On December 27, we celebrate the Feast of Saint John , Apostle and Evangelist – the “ disciple Jesus loved ” ( John 13:23). As the author of a Gospel account, three epistles, and the book of Revelation, John was not only a close friend of Jesus during his time, but a spiritual teacher for the ages.
John’s is the only one of the four not considered among the Synoptic Gospels (i.e., those presenting a common view). Although the Gospel is ostensibly written by St. John the Apostle, “the beloved disciple” of Jesus , there has been considerable discussion of the actual identity of the author.
Also according to some traditions, Salome was the sister of Mary, Jesus ‘ mother, making Salome Jesus ‘ aunt, and her sons John the Apostle and James were Jesus ‘ cousins. He was first a disciple of John the Baptist.
Do we have any idea who the disciple was? A: John 19, 25-27 makes reference to the beloved disciple who traditionally (Canon Muratori) was identified as John the apostle and author of the fourth gospel, letters (1-3) and Revelations.
Mary Magdalene as trusted disciple For its part, the Bible gave no hint that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s wife . None of the four canonical gospels suggests that sort of relationship, even though they list the women who travel with Jesus and in some cases include their husbands’ names.
While a disciple is a student, one who learns from a teacher, an apostle is sent to deliver those teachings to others. ” Apostle ” means messenger, he who is sent. An apostle is sent to deliver or spread those teachings to others. We can say that all apostles were disciples but all disciples are not apostles .
What did Judas Iscariot do? Judas Iscariot was one of the Twelve Apostles . He is notorious for betraying Jesus by disclosing Jesus’ whereabouts for 30 pieces of silver. Judas brought men to arrest Jesus and identified him with a kiss.
For John , major themes include: eternal life, witness, life, Messiah, Jerusalem (Jewish identity), identity itself, and signs. Interestingly, there are zero parable in the gospel of John !
Following the arrest of Jesus , Peter denied knowing him three times , but after the third denial, heard the rooster crow and recalled the prediction as Jesus turned to look at him. Peter then began to cry bitterly. This final incident is known as the Repentance of Peter.
Name | Symbol | Relationship of Symbol to Name |
---|---|---|
Luke. | Winged Ox. | Book of Luke deals with the sacrifice of Christ; oxen were common sacrificial animals. |
John. | Eagle . | Eagle is symbol of highest inspiration; John wrote his gospel, 3 epistles, and Revelation. |
The Book of Revelation was written sometime around 96 CE in Asia Minor. The author was probably a Christian from Ephesus known as ” John the Elder.” According to the Book, this John was on the island of Patmos, not far from the coast of Asia Minor, “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 1.10).
Some apocryphal accounts state that at the time of her betrothal to Joseph, Mary was 12–14 years old . According to ancient Jewish custom, Mary could have been betrothed at about 12. Hyppolitus of Thebes says that Mary lived for 11 years after the death of her son Jesus, dying in 41 AD.
John mentions four individually, including Jesus ‘ mother Mary , who is not mentioned by the other gospels. Mary Magdalene is mentioned by all the evangelists apart from Luke, who mentions no individual.
The Sacred Tradition of Eastern Christianity teaches that the Virgin Mary died a natural death (the Dormition of the Theotokos, the falling asleep), like any human being; that her soul was received by Christ upon death; and that her body was resurrected on the third day after her repose, at which time she was taken up,