Disciples of John the Baptist
There is a test called MBTI that assesses people’s personalities. It explains how even if people are born on the same day under the same parents, their personalities, what they consider important in life, and their desires can all be different.
In the Bible, there are four Gospels. These four Gospels were written by different authors. Although they all recorded the same events that they saw, experienced, and heard, each Gospel reveals a different tone, and the points of emphasis also differ.
The Gospel of Matthew focuses on Jesus’ coming as a King according to the prophecies, targeting to the Jews. The Gospel of Mark focuses on Jesus’ coming as a servant who was obedient until the end, targeting to the Romans. The Gospel of Luke focuses on Jesus’ coming as a man, targeting to the Greeks. Finally, the Gospel of John focuses on who Jesus is spiritually, targeting the entire world.
The study of who Jesus is and what God is like is called Christology, and many theologians agree that the Gospel of John records the most excellent Christology. Our senior pastor even said that the Christology of Apostle John is the most perfect Christology in the entire Bible. So, who was John?
- John was a Disciple of John the Baptist
John the Baptist was baptizing people near the Jordan River. One day, Jesus came to a nearby village called Bethany. John the Baptist, seeing Jesus approaching, declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (Jhn 1:28-29).
The next day, while John the Baptist was with his disciples, he saw Jesus again and once more pointed Him out as “the Lamb of God.” The Bible records that two of John’s disciples followed Jesus after hearing this, and one of them was Andrew (Jhn 1:35-37; Jhn 1:40).
Who was the other disciple? The Bible does not record his name. However, many theologians agree that this other disciple was Apostle John. This is because Apostle John tends to avoid mentioning himself directly in his Gospel (Jhn 13:21-25). However, in John 21, it becomes clear that the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” who leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper, was Apostle John (Jhn 21:20; Jhn 21:24).
Because of these characteristics, theologians believe that John didn’t mention the other disciple’s name not because he didn’t know it, but because it was himself, and he chose not to record it. Our senior pastor has also preached on this. So, what happened to Apostle John that he went from being a disciple of John the Baptist to the disciple of Jesus?
- John Studied the Scriptures with Jesus
When John the Baptist declared Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, Andrew and John immediately began to follow Jesus. When Jesus asked them, “What do you seek?” they replied, “Where are You staying?” In the Korean Bible, the meaning isn’t clear, but the English Bible clearly translates it as “Where are You staying?” (Jhn 1:37-39).
This question implies two things. First, in response to Jesus’ question, “What do you seek?” they were saying, “Jesus, we seek You.” Second, by asking for His address, they meant, “I want to go where You are staying.” In verse 39, Jesus blessed them by inviting them to “come and see”. The Bible records that they stayed with Jesus that day. It was about the tenth hour, which means it was around 4PM. Therefore, Andrew and John likely spent at least 12 hours with Jesus.
So, what did they do while staying with Jesus? The Bible doesn’t detail what happened that night, but we can make an educated guess. Andrew and John began following Jesus after hearing that He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In other words, they were curious about who Jesus was. After this conversation, Andrew immediately went to his brother Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah,” and brought him to Jesus (Jhn 1:40-41). This suggests that the conversations that night led Andrew and John to realize that Jesus was the Messiah.
In Luke 24, after Jesus was crucified, the two disciples, overwhelmed with disappointment were walking to Emmaus. Jesus appeared to them, and after spending the night with them, He explained the Scriptures to them. They then recognized Him and returned to Jerusalem (Luke 24:29-32).
John’s Perspective on John the Baptist and Jesus
John was both a disciple of John the Baptist and a disciple of Jesus. Both taught the Word of God and the kingdom of heaven. How did John understand the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus? (Jhn 1:23; Jhn 1:14)
John refers to John the Baptist as “the voice” and Jesus as “the Word.” When our faith is young, we may perceive the voice and the Word as the same. However, as our faith deepens and our understanding grows, we realize that the Word is far greater.
That is why Apostle John begins his Gospel with the explanation that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” This is the essence of Christology (Jhn 1:1).
Dear brothers and sisters, firstly, no matter how good and wonderful the voice may be, its role is to introduce the Word; the voice itself cannot become the Word.
Secondly, from now on, we must take on the role of the voice that introduces the Word. We should be a voice not only to those who do not believe yet but also to one another within the faith.
Each of the four Gospels emphasizes different aspects of God. Though they are the same Word, different parts of it touch each of us differently. During our summer retreat, many different pastors preached according to the grace they had received, and through this, our understanding of God was broadened. For this reason, I plan to give preaching opportunities to elders, deacons, and other church leaders during our Sunday’s BIble study.
I pray in the name of the Lord that all of you will live as witnesses of Jesus, witnesses of the Father, and witnesses of the Word.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 