About four years ago, I read a short piece from BibleGateway.com that showed when New Testament books came out. One thing struck me then and I couldn’t get over it. To be honest, I still can’t get over it.

The Gospel of John was published in the decade from 80 AD to 90 AD. That is roughly fifty years after the Crucifixion. When this hit me, I couldn’t stop thinking about the decades John lived before writing his first book. What was his life like? Where did he live? What was he like? What did he do all that time?

As I was meditating about John and his long life, another thought struck me. John outlived all the other disciples. He was the last. At that moment, a phrase came to me: the last disciple. That’s when I started writing:

What Did John Do For Fifty Years?

John did not write until late in life, but he was prolific once he got going. Here are the dates from BibleGateway.com in parantheses:

The Gospel of John (80-90 AD)

The Letters or Epistles of John (90-95 AD)

The Book of Revelation (94-96 AD)

John had to have been well over seventy years old, perhaps closer to eighty, when the Gospel of John came out.

Like a Lightning Bolt Out Of A Clear Blue Sky

It must have been a shock for Christians all over to hear about a new book written by a man who walked with Jesus. Here’s how I put it in the introduction to the series:

In 85 AD, more than fifty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of John struck the Christian world like a lightning bolt out of a clear blue sky.

At that time, few Christians even knew that one of the disciples yet lived. After all the years, decades even, a new book of the Bible came forth, written by a man who had walked with Jesus.

John, the son of Zebedee followed Jesus for three years during his ministry on earth. He saw Jesus on the cross; he entered the empty tomb after Jesus rose from the grave.

But who was this man, once the youngest disciple? What had he done for over fifty years since the days of our Lord? And how had he survived all those years? How had he become the last disciple?

The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem

Frustrating Research

Though I studied the Bible for everything I could find about John, the purpose and scope of the Word of God is not a biographical history of men and women. It has a different purpose, which is to show us the unfolding of God’s plan with its culmination being Christ.

Wanting to know more about John, I gleaned as much as I could from the Bible and early Christian historians. After a time, I began to gain some insights about John and his life. One key thing jumped out at me–his loyalty.

John Was Loyal To Jesus & Mary

Of all twelve disciples, John was the most loyal. Peter wanted to be loyal, but his human nature led him to deny knowing Jesus. Three times.

Judas Iscariot, of course, betrayed Jesus and paid the price for his disloyalty with his life. But the other disciples all scattered, presumably out of fear. They were nowhere to found when Jesus was tried, tortured, and crucified.

John was the only one present at the trial and the Crucifixion. That may be why Jesus placed his mother Mary under John’s care and protection. Here is the moment when Jesus demonstrated his trust:

But standing by Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.

John 19:25-27

So Many Questions…

Don’t know about you, but when I read this verse above, questions popped up in my feverish brain. Of the four women mentioned, one is not named. Who was the one called ‘his mother’s sister’ and, if she is his mother’s sister, then she must also be Jesus’s aunt.

Who Was The Mystery Woman?

I think the woman referenced in this mysterious phrase (‘his mother’s sister’) is none other than Salome, John’s mother. If she is Jesus’s aunt, then John must be his cousin, right?

Another question is why does John refer to himself as the disciple Jesus loved? Of all his family members, only his mother, his aunt, and his cousin were present at the most important moment in his life. They risked death to be with him out of love.

Maybe that’s why Jesus was so close to John. They were cousins. And John was the only disciple brave and loyal enough to watch the trial and death of his leader and his cousin.

Mary & John

I also wanted to know how Mary and John got along after Jesus put her under John’s protection. The Bible is silent on this. In fact, we know very little about how the disciples lived and died after the time of Christ.

Early church historians agree, and it seems likely, that John would have faithfully cared for Mary, the mother of Jesus, for the rest of her life. But as far as I know, this is not mentioned in the Bible.

Before his books began coming out, the last thing we heard in the Bible about John was from the Book of Acts.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.

Acts 8:14 NIV

The trip referenced occurred no more than a few years after the Crucifixion. But then that’s it. Radio silence. The latter part of Acts is all about Paul and his missionary journeys. In his letters, Paul mentions Peter briefly, but not John. 

A New Voice Came Forth

Anyone who reads one of John’s books realizes his was a new and unique voice. He saw Jesus in a different light.

Book Three: The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus

I started this post by talking abou how I got started with this series. You’ve seen books one and two. Just a day ago, I sent off the manuscript for book three to my editors. The title will be: The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus.

And now, with a respite from writing, I’m going back to my research for book four. I have not settled on a title yet, but it will be all about John, both the man and the book.

Yours in Christ, Kurt

P.S. If you want to catch up either of the first two books, click here:

The Last Disciple Series