These scriptural reflections by the Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok are copyrighted, but you are free to reproduce them for your own noncommercial personal or church use. Other uses require permission of the author, who may be reached at revsandyb@aol.com.

"The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples…One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother." John 1:35, 40

Although only the disciple Andrew is named, many scholars believe the unnamed disciple was actually the author of this Gospel. I'd like to introduce this unnamed man. He later became known as the disciple Jesus loved (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20, 24). His name was John.

John's interesting spiritual pilgrimage is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Jesus called him when he was with his brother, James (Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19; Luke 5:10). Together they enthusiastically left their fishing nets to follow Jesus. John was literally hand picked by Jesus as part of the original twelve disciples (Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:17) to do great things. This beloved disciple was spiritually attuned to the fiery messages from John the Baptist. The Baptist had prepared his heart to follow Jesus into a lifestyle of spiritual apprenticeship, known as discipleship.

John had a hot temper and not afraid to express it. He was so outspoken while expressing his desire for vengeance that years later, Jesus strongly rebuked him in front of his peers. He was known as one of the sons of Thunder (Luke 9:51-56). He was also selfish, asking for power, privilege and status before Jesus gently refused his request, teaching him that suffering was the way of discipleship (Matthew 20:20-24; Mark 10:35-41).

However fallible, John was loyal and brave. When the other disciples would later flee for their lives and hide in fear, we will find John steadfast and present at the cross while Jesus was dying in agony. John was such a faithful friend that (John 19:26) Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to John with his dying breaths.

After the resurrection, John became an assertive healer and preacher in the Jewish temple. He was arrested and threatened for witnessing, while being recognized as a companion of Jesus (Acts 3:1-4, 22; 4:3, 13, 21). For the sake of his beloved Jesus, he was persecuted, flogged and arrested and ordered to never speak again in Jesus name and he rejoiced in the privilege to suffer for Christ (Acts 5:18, 40, 41-41). His beloved brother, James, became the first Christian martyr (Acts 12:1). As the years passed, fiery John was banished and exiled to the remote island of Patmos, where he wrote Revelation (Rev. 1:9). In all his writings, John will be forever known as the disciple Jesus loved.

In the past, I have shared these thoughts about John: "If you have never read the entire gospel of John, it can be used for your personal prayer empowerment through imagining yourselves in scripture, using centering words and symbols for breath prayers while lingering with God. John teaches us about authentic spirituality with the most non-homophobic spiritual leader in world history. After reading this gospel, consider reading his other letters known as 1st, 2nd and 3rd John. He writes about two great Biblical truths. God is light and God is love. After reading these letters, consider reading his final book included in the Bible. This is the book of Revelation, which many find very difficult to understand. Yet if Revelation is read carefully and prayerfully, after reading John's gospel and his letters, it can be a powerful and beautiful spiritual experience. It can be a marvelous worship experience" (Reclaiming our place).

Prayer: Teach us about spiritual greatness, O God, through the life and writings from beloved John about his beloved Jesus. Amen.