The Disciple "Whom Jesus Loved"

[Righteousone]

I realize Jesus loved Peter. So much in fact, He had given him the keys to start His church.
But what about John? The disciple “Whom Jesus Loved”?
Jesus knew each apostle would die martyred for the faith, yet He chose John to live a long life and he did. Believed to have died around 92.
Was he allowed to live because Jesus told him at the foot of the cross to take care of His mother? I believe that is why he lived so long…what do you think?

 

[deacon_d]

I realize Jesus loved Peter. So much in fact, He had given him the keys to start His church.
But what about John? The disciple “Whom Jesus Loved”?
Jesus knew each apostle would die martyred for the faith, yet He chose John to live a long life and he did. Believed to have died around 92.
Was he allowed to live because Jesus told him at the foot of the cross to take care of His mother? I believe that is why he lived so long…what do you think?

An interesting thought I once read was that Jesus loved John so much because he was the only Apostle at the Cross. Everyone else fled.

 

[MH84]

I realize Jesus loved Peter. So much in fact, He had given him the keys to start His church.
But what about John? The disciple “Whom Jesus Loved”?
Jesus knew each apostle would die martyred for the faith, yet He chose John to live a long life and he did. Believed to have died around 92.
Was he allowed to live because Jesus told him at the foot of the cross to take care of His mother? I believe that is why he lived so long…what do you think?

How do we interpret these passages then?

Matthew 20:
20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21"What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

22"You don’t know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.

23Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

Mark 10:
35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

37They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38"You don’t know what you are asking," Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=48&chapter=10&version=31&context=chapter

Isnt Jesus suggesting that John and James wil both suffer martyrdom?

I think that there is a tradition that St. John was martyred as well, but as you say there is another tradition that he lived to a ripe old age.

 

[2ndGen]

I realize Jesus loved Peter.

 

[2ndGen]

How do we interpret these passages then?

Isnt Jesus suggesting that John and James wil both suffer martyrdom?

I think that there is a tradition that St. John was martyred as well, but as you say there is another tradition that he lived to a ripe old age.

Considering that John wrote Revelation and that it was written in the mid-90’s, it should be pretty fair to asses that he did live to a ripe old age.

John 21
20 Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee?

21 Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.

23 This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

24 This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true.

Gospel of John circa 90-100 AD.

 

[MH84]

Considering that John wrote Revelation and that it was written in the mid-90’s, it should be pretty fair to asses that he did live to a ripe old age.

John 21
20 Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; who also leaned back on his breast at the supper, and said, Lord, who is he that betrayeth thee?

21 Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.

23 This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

24 This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true.

Gospel of John circa 90-100 AD.

Ive heard that Revelations was written earlier than the Gospel of John, possible as early as 70 AD.

Also, how do we know for sure that John personally wrote the Gospel. He could have een the source of the information, but it could have been written by his followers.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

I realize Jesus loved Peter. So much in fact, He had given him the keys to start His church.
But what about John? The disciple “Whom Jesus Loved”?
Jesus knew each apostle would die martyred for the faith, yet He chose John to live a long life and he did. Believed to have died around 92.
Was he allowed to live because Jesus told him at the foot of the cross to take care of His mother? I believe that is why he lived so long…what do you think?

We know that Jesus, being human, had emotions. He had friends (Martha, Mary, Lazarus, Mary Magdalen, the apostles, etc.). Maybe John was just his best friend. Maybe he was at the cross because he loved Jesus enough to risk being captured and killed for being identified as his follower. The other apostles were martyrs (witnesses) because they died for Jesus. John was the witness at the foot of the cross beside Mary.

 

[2ndGen]

Ive heard that Revelations was written earlier than the Gospel of John, possible as early as 70 AD.

Also, how do we know for sure that John personally wrote the Gospel. He could have een the source of the information, but it could have been written by his followers.

Well, speaking in complete generalizations, we can’t really know anything.

What we can do is see what the text says to us and attempt to reason what it says and to see how we can try to understand it.

It’s been said that John was writing about Nero, Jeruselum and of Roman persecution when he wrote on The Whore of Babylon and the beast. I read an excellent suggestive writing on it.

I’m not saying I believe it, but he made a great case for his theory and backed it up. The question is, when was it that Nero burnt Rome down? In the late 60’s-70’s right?

 

[holdencaulfield]

I realize Jesus loved Peter. So much in fact, He had given him the keys to start His church.
But what about John? The disciple “Whom Jesus Loved”?
Jesus knew each apostle would die martyred for the faith, yet He chose John to live a long life and he did. Believed to have died around 92.
Was he allowed to live because Jesus told him at the foot of the cross to take care of His mother? I believe that is why he lived so long…what do you think?

I think he lived so long for several reasons.

