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This sermon was preached on Sunday 14/01/01 Am, by Kevin Matthews.
This morning we are going to meet the man behind the Gospel of John himself, and that of course is the apostle John. We want to consider briefly the main facts concerning his life, and then to consider in detail the text before us in Acts 4:13, and to see what lessons we can learn from this man’s life for our own.
John was the son of Zebedee (Mk 1:20) and Salome (Mt 27:56; Mk 16:1). He had been born into a family that was pretty well off, and we know this because his father was a fisherman with hired servants (Mk 1:20).
John was also a cousin of a fairly important person, Jesus of Nazareth (Mt 27:56; cf Jn 19:25), and was the younger brother of the apostle James.
He had been a disciple of John the Baptist’s and was called to follow Jesus while fishing with his father (Mk 1:20; Lk 5:10), and became perhaps the closest friend of the Lord Jesus Christ’s, the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20). It was John alone who stood with Jesus through His trial and crucifixion (Jn 18:15; 19:26,27). And it was John whom Jesus entrusted with the care of his mother.
It was John who visited the tomb of Jesus with Peter (Jn 20:4), and who recognized Jesus by the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection (Jn 21:7).
The apostle John became one of the chief figures in the early Jerusalem church, and gave the apostle Paul the right hand of fellowship, and approval of his work (Acts 15:6; Gal 2:29). It is likely that the apostle left Jerusalem on the eve of the Jewish war that would destroy the temple worship.
From what we know John lived to an old age (1 Jn 2:1,18), and he travelled much (3 Jn 10), having a great interest in the churches of Asia (Rev 1:11). It would seem that he lived and ministered in Ephesus, and during this time became the means for the conversion of Polycarp.
During his latter years, in the reign of Domitian, John was banished to Patmos for the testimony of Jesus (Rev 1:9). He was later allowed to return to Ephesus, were he died around 98 AD.
The early church Father, Irenaeus says that John lived till the time of Trajan, who reigned from 98-117 AD, and so John stands as an important link between the first, second and third generations of Christians.
John was the human author of the Gospel of John, the three epistles of John, and also the book of Revelation.
Now it is this man that we are going to consider this morning, and we will concentrate on one particular passage in the Bible about him, Acts 4:13. And we ask ourselves the question, what can we learn from the apostle John for our own lives?
We see in our text that the religious leaders recognized that John and Peter had been with Jesus, and far from being something which they thought was great and fantastic, they regarded it to be a matter of scorn and of anger. ‘These arrogant men teach us? They aren’t even educated, who do they think they are?’
For John being with Jesus was not a matter for scorn and anger, rather it was a great privilege, and something that meant a lot to him. And this morning we consider at least four things that being with Jesus meant to the apostle John.
A. HE WAS A SAVED MAN
This is probably an obvious point, but is still worthwhile considering for a moment. When was it that John became a saved man? This question has been debated over the years - some say he was saved after Jesus’ resurrection, and some say before. But one thing is certain, there was a time when John ceased to be an unsaved man. So when did all this happen?
Please turn to Matthew 4:21 and 22, ‘And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him (Mt 4:21,22).’
This appears to be a rather strange way to behave for two people who are not Christians. Here we see the call of God to John and James to minister - they hear the call of God, and being moved by the Holy Spirit they heed the calling of Christ.
Would we find John, indeed anyone, leaving everything in such circumstances to follow Jesus if he wasn’t a saved man? I leave you to your own conclusions here, but surely it is clear. In fact we have already considered a passage prior to this event recorded in Matthew, John 1:35-42, where two of John the Baptist’s disciples respond to the preaching of the Baptist’s. ‘Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus (Jn 1:35-37).’ It is here I believe that we see the conversion of John, for he was the other of the two who followed after Jesus, the passage clearly identifying the other as Andrew (Jn 1:40).
By John 20:8 we see clear evidence that John was a saved man after the resurrection, ‘Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.’
Did John understand what had happened here, did he recognize that the only explanation for this empty tomb was the teachings of Jesus that He would rise from the dead? ‘For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead (Jn 20:9).’ Well this passage would leave us thinking that no he didn’t, or does it? Maybe it’s saying John believed while the others didn’t understand. Perhaps that at this very point it dawned on John what the significance of the empty tomb was.
This then I believe to be a confession of John’s own faith, that he understood then what Jesus had taught, and now believed it to be the absolute truth - even though the others had not yet grasped it.
Then when we get to our passage in Acts, there can be no doubt by this time that he is a saved man, for he with Peter is being held because of his beliefs and preaching concerning Jesus. Peter says there in his defence, for both he and John, ‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).’
These two men knew that to be saved, then it was Jesus in whom they must trust for their salvation - and everyone else who wished to be saved must do the same.
So the first thing we see in the apostles life is that he was a saved man, and that if we wish to be that too, then we need to have been with Jesus. Have you this morning been with Jesus in this way? Is He your Saviour?
B. JOHN FOLLOWED JESUS
When Jesus called John, he immediately left everything and followed Jesus, ‘And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him (Mk 1:20).’
John immediately left everything and followed Jesus - his job, his family, his servants, and followed Jesus. Jesus had no where to live, no material possessions (Lk 9:58), yet John leaves everything in order to follow Jesus.
And is this really such a remarkable thing for a Christian. Perhaps you think that he was some special class of Christian, there being some who are able to follow Jesus in a more incredible way than average Christians.
And this John continued to do so throughout the whole earthly ministry of Jesus. He was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Lk 9:28; Mt 17:1-3), he was with Jesus at Gethsemane (Mt 26:3-7; Mk 14:32,33), and He was with Jesus at His trial (Jn 18:15) and crucifixion.
