1. What is the Hebrew meaning of the name John? The name, John, comes from the word, Johann and means the Lord is gracious.
2. What books did John write? John wrote the Gospel of John, the three epistles, and the Book of Revelation.
3. Describe Bethsaida. Bethsaida was located on the flood plain of the Sea of Galilee. During periods of heavy rain, the town would have been flooded. This is where John lived at least part of his youth. He started out very poor. But when his father became more prosperous, the family moved to the more affluent Capernaum.
4. Describe the three calls to John. He was first called in John 1:19-21. This was during the first couple of days of Jesus' ministry and was right after the Lord's baptism. At the time of his calling, John was with Andrew along the banks of the Jordan River. He was called the second time in Mark 1:16-21. This time, John was with his brother James, and they were mending their nets. The third calling was in Luke 5:1-10, by the Lake of Gennesaret. He was with Andrew, Peter, and James, most likely the four of them because John's father, Zebedee, had died and they had gone into business together.
5. Describe the mother of John. Her name was Salome, and she followed Jesus. She was ambitious for her boys and asked the Lord if one could sit on each side of Him in heaven. Zebedee had probably been successful enough to leave her well off. Evidence supports that the family had a home in Jerusalem and in Capernaum. Jesus and John probably stayed at John's house in Jerusalem a lot when they were in town.
6. Describe the personality of John. As a young man, he had been very prideful and egotistical. He also had a great temper. But through the years, he acquired a great ability to love. He had experienced the love of his Lord, and he had learned to pass it on. John was trustable, faithful, and dependable. He could be counted on to get the job done. In his old age, he was very, very humble, even to the point that he did not even mention his own name in his writings. He always lifted up and glorified Jesus.
7. Give the titles of John in the Gospel. He is called the other disciple, the witness, the son of Zebedee, the disciple whom Jesus loved, the son who leaned on Jesus' breast, and the elder.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 26 - The Uniqueness Of John
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