By Sarah Levesque Losardo
One of the sons of Zebedee – also known as the Sons of Thunder – John shows up in the Gospels as the “one who Jesus loved”, one of the ones who asked for a place at Jesus’ right and left hand, the one disciple who followed Jesus to the Cross, the only disciple not to be martyred, and the writer of a gospel, three letters, and the book of Revelation (or the Apocalypse). What else do we know about this apostle?
He was born in Galilee to Zebedee and Salome, the younger brother of James the Greater. The family fished on the sea of Galilee (also called the the Sea of Tiberius and the Lake of Genesareth, among other titles). It is likely that John was a disciple of John the Baptist until the Baptist sent his disciples to follow Jesus. John – traditionally understood as the youngest of the group – continued with Jesus until his death, witnessing the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the transfiguration, and the empty Tomb. He is seen in the Acts of the Apostles to be a pillar of the church, though his travels are largely guesswork, though he was in Jerusalem for the Council regarding circumcision. Revelation tells us that its author was on the island of Patmos, though the historicity of the idea that the Apostle John was the author of Revelation is debated. Early Christian writings place John as the head of the Church in Ephesus at the end of his life.
If you read all of John’s works, his constant refrain is love – how Jesus loves us and we should love each other. For John, it was all about love. He is often depicted with an eagle, or even as an eagle, and his feast day is December 27th.
May we always remember to pour the love of God out on those around us.
LogoSophia Magazine 