Bible Character Explorer
New Testament • 1st century AD
John the Apostle
The Beloved DiscipleThe disciple whom Jesus loved, who wrote a Gospel, three letters, and the Book of Revelation
"And that disciple, whom Jesus loved, saith unto Peter, It is the Lord."
John 21:7 (KJV)
Overview
John, son of Zebedee and brother of James, was one of the first disciples called by Jesus and part of his innermost circle along with Peter and James, present at the Transfiguration, in Gethsemane, and at the raising of Jairus's daughter. Referred to in his own Gospel as 'the disciple whom Jesus loved,' John was the only one of the twelve present at the crucifixion, was entrusted with the care of Jesus's mother, and later wrote the Gospel of John, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation while exiled on the island of Patmos.
Gospel Connection
John's Gospel was written, as he states directly, 'that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.' His first epistle emphasizes that God is love and that this love was demonstrated in sending his Son to be the propitiation for sin. And his final book, Revelation, ends the entire canon of Scripture with the marriage supper of the Lamb and the promise of Christ's imminent return, bringing the whole biblical story, and John's own decades of faithful witness, to its climactic and hope-filled conclusion.
Discover More
See how this life points to Christ in the Gospel Connection section above.