The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #1500A KC 1-1

John who sat at the right hand of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper

The name "John" is Ioannes in the Greek and comes from the Hebrew word Yohanan which means "Yahveh has been gracious" or "Yahveh's gift". And certainly our Father has been most gracious to all of us in giving us His Word through this "disciple whom Jesus loved", the apostle John.

John was a son of Salome and Zebedee, who was a master fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. He was also the brother of James, who suffered martyrdom under Herod Agrippa I as recorded in the Book of Acts:

Acts 12:1
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.[2]And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And whereas our Lord and Savior would call Peter "Cephas", which means rock, He would surname these two brothers, James and John, "Boanerges", which means the "Sons of Thunder".
Mark 3:17
And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and He surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
It would be this same John, a son of thunder, who would be taken in spirit to the great Day of Lord, the first day of the Millennium, and SHOWN the actual events of the 7 Seals and 7 Trumps recorded in the Olivet Prophecy by the other three Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke.

It was this same John who sat at the right hand of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper and who leaned on His bosom. And it was John who was the only disciple of the 12 who was at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified, until the Lord sent him away with His mother. And so it was John who was taken to the third heaven and privileged to actually SEE the lightings and thunderings which usher in the return of Jesus Christ at His second advent. He records all of it for us to read and study and understand in the great book of the unveiling, the Book of Revelation.

Furthermore, John, along with Peter and James, was the only Gospel writer who saw the Lord in His Glory at the mount of transfiguration. It is no wonder then that the Divine purpose in the Gospel of John is to present the Lord Jesus as God. Dr. E. W. Bullinger writes in the Companion Bible in his preface to the Book of John, "This is the one great feature which constitutes the difference between this Gospel and the other three." Again in his notes he writes, "The purpose of the Holy Spirit by John, in his presentation of the Messiah, is to say to us and to all, 'Behold your God'; and His Deity is observed throughout this Gospel."

Isaiah 40:9
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Knowing then that the presentation of "Jesus as God" and "Behold your God" is the overall theme of his Gospel, John himself gives us the reason why the events contained in this incredible Gospel were written.
John 20:31
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
So John writes to give us documentation that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Divine God. And he tells us again in the third chapter that if you believe in Him, then you shall have eternal life.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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