Reflections on John

Whenever I read about John (the disciple of Jesus), I think of him as the "disciple Jesus loved" who "reclined on Jesus' breast" during the Last Supper. I think of him as a gentle, maybe soft-spoken guy who wrote the beautiful picture of Jesus in the book of John.

Imagine my surprise to discover his real name was John the son of Zebedee (or "son of thunder"). That gives me quite a different picture of this man. As a son of thunder, or rabble rouser, he actively sought--through sometimes violent means--to rid Palestine of the despised Romans.

I find it amazing that Jesus can change the temperament and direction of a person's life. As a son of thunder, John could have looked forward to a life of rebellion against Rome, an impassioned life to a futile cause, and (probably) an early death.

As a follower of Jesus, John helped free Palestinians (from Satan's rule), brought light to the nations, and lived to be an old man who died on the island of Patmos.

What a change! How are you different from walking with Christ?