The apostle and evangelist John belongs to those holy persons who made up the close circle of the Lord's disciples. In fact, it is referred to as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13,23).
He was his son Zebedaeus and Salome (Matthew 4,21:15,40, Mark XNUMX:XNUMX) and brother of the apostle Iakovos. Their mother was probably a relative, perhaps a cousin of the Virgin Mary, which means that the two apostle brothers were fleshly cousins of the Lord and this may be the reason for their intimacy with Him, especially John. John, together with his brother James, lived with their family in Galilee and maintained a profitable and robust fishing business, having their own ship and workers (Mark 1,20). It seems that their families were wealthy. This is inferred from the fact that Salome, their mother, was one of the disciples of the Lord, who served him from her possessions (Luke 8,3:15,40; Mark 16,1:18,15). The purchase also of the most expensive perfumes to anoint the dead body of Christ testifies to this claim (Mark.XNUMX). The fact that John also took the mother of Jesus under his own care is an indication of the financial comfort of his family. It also seems that John's family also had social acclaim, because he was known to the powerful and unapproachable high priest Caiaphas and thus was able to enter the conference that tried Jesus together with Peter (John XNUMX).
Ioannis was his faithful student from an early age John the Baptist. With great attention he listened to the great hermit and prophet's prophecies about the Messiah. She longed to come to his days and meet him. One day the Baptist, having with him his two disciples, John and Andrew, saw Jesus walking nearby. Then he testified about Him, saying: "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1,37:XNUMX). Immediately the two disciples followed Jesus and asked him where he was staying. He said to them: "come and see" (John 1,40:1,20). They saw where He was staying and stayed with Him all day. Ioannis was unimaginably moved by this meeting, that's why he made the big decision, together with his brother Iakovos. They left the fishing business and followed the Lord (Mark XNUMX).
John belonged, as we mentioned above, to the close circle of the three disciples of the Lord. It is inferred that he was his youngest student, almost a teenager. His wonderful character, his obedience, his faith and his devotion to the Lord, resulted in him being very loved by Jesus and the other apostles. Because of his rare spontaneity he was named by the Lord Boanarges (= son of thunder), as was his brother Iakovos. One day when they were passing through a village in Samaria and the inhabitants did not accept them, he asked the Lord for fire to fall from heaven and destroy them. Of course, Christ answered them that: "Do you not see what kind of spirit you are? the son of man did not come to destroy the souls of men, but to save them" (Luke 9,54:XNUMX).
As a close disciple of Christ, he was happy to see the miracle of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Mt.17,1.Mark.9,2), the resurrection of his daughter Iaeiro (Mark.5,35.Luke.8,51) and to experience the agony of His Teacher in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt.26,37.Mark.14,33). Together with Peter, he was sent to prepare the Passover Dinner (Luke 22,8:XNUMX). At the time of the Supper he fell upon the Lord's bosom, begging Him to reveal to them who the candidate is
traitorous disciple (John 13,25:18,16). He found the courage and attended the trial of Jesus (John 19,26) and appeared surrounded under the cross at the horrible Golgotha. He also succeeded in becoming the protector of Theomitoros at the request of His Crucified Master (John 20,2). He claimed to be the first disciple to see the empty monument (John 4:XNUMX-XNUMX).
The absurdity of the request for primacy in Christ's worldly kingdom, as he wrongly imagined it, caused the indignation of the other disciples, but apparently he immediately came to his senses (Mark 10,35:XNUMX).
After Pentecost he remained in principle in Jerusalem as an important member of the Church (Gal. 2,9). Together with Peter, they performed wonderful miracles through the Lord (Acts 3,7). They defiantly stood before the high priests and confessed Christ (Acts 4,13:22-XNUMX). He was sent with Peter to Samaria to preach the word of God (Acts 8,14).
Later he went to M. Asia, where he preached the gospel and became bishop of Ephesus. The 95 m. X. during the fierce and cruel persecution of the Roman emperor Dometianou, he was exiled to Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. He died in extreme old age around 100 m. X. in Ephesus. During the delivery, when a collection was carried out, the sept of his relic was not found. The Church teaches us the belief that he was transferred bodily to heaven by the Lord. His memory is celebrated on 26 Σεπτεμβρίου.
John wrote the homonym Gospel, three Catholic Epistles and Revelation, which are included in the New Testament. He is considered the evangelist of God's Word, i.e. the second Person of the Holy Trinity, who "became flesh" (John 1,14), in order to free the human race from the slavery of sin, decay and death and for this reason our Church named him Theologian. In his sacred writings, his exhortation to love people, as Christ taught it, is evident, which is why he is called the evangelist of love. Finally, John is also considered a prophet, because in his wonderful book, the Apocalypse, he foretells the total destruction of the power and authority of the devil and the final triumph of Christ and His believers.
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