He followed Jesus even in times of persecution. He was there at the cross. In our passage in Acts he was arrested and threatened alongside Peter for his testimony to the Lord. He was exiled to Patmos for a period when he was late in years for the Lord’s sake. This man was a follower of Jesus, right to the very end.
He saw persecutions arise, he saw heretics and errors arise, he saw his friends and fellow disciples die and be killed for the gospel’s sake, and yet still he followed.
I ask you this morning are you a real follower of Jesus, or are you a hypocrite? When the going gets tough do you stop following and leave off your witness to Jesus, or do you like John cling to Christ and follow Him through thick and thin?
Are you like the seed that fell on the rocks and grew for a while and then died; seemingly a Christian (Lk 8:6,13), and then in times of trouble fall away? Are you like the seed that fell in the thorns and was choked, being caught up in the cares of this world (Lk 8:7,14)?
Or are you like the seed that fell on the good soil and bore fruit - like John who was a true Christian and yielded fruit (Lk 8:8,15), always following Jesus? Who when the storm billows roll and waves of trouble crash upon you in what seems to be an endless surf of difficulties perservere bearing the fruit of a true and a genuine profession.
Is your approach to the Christian life like John's? Do you ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness (Mt 6:33a)?’ Or do you place other things in the way, preferring the world’s pursuits over that of the Lord’s? Where your heart is, that is where your treasure is.
‘He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it (Mt 10:37-39).’
If you do not love the Lord above everything else, including your family, your own reputations, your own desires, your own believed sensitivities, anything and everything, then you are not following the Lord but something of your own imagination.
Praise be to God for His mercy if you like John you regard the Lord as the apple of your eye, the Pearl of great price, and whom you will not let go. If it is He whom you are determined to follow through all trials, temptations and troubles, you too are like John - a true Christian.
Christian follow Jesus, at work when your work mates want you to follow them into some sin, say no, I follow Jesus and He would not do that. When you are with family and you find them behaving in an inappropriate way of sin, say no I will not be part of this for Jesus. Christian remember who you follow, yeah, even through the valley of the shadow of death, follow Him there.
As John followed Jesus, even so we ought also to follow Jesus, with all that we are, every moment of our lives, forever.
C. HE WAS INTIMATE WITH JESUS
Not only did John seek to follow Jesus in order to obtain life, but he sought to develop as close a relationship with Jesus as he could. This to John was more important than life itself - being with Jesus. To establish a close relationship with Jesus John knew that he needed to be often with Him.
One cannot but be touched by the closeness and love that John had for the Lord, expressed in ways that in our society seems to be inappropriate - listen to this, ‘Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee (Jn 21:20)?’
This man loved the Lord with all his heart, soul and mind - with all that he had he loved the Lord. Who did the Lord entrust His mother to when at the cross - to John, no-one held the Lord in such regard as John, and no one was held in such high regard by the Lord as John.
Throughout the Gospel according to John, John is referred to as the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved.’ John knew Jesus loved him, and to John this close intimacy was so very important.
Let us ask ourselves this question - how important is your relationship to the Lord? Do you seek a close walk with Jesus? I know that I do. I crave the intimacy and closeness I have with Jesus, and to me it is more important than anything else. I love Him, and I want to stay close with He who loves me, who died for me.
How is it with you? Do you love Him with all your heart, souls and mind? Do you seek closeness with Jesus as John did? I can sense you saying yes to these questions - but if it is so, why do you keep away from Him as you do? What do I mean?
Do you draw near to God (James 4:8)? Do you commune with Jesus in secret prayer away from the prayer meeting of the church often each day, praying always? Do you hear from the Lord - does He speak to you often? How can you seek a closeness with the Lord when you don’t seek to hear Him speaking to you via His written Word?
Do you seek to please Him with the motive of love by keeping His commandments (1 Jn 4:15; 3:24; 5:1-3), for they who love Him do so?
If you trust the Lord for your salvation I know you love Him - are not these things the way to enjoy a close and growing intimacy with Jesus? If you do not seek Him in these things, then surely you are really kidding yourself about a pretended closeness with the Lord, and a longing for His presence in your life - after all you keep yourself away from Him.
Crave the intimacy of the Lord, seek Him out always, go to Him in the promised means of obtaining this desire. Don’t waste time away from Him.
D. JOHN THE PREACHER
John was more than this, for He was also a preacher. Each one has a role to play in God’s church, and for John this included among other things being a preacher. ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).’
The religious leaders were amazed at the preaching of John and Peter - look at how bold these two are, and what they do. These men were unlearned and uneducated men, yet look at them preach.
Here were two men, part of a small group who were in the process of turning the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet they had no training in the religious schools of the day. They were just ordinary, non-professional men fulfilling their calling of God.
These men had been with Jesus - true preachers and teachers, called by Jesus to preach and to be fishers of men - trained in the school of Jesus.
What a word of encouragement this should be to us. I do not require to have a theological degree from any seminary whatsoever to be Christ’s man in this place, just to be part of the school of Jesus, to be with Jesus. He calls ordinary men to do extraordinary work, men whom He trains in His own school to minister in His own Kingdom.
And if this is true of the preacher, is it not also true of every other role in the Christian Church? We are to be taught as John was taught, through the Word of Christ, that is the Bible as we are led and taught by the Spirit of God. Whatever role we have to play in the church, the ability and the success are all given to us by Jesus.
What a joy this is for us, who struggle daily with so many difficulties and troubles - we don’t need the world’s attainments, we don’t need any of this world’s qualifications to serve, but just to be with Jesus.
If this be so, we too can turn the world upside down, even in this little church. Who cares if the world dispises us, who cares if we be looked down upon as a little no-hoper church - if we have Jesus with us, that is much.
May the Lord encourage you to pursue Him as John did, and may you enjoy the same close relationship with Jesus as John did in His service.
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