One Gospel tells a different story

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

	St. John the Evangelist When: First century Where: Palestine, Patmos, Ephesus What: Apostle, evangelist Feast: Dec. 27

When reading the four Gospels, one thing always stands clear: John's Gospel is different from the other three, including some details but omitting others featured in the synoptic Gospels. One obvious difference is its emphasis on the divinity of Jesus.

So who is this John? John is believed to have been born in about 6 A.D. in Galilee to Zebedee and Salome. He was a fisher on Lake Gennesaret with his older brother, James the Greater, until Jesus called them to follow him (Mt 4:21-22 and Mk 1:19-20), making John the youngest apostle.

John quickly moved into Jesus' inner circle and was present, with Peter and James, at the Transfiguration (Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2, Lk 9:28), the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mk 1:29-31), the raising of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:22-42, Lk 8:40-56) and the agony in the garden (Mt 26:37, Mk 14:33).

Jesus sent John and Peter to prepare for the Passover (Lk 22:8) and he was the only apostle at the cross where Jesus told him to care for Mary (Jn 19:25-27). He raced ahead of Peter to the empty tomb on Easter, but waited to allow Peter to go in ahead (Jn 20:2-8).

In the early church, John and Peter were imprisoned together before testifying before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-21) and then went together to Samaria to bring the Spirit to the new converts (Acts 8:14). He also was at the Council of Jerusalem in 49 and then went to Asia Minor. Paul calls Peter, James and John the pillars of the church of Jerusalem (Gal 2:9).

Tradition says John was arrested in Rome under Domitian, but escaped from a vat of boiling oil. He then was exiled to Patmos, where tradition says he wrote Revelation.

In about 96, after Domitian died, tradition says John went to Ephesus and wrote his Gospel and three letters. He is the only apostle not to die of martyrdom.

However, most modern scholars do not believe the beloved disciple wrote the Gospel attributed to him - nor that Revelation was written by the author of the other four books. Most of these scholars attribute authorship of the books to a member of his community.

And what type of community was it? While the Gospels often portray the apostles as slow to grasp what Jesus taught, John seems to have learned. Once, the "Sons of Thunder" - a name Jesus gave John and James - asked to call fire from heaven upon Samaritans who did not welcome him, but were rebuked by Jesus (Lk 9:51-55). How fitting then that John's writings stress love - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life" (Jn 3:16).

It is also said that whenever his church asked him to preach, John would say "Brothers and sisters, love one another." When asked why he couldn't come up with a new sermon, he'd respond: "When you have mastered this lesson, we can move on to another."

Symbolically, John is portrayed as an eagle because his theology soars. For example, In John's account of the Last Supper Jesus speaks as though he were already in heaven and, throughout his Passion, Jesus seems to be completely in charge of all that happens.

Yet the Jesus in John's Gospel was mindful of human needs - changing water to wine at the Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11) and raising Lazarus, for whom he wept (Jn 11:1-44) - and the importance of service as shown by the washing of the feet of the apostles at the Last Supper (Jn 13:1-16).