to Jesus is one of friendship. This gave him a unique view into what Jesus felt and why He reacted how He did.
John learned a lot from Jesus. He passed out bread and fishes that had miraculously been multiplied to feed the multitudes. He saw Jairus’s daughter raised from the dead. He feel asleep in the garden of Gethsemane. While it cannot be proven by scripture, most biblical scholars agree that John was one of the disciples who went to check the empty tomb. John was instructed by Jesus, led by Jesus, and loved on by Jesus.
John’s book emphasis love between believers. On top of correcting different churches doctrine, John also emphasized that a community of believers was essential to a Christian’s spiritual prosperity. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John all emphasize different themes of Christian community.
The last book that John was inspired to write told the end of the story. Revelation is a prophecy about how the story of humanity will end. John was the very first living man to see Jesus in all of His glory. John saw the beast, the angels, the saints singing and praising the Lord. He saw all that would happen, and that in the end, how all the believers would go to be with the Lord.
What does your relationship with Jesus look like?
John enjoyed physical community and interaction with Jesus Christ. To John Jesus was the Savior, but He was also a compassionate and loving friend. John and Jesus ate together, walked together, joked together, and worked together. John served the Lord Jesus Christ, but he also played and hung out with Jesus. A funny, if not extremely corny, Youtube video is “Jesus Is My Friend.” This entire song is dedicated to the fact that Jesus is my friend, and that I have a friend in Jesus.
Is Jesus your friend, or is He a tyrant that you fear will strike you with a lightening bolt the next time you sin? Friends rarely, if ever, strike friends with lightening bolts. As John has recorded, there is an eternity of suffering awaiting those who do not repent of their sins. The people who do not repent are not friends of Jesus. They are His sworn enemies. Yet, those who repent of their sins become friends of Jesus, and while they should respect His power, they should not fear that He will smite them from the face of the earth.
Jesus wants to see you grow in your faith. He will instruct you like a good friend will. He will encourage you when you are weak, but discipline you when you do not recognize your error. John got this level of personal treatment physically, but we today experience that level of friendship through the Holy Spirit.
Easter and Faith
0Three days after Jesus was placed in the tomb, the stone rolled away, and His body was gone. An angel greeted the women who had come to pour spices and oils on His body. He told them to go tell the disciples that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. An instant conversion happened. The women who saw the angel suddenly believed in the resurrection of the actual Lord and savior Jesus Christ. For most of His earthly ministry people were wowed by his miracles and power, but they never really got it. They were expecting a glorious revolution where He would lead an army to save Israel from the oppressive Romans.
After Jesus was crucified the disciples scattered, fearing for their lives. They had forgotten everything that Jesus had said about resurrection three days later. Their own desires had caused them to be deaf toward the desires of God. They desired a glorious Israeli empire that would come to pass in 33 A.D. They didn’t want to hear that Jesus would die and be raised.
When Jesus rose from the dead, the lack of belief in His power over death and the future was changed. The disciples were instantly converted into real believers in the total power of God. They saw the big picture. They saw why things that had happened, happened. They saw what was coming. They knew that the kingdom had not yet come, but was coming.
I like to think that I have the right idea most of the time. I like to think that I know what’s going on. I like to think that I’m a person with good morality, and decent actions to reflect that morality. I’m a lot like the disciples in that regard. We both did the right things for the right reasons and we expected results. Then the unexpected happens, a test of the faith. Everything that we believe in gets nailed to a cross, then buried.
The disciples scattered, and I could spend hours telling you how I have handled tests of the faith quite poorly. When we think we’re doing the right thing, we expect things to go our way. When they don’t, we assume we did all the right things in vain. We forget what God has said, that He would die and resurrect, that life would be hard but things would get better. Our faith is restored when Jesus moves in our lives. He changes our situations for the better. Despite our lack of faith, He moves in and around us to show His love and power.
Easter is a great reminder of the power of God over death. It’s an excellent time to contemplate grace and mercy. It’s a great time to go to church for the first time, or the first time in a long time. Easter is also a great time to repent of a lack of faith. Don’t end up like the disciples, weighed down by a loss of faith. Rise up and be of good cheer.
The grave couldn’t hold Him and He is with you right now.
Have a great Easter.
Love,
Jack
Thy Kingdom Come
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“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mathew 6:33, ESV)
John The Beloved
03 years ago
by Jack
“And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.” (Mark 1:19-20, ESV)
John the beloved lived a life customary of that of a Christian. He suffered greatly, but was also blessed in his ministry. John began his spiritual journey on a harbor in Galilee and finished his journey in Ephesus, the same place that was written to by Paul in the book Ephesians. It is believed that John was one of the youngest disciples, and that he was also one of the disciples that was the closest to Jesus. John wrote five of the sixty-six books of the bible. He wrote one gospel, the epistles, and Revelation, the book of the bible describes the full glory of Jesus and things that are to come. John the beloved was the first living man to see Jesus both fully crucified, and fully basking in heavenly glory. In essence, John lived a full life. (more…)