What does the Bible say?

Questions to help you grow in your familiarity with the Apostle John

There are a couple of great men of faith in the scriptures with the name John. John the Baptist and the
fisherman turned Apostle, John. He was the son of the fisherman Zebedee and Salome, and brother of
another great man of faith the Apostle James, who also was part of the family business. It may have been a
fairly new name as there are no people in the Old Testament with this name. See Lk 1:61-63, this was of
course speaking of John the Baptist, not the Apostle.
Tradition holds that he was born around 6 A.D. in the area of Bethsaida, this would make him a bit
younger than Jesus and since Bethsaida is on the north coast of the Sea of Galilee and historically a
popular commercial fishing area there is little reason to make an argument to the contrary. Tradition also
says that John outlived all the other Apostles and died a natural death in the area of Ephesus at a ripe old
age somewhere in his nineties.
John was at the core of the church from the beginning and an eye witness of the Lord's Transfiguration.
He authored five books in the Bible, the Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, and the Book of Revelation.
Along with Peter, James and Paul the Apostle John was a pillar and an example to us all. What does the
Bible say about this simple man called to be the close personal friend of the Creator of the Universe?

Day 1

1. a) The Calling, Read Mt 4:18-22, Mk 1:19-20 compare this with Jn 1:35-45. What's different? Who's
missing from the account?

b) Why do you think these apostles aren't mentioned? Would you have written it this way? What do
you think this says about John?

2. John was subject to the same misunderstanding of the ministry of Jesus as the rest of the Apostles,
but John quickly rose to a position in Jesus’ inner circle along with his brother James and Peter.
Jesus must have seen something special very early on in this young man's character that
distinguished him. What was the initial ministry of John and these new "fishers of men". Read Mt
10:1-2, 6-8.

3. Read Mt: 17:1-9 Describe the event that John was witness to.

4. a) Read Mt 17:15-20. What set back did John and the other disciples have to deal with?

b) What could have empowered John and the others; and you today?

Day 2

1. a) John and James were given a special name by Jesus, what was it? See Mar:317

b) What do you think was the reason they got this name? See Lk 9:54-56, could this be a clue to
their nature?
 What does the Bible say? Questions to help you grow in your familiarity with the Apostle John

2. Still Jesus saw or planned a unique future for John and His inner circle. They were given special
access to things that most of the other disciples did not. Besides the Transfiguration what else were
they privileged to witness? See Mar 5:35-42, Luke 8:51-53, Mar 14:32-40

3. a) This special treatment created tension amongst the disciples at one point, what happend and
why? See Mt 20:20-21, Mk 10:35-41

b) What did John learn after this situation arose? See Mar 10:42-44.

4. a) Read Lk 9:46-50 we see John caught up in another situation that showed he was not mature in
his faith yet. What do you think was going on in John's mind? What did he learn?

b) What can you learn from Lk 9:50?

Day 3

"John was probably the last gospel written, and written in view of what the previous three had
already said. This is one reason why John is so different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. There are
significant events in the ministry of Jesus that Matthew, Mark, and Luke include that John leaves
out, including Jesus' birth, baptism, temptation in the wilderness, the Last Supper, the agony in
Gethsemane, the Ascension, demonic confrontations, and parables"
"John is a gospel written for a specific purpose: that we might believe. A key verse for
understanding the Gospel of John is found at the end of the book: But these are written that you
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His
name (John 20:31)".
1. Earlier we read that John was privileged to witness several amazing miracles performed
by Jesus using just His speech. By the time John sat down to write his gospel he had
matured greatly in faith and understanding. Read Jn 1:1-5, 14. What does John now write
that Peter had revelation of earlier in Mt 16:16?

2. In John's gospel chapter 3 we see the concept of personal renewal not so directly
addressed in the other gospels. Read Jn 3:3, 3:36 what are the ramifications of not being
born again?

3. As John continues communicating Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus two things are
 What does the Bible say? Questions to help you grow in your familiarity with the Apostle John

mentioned for us to have a right standing with God. Read Jn 3:14-17. What was Jesus’
part? What is yours?

4. a) John struggled as all the disciples did and as we often do. In fact when it counted the
most what occurred in Mar 14:49-52? John is usually credited as being the "young man".

b) But having taken courage after all the other men had fled, where do we find "the disciple
whom He loved" along with the faithful women? Read Jn 19:25-27 what does it say in
these verses? Could this be the character that Jesus had seen in this young man from the
very beginning?

Day 4
1. After the Ascension, John and the other disciples received power from "On High". What
did John and the others see and do? See Acts 1:13, 2:1-4.

2. Empowered by the Holy Spirit John and the other disciples continued the ministry of
Jesus and exercised great faith and they were used by God mightily. What did John and the
others do in Acts 2:42-43, 3:1-6, 4:13-14, 4:33?

3. As we see in Gal 2:9 the Apostle John grew to be a "pillar" in the church at Jerusalem. He
affirmed the ministry of Paul in the spreading of the gospel message to the gentiles. John's
own gospel, epistles and prophetic Book of Revelation speak to all people and generations.
Read 1 Jn 1:1-10. What does this say about John's relationship with the Lord?

4. John's passion for the church had grown so personal that he saw them as "his children". He
gave them and us hope as he revealed how we should live. What hope did John reveal to us
when we sin? See 1Jn 1:8-9, 1Jn 2:1.

Day 5
1. The 2nd and 3rd epistles of John are largely personal admonitions to individuals and
churches. The "Elder" appears to be John. What does he exhort the readers to in 2 Jn 1:5-8,
3 Jn 1:4?

2. The last years of John's life were spent in exile on an island, Patmos. This fisherman
turned "Fisher of Men" had a ministry they couldn't stop so they looked to limit it by
isolating him. Little did they know that the Lord would use this isolation to draw John into
an even deeper understanding of the world to come. John's Revelation stands out as unique
 What does the Bible say? Questions to help you grow in your familiarity with the Apostle John

amongst the books of the New Testament. There are many Old Testament images that John
details as he takes us through what he witnessed as he was taken up on his personal guided
tour of the future. Awesome, fearful, astonishing, jubilant, triumphant, there are
insufficient adjectives to describe what was revealed to John. He was a personal witness
and a participant in so many miracles in his life, but little could compare to what he was
about to see. Read Rev 1:2-3 what is John's admonishment to us, the future church.

3. By this time John was likely the last of the original twelve apostles still alive. What last
message of hope did Jesus personally reveal to us through John? Read Rev 1:7-8, 17-19.

4. John's vision can be studied in depth over a lifetime and still not be completely
understood. He used the best pictures he could to describe things he'd never seen before.
John uses the pronoun "I" and his own name together in his last chapter to assure us that he
was a personal witness to the truth of this unbelievably awesome look at the future. Read
Rev 22; write a few things that stand out to you in this marvelous last chapter.