In the inaugural episode of Great in God’s Sight, we travel back to the earliest stirrings of the Christian church and to one of its noblest leaders—John the Beloved. Get ready for new insights and fresh perspectives as we explore the story of this famous disciple.

<p>In the inaugural episode of Great in God’s Sight, we travel back to the earliest stirrings of the Christian church and to one of its noblest leaders—John the Beloved. Get ready for new insights and fresh perspectives as we explore the story of this famous disciple.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

GYC Southeast

Rhonda Grakov

Great in God's Sight Season 1

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

Mark: One Young Man


That's thegreatpodcast.org. Thanks for listening. A group of men gathered around the table of a small, sparsely furnished room. As in every other home of the time, lighting originated from the sun or from an oil lamp. Even in this lighting, the features of each face could easily be discerned.

Some appeared brawny from years of toil, while others seemed quite refined. 1 face, however, attracted the attention of all others. This man's gentle expression, kind eyes, and regal bearing revealed the presence of a king. His humble garb and common company stood in sharp contrast to contemporary monarchs. In spite of modest circumstances, his followers eagerly anticipated the day when he would reign on David's throne and liberate Israel from Rome's iron foot.

Soon, however, their hopes would be dashed and their Messiah crucified. In these last moments together, he reminded them of that fact. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. A new command I give you, love 1 another. As I have loved you, so you must love 1 another.

Jesus loved each of his disciples so much that he was willing to lay down his life for any of them. 1 disciple, however, seemed to understand this earlier than the others. He referred to himself as the disciple Jesus loved, but his name was John. While John holds much in common with the other disciples, a few things cause him to stand out. First, he and his brother James are referred to as the sons of thunder.

Second, he emphasizes the deity of Jesus as the Word of God and the I Am. Finally, he refers to himself as the disciple Jesus loved. These issues make John a useful source in our Christian journey. We've all experienced nicknames, some with positive associations, others with negative connotations. They have a way of attaching themselves to our reputation and identity, whether accurate or not.

To gain some insight regarding this topic, let's explore a nickname given to the disciple John. We find this account in Mark chapter 3. Jesus went up on a mountainside, and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed 12, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the 12 he appointed, Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter, James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

To them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. In other words, Jesus gathered his 12 core disciples together to anoint them with heavenly authority. Notably, we find this interaction in Mark's gospel and not in John's. Perhaps John felt uncomfortable referring to himself in this way and chose not to include the moniker in his account. Whatever the case, James and John's hot-headed temperament receives credit as the source of the nickname, and evidence certainly exists to support this conclusion.

In Luke 9.54, we see James and John dramatically expressing their anger at the inhabitants of a Samaritan village who refused to welcome Jesus. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, Lord do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them? Obviously, these disciples both experienced volatile emotions. Yet it's possible that Boanerges was part of a new identity Christ bestowed on them rather than a stereotype of their temperament, much like Simon's name was changed to Peter. It may be important to note that Jesus used the name when he gave them authority to preach and to drive out demons.

Being thunderous could refer to the power of their preaching and authority as his disciples. Regardless of its intended meaning, it signified a major change in their lives, a point where their identities became interlaced with the God of the universe. We see this theme throughout scripture. Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, And in Revelation, God promises a new identity to everyone who is victorious. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To him who overcomes, I will give a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. God is in the business of transforming lives. We can learn much by looking at the changed lives of James and John. These were rough fishermen, men who spoke the coarse language common to their trade and earned their daily bread by sweating its weight in the hot sun. Prone to outbursts of anger, they even argued with the other disciples about which of Jesus' followers was the greatest.

In fact, their mother tried to convince Jesus to give them the highest positions in the new messianic government they anticipated he would establish. Yet in spite of all their apparent flaws and selfish ambitions, the 2 could not resist being transformed by their interactions with Jesus. James endured imprisonment and execution at the hand of Herod Agrippa. John faced exile on the island of Patmos. These outcomes were far different than what they had initially expected, and they could not have weathered such hardships prior to their time with the Son of God.

The Sons of Thunder remind us that true transformation results from spending time with Jesus. John discloses the means by which Jesus transforms us in his gospel. All of the gospels identify Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, But John's account places special emphasis on Jesus' divinity. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." By identifying Jesus as the Word of God, John asserts that he is both eternal and the source of life. Jesus is not only God's provided salvation, but he is the manifestation of God to the human race. John also uniquely identifies Jesus as the I Am. At least 8 times, Jesus refers to himself in this way.

The most powerful statement comes in John 8 58 when the Jewish leaders confront him about his relationship to Abraham. I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born I am. In other words, he wanted it to be clear that he is not restrained by time. A God who transcends time could also provide John with a glimpse at the future while exiled on Patmos. As big as John's God is, we may find it surprising the way John chose to relate to him.

As a member of Jesus's inner circle of friends, John decided not to self-identify as a son of thunder, but rather as the disciple Jesus loved. Certainly, you have wondered, as we have, why did John refer to himself in this way? Isn't it self-absorbed and arrogant to make such a claim? But what if John was referring more to Jesus' relationship to him, rather than his relationship to Jesus? Instead of a statement reflecting his own significance or worthiness, the disciple Jesus loved reveals John's feeling of insignificance in light of God's overwhelming love.

This is best understood when we examine Jesus' relationship with another disciple. Of all the disciples, Peter was most vocal about his love for Jesus. Matthew 26 gives us a pretty clear picture. Then Jesus told them, This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." Peter replied, "'Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.

I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me 3 times. But Peter declared, Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you. Peter clearly expressed his love in a vocal way, yet unfortunately, Jesus' prediction came true. God loved Peter and John equally. He sent his son to die for each.

Yet Peter often spoke of his love for God, while John emphasized God's love for him. By placing his focus on Jesus, John was able to forget about himself and avoid the pitfalls that befell Peter. As we can see, John's life offers many points that we can learn from. God may not have appointed you to be a thunderous preacher, But He certainly has a plan for you. He wants to give you a new name in heaven, but you can start living a new identity today.

Just remember to keep your focus on Jesus, because this is the only way to fully estimate how valuable you are. Thank you for listening to Great and God's Sight, a podcast by GYC Southeast. We hope you have enjoyed this adventure through time and pray it serves to deepen your relationship with God. Each episode aims to draw insight from the life of 1 individual. While we strive to bring you a unique perspective on each believer, we encourage you to use your God-given curiosity to explore these topics for yourself.

Please remember to hit the subscribe button and share this episode with your friends via text or social media. You never know who might be encouraged! Until next time, We wish you God's blessing as you seek to be great in His sight too.

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Series

Great in God's Sight Season 1

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

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Parent Series

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Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

11m

Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

8m

Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

11m

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

10m

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

9m

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

10m

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

10m

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

12m

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

13m

Mark: One Young Man

10m

Sound Doctrine