WordPoints Home Page > Brass Tacks Home Page > Sermon Outlines > Sermons 101-150 > Sermon 0116

John: the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

This man combined the power of thunder and love

For related resources see:

Bible Characters | Discipleship | Love | Spiritual Strength
Printable version (PDF) of this outline

Introduction

  1. Text: 1 Jn. 1:1-4.

  2. These words were written by the man who, among the twelve original apostles, was perhaps the Lord's closest friend.

  3. He was described uniquely as "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn. 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20).

  4. Out of all those who made up the "cast of the cross," other than the Lord Himself, John may be the one whose thoughts and feelings about the crucifixion we might like to know the most.

I. JOHN BEFORE THE CROSS

  1. His parents.

    1. Father: Zebedee, a fisherman of Capernaum - Mt. 4:13,18-22.

      1. Capernaum the center of Jesus' Galilean ministry - Mt. 4:13.

      2. Like Nazareth, Capernaum rejected Jesus - Mt. 11:23,24.

    2. Mother: Salome, possibly a sister of Mary, Jesus' mother - Mt. 27:56; Mk. 15:40; Jn. 19:25.

  2. With his brother James, a fisherman with their father. Told that, as an apostle, he would from now on "catch men" (Lk. 5:9-11). Cf. Mt. 4:18-22.

  3. Probably little formal education, if any - Ac. 4:13.

  4. Probably a disciple of John the Baptist - Jn. 1:35-40.

  5. Called by Jesus to be one of His apostles - Mk. 1:19,20.

  6. With his brother James called "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus - Mk. 3:17.

    1. Complained that someone who was not following Jesus was casting out demons - Lk. 9:49,50.

    2. Asked if the Lord wanted them to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans - Lk. 9:51-56.

II. JOHN AT THE CROSS

  1. Shared the Last Supper, reclining next to the Lord - Jn. 13:23.

  2. In the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prayed - Mt. 26:36-46.

  3. Witnessed Jesus' being tried - Jn. 18:15,16.

  4. Apparently the only male disciple of the Lord to witness the crucifixion. What made him stay when others fled?

  5. Entrusted by Jesus with the care of Mary - Jn. 19:26,27.

III. JOHN AFTER THE CROSS

  1. A believer in the resurrection - Jn. 20:1-8.

  2. The most prolific writer of the twelve original apostles. He wrote the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John, and the Revelation.

  3. Apparently the last apostle to die - Jn. 21:20-23. Cf. Rev. 1:9.

    1. It is not easy to be the last to go.

    2. One has to watch all of one's comrades die first.

Conclusion

  1. John is an example of the transforming power of:

    1. Faith - Jn. 20:30,31. Cf. Jn. 1:1-4.

    2. Love - 1 Jn. 4:9.

  2. Today, we would do well to emulate the example of a man who knew how to combine thunder and love!

WordPoints Home Page
WordPoints, 106 Canton Court, Goodlettsville TN 37072
Email: garyhenry@wordpoints.com   |   Telephone: 615-944-0694
WordPoints.com © 2010. All rights reserved.

Get the
WordPoints Daily Messages
by email. Free!