Expert: Marilyn - 7/18/2009

Question
Who is this person and what do you base your answer on? See the book of John for several references. Specifically: J 20:2. And then John calls him "the follower whom Jesus loved" and "the other follower". This is also referenced at the last supper I think. Is this the same person? Why doesn't John identify him; for what purpose could he be being nondescript? TU for your time.

Answer
Hello;

Some argue that the reason John doesn't say "I" or identify himself is because the Gospel of John was not written by John but by a disciple of John or someone else. This doesn't hold up to examination because the author says the disciple Jesus loved was at the Last Supper and because John 21:24 clearly says, "This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true."

The Gospel of John is very different from the other three. It's dreaminess and spirituality emphasize the Son of God as a Spiritual Being, the Son of God. John 1 reads like a fantasy novel. It contains Jesus' "I AM" statements which Hebrews of the day took to be a declaration that He was God. John tells us some stories that the other writers didn't include in their Gospels. He adds "I tell you the truth" to many of Jesus' statements, while other Gospel writers did not do this.

We don't know a whole lot about Jesus' disciples, but we can gather some information from Scripture, from how they are portrayed and how they wrote. Peter did not write a Gospel, but wrote I & II Peter. From the Gospels we can see him as a physically active, impulsive man who sometimes blurted out things without thinking. Matthew is logical and persistent. Mark is also very practical and focuses on facts. Luke was not an Apostle, but a medical doctor who became a companion and fellow worker with Paul, Philemon 24. He also wrote Acts. He's like a biographer of today who write biographies of President Lincoln or any number of other important historical figures. He interviewed people and collected data before writing his Gospel which has an historical tenor to it different from the others.

John was a quirky kind of a guy. A deep thinker, a spiritual man in a way that the other Apostles were not. John is the Apostle Jesus asked to take care of His mother, John 19:26. Even though He had other brothers and sisters, it was Jesus' responsibility as the oldest son to see that His mother was taken care of and He chose John, His Apostle. This and other incidents, such as choosing John along with James, John's brother, and Peter, to witness His transfiguration single John out as a special friend of Jesus. The books I, II and III John testify to a tenderhearted, deeply spiritual man.

In short, John was Jesus' best friend on planet earth. Not that Jesus loved the other disciples less, but that with John He had a special bond. I think this is why John refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." It may sound vain to us, but I think he does it to distance himself from the story in an attempt to show us he is doing his best to present an objective account--it's an attempt to remove himself a little from the action and look in from the outside.

Sincerely,

Marilyn