1. We know he was the youngest disciple.
2. He wrote five books in the New Testament, obviously he was a good writer.
3. We know he was strong in his faith.

I think St. John was being just a tiny bit vain when he was writing this phrase. Maybe, I’m wrong. However I think he has some of the best writing in the New Testament.

 

[2ndGen]

I think he lived so long for several reasons.

1. We know he was the youngest disciple.
2. He wrote five books in the New Testament, obviously he was a good writer.
3. We know he was strong in his faith.

I think St. John was being just a tiny bit vain when he was writing this phrase. Maybe, I’m wrong. However I think he has some of the best writing in the New Testament.

His Gospel is like poetry.

 

[holdencaulfield]

His Gospel is like poetry.

Yes it is.

 

[puzzleannie]

I realize Jesus loved Peter. So much in fact, He had given him the keys to start His church.
But what about John? The disciple “Whom Jesus Loved”?
Jesus knew each apostle would die martyred for the faith, yet He chose John to live a long life and he did. Believed to have died around 92.
Was he allowed to live because Jesus told him at the foot of the cross to take care of His mother? I believe that is why he lived so long…what do you think?

well Jesus shut Peter right up when he asked the same question, and told him, hey guy, I just gave you instruction for your life, don’t worry about the next guy, I’ll take care of him and it is not your problem

 

[Righteousone]

How do we interpret these passages then?

Isnt Jesus suggesting that John and James wil both suffer martyrdom?

I think that there is a tradition that St. John was martyred as well, but as you say there is another tradition that he lived to a ripe old age.

In John 21:22, Jesus said to Peter after Peter asked about John when Peter said"Lord, what about him?" (referring to John), Jesus replied " What if I want him to remain until I come ? You follow me." So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? (What concern is it of yours?”

 

[Righteousone]

I am thinking of visiting Turkey next year, the city of Ephesus where St. john is buried.

 

[IrishBrigade]

It’s been said that John was writing about Nero, Jeruselum and of Roman persecution when he wrote on The Whore of Babylon and the beast. I read an excellent suggestive writing on it.

I’m not saying I believe it, but he made a great case for his theory and backed it up. The question is, when was it that Nero burnt Rome down? In the late 60’s-70’s right?

…with a good deal of certainty (through textual, form, and historical criticism) we can establish that the Johannine corpus (the Gospel and the three Letters) and the Revelation to John, aka The Apocalypse, were written by separate individuals, at different points in time. If nothing else, the evident differences in the quality of Greek in the surviving manuscripts underly that position. Revelation was likely written by a Jewish Christian steeped in the context of ancient Jewish apocryphal literature (see Daniel in the Old Testament, as well as Apocalypse of Enoch in the Jewish Apocrypha)while the Johannine body of work was most likely a school of thought, perhaps centered in Ephesus, reflecting a highly developed Christological concept of metaphysical and earthly divinity, expressed through an apostolic medium…there are those who believe a strong strain of Gnostic philosophy running through the Gospel and the First letter, in its insistence on Christology (the Son of God) as opposed to the Synoptic message of Jesus (the Son of Man)…

 

[IrishBrigade]

. Revelation was likely written by a Jewish Christian steeped in the context of ancient Jewish apocryphal literature…

…my intention was to write the word ‘apocalyptical’ instead of ‘apocryphal’…sorry…

 

[MH84]

In John 21:22, Jesus said to Peter after Peter asked about John when Peter said"Lord, what about him?" (referring to John), Jesus replied " What if I want him to remain until I come ? You follow me." So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? (What concern is it of yours?”

What are you saying here? that John didnt die?

 

[Righteousone]

What are you saying here? that John didnt die?

I am saying John was the disciple that lived amongst them who otherwise were martyred.

 

[Shoshana]

Jesus was able to read hearts. Maybe he found a purity in John that did not exist in the other disciples. John was much younger than the rest and was ‘sheltered’ as it was by Jesus. Although John had a weakness when it came to a temper, the passion that he had for his anger was transposed into his great love for Jesus. And maybe that is why his Gospel is just brimming with love…the cup of his words were overflowing with a purity of love. That is why also maybe that the Lord wanted him to watch over the purest of the pure…His Mother.

 

[MH84]

Jesus was able to read hearts. Maybe he found a purity in John that did not exist in the other disciples. John was much younger than the rest and was ‘sheltered’ as it was by Jesus. Although John had a weakness when it came to a temper, the passion that he had for his anger was transposed into his great love for Jesus. And maybe that is why his Gospel is just brimming with love…the cup of his words were overflowing with a purity of love. That is why also maybe that the Lord wanted him to watch over the purest of the pure…His Mother.

Thoughful post.

How do you know he was “sheltered” by Jesus?