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This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Johnathan Hernandez and Gary Schick.

Garry Schick
So we often think of John as the beloved disciple, or the disciple whom Jesus loved. And, of course, that's kind of a quote from the gospel, but why is he the beloved disciple? What did you come up with? My take on this is, we look at Peter the Rock and John the Beloved. These are the results of Jesus. This is not who they were coming into the discipleship though.

Jonathan Hernandez
You know, I always hear people say, like, "John coined himself the beloved disciple right?" Because it's only seen in the Gospel of John as him being called the beloved. He actually doesn't name himself throughout the gospel, but I think so we could look at that as, he's bragging, right? "Oh, I'm the beloved one. I'm the only beloved one." I mean, we could look at it that way. Or, you know, I think we could also look at it as he's telling, "this is who I am. This is who Jesus is. I am that beloved one." And he gives us that for us also, you know, as he's in there saying, "I'm the one that Jesus loves." We can coin that for ourselves too. "I am one that Jesus loves."

Garry Schick
Especially because he doesn't name himself. He gives the eyewitness account and we see through John's eyes and feel the love of Christ. I love that.

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, and so that's the way I always look at it. He's setting up, in a sense, a roadmap for us that as he is walking through these things. He's saying, "I am the one that Jesus loved, and Peter is the one that Jesus loved. And he could go through all those and say, "Jesus truly does love each and every one of us." And so let's look at it that way as, "Jonathan Hernandez is the one that Jesus loves." And it's not a way of me bragging and saying, "oh, well, Jesus loves me more than He loves you." No, it's me grabbing a hold of that identity in Christ and saying, "I am the one that Jesus loves." And so, when I think of John and think of that, that's kind of how I think of it that way. John was called to follow Jesus with his brother, right? It was James. And I always think, in those moments, we don't hear them or we don't read them saying, "oh, should I follow him? Should I not follow him?" It's an instant, "I'm going, I'm doing this." And, you know, that really helps me too. When I feel like God has called me to step into something, I have a million questions. But also I know, am I obedient? And we see John being someone that who has been obedient. In the book of Revelation, it says, "Jesus calls him to come up here and I will show you these things." And he doesn't just say, "oh, well that sounds cool, Jesus, but I'm just going to keep on doing my own thing." No. He goes, and he witnesses and he partakes in those things. He partaked in the Last Supper. He was in all of these places where he had the opportunity to really see who Jesus truly is. Like I said, he was at the Last Supper, he was at the crucifixion, he was at the resurrection. He was at these important places and he was truly saying, "here I am, I am the beloved one because I'm following through." And so, that's what I like about John's story. Also, it's my name so that's kind of cool. But he was someone that was authentic. He truly had intimacy with Christ.

Garry Schick
He was in the top three.

Jonathan Hernandez
He was part of the inner circle.

Garry Schick
Peter, James, and John. Those were the inner circle.

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, and so he was part of that circle. And it wasn't like, I don't want to say he didn't earn it. I don't know how to coin it better, but he desired to be part of that. He was part of that, and he enjoyed being part of that. And he, I hate using the words "works," but he worked within that and he knew his identity. And so when we know who we are in Christ, we can move and operate within those gifts. John operated within who he was and who God has called him to be. And when God called me to be a pastor, I truly didn't want to do it. I was like, "no, I don't want to be in front of people. I don't like to talk. I stutter sometimes. I have a learning disability." I had all these excuses, right?

Garry Schick
Yeah. You and Moses.

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, exactly. I used all these excuses, but God called me. And so, out of obedience, I was like, "okay God, if this is who you've called me to be, I'm going to operate in who you've called me to be." And John, he does that. He operates in who God has called him to be. And he was there and he did the things that Christ had called him to do. Like I said, in the Book of Revelation, he penned the gospel. He was willing. And I think that's what we need to be, is we need to be willing to be who God has called us to be. And we see that with John.

Garry Schick
Yeah, absolutely. Well, and it's interesting. We again, like with Peter, we call him the Rock. But when did he firm up? When Christ was raised, when he received the Holy Spirit, he was always a work in progress. And to a degree, so was John. He's called the beloved. And you're right. In a sense, it's a name he kind of gives himself in the gospel. We think John wrote it. The evidence, the witness to him as the author of the Gospel of John is universal. And he really does make sense as that person. But he is giving us a glimpse through his eyes, letting us with our own eyes, see Jesus. And it's such a beautiful thing. But when we really look at John, the man throughout the four gospels, we see that this gentle, loving, faithful follower of Jesus, he didn't start off quite that way. Faithful? Yeah, I think we could say that. But really a guy with some rough edges. I mean, he and his brother James were known as Sons of Thunder. And it is a nickname they earned. I mean, at one point, they wanted to call fire down on some people and have them utterly burned up for not letting Jesus enter their town. They were people who they were in the inner circle, but they wanted even further in. At one point, whether it was them or whether they were through their mom. But one way or another, they were asking Jesus, "Hey, when you enter your kingdom by the way, we'd like to sit at your right and your left. Can we get that done?" And they were angling for themselves, John. And if you read particularly his letters, they're powerful, but they're a little rough because he's such a black and white thinker. So John had some really rough edges, and yet as you point out, he was an authentic guy. He was passionate. We read, and we also see the balance coming. For example, the word "truth" in his writing shows up 45 times. So truth was big, and truth is tough. Truth can be harsh, you know, but he learned the balance in Jesus. In his gospel, he writes, "the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." We have seen His glory. The glory of the one only came from the Father full of grace and truth. So, we do read "truth" 45 times in his writings, but we read the word "love" 80 times. So love is something he experienced through Christ, and he grew to emulate in Christ, and he had to learn in Jesus to put himself aside, to put others first. At the cross, Jesus puts John in charge of taking care of his mom. So, I don't know what John's plans were before that, but he becomes the one who takes care of Mary until the day of her death, whenever that was. I don't know how old she lived to be, but his plans had to be put on hold. He was a man who suffered a great deal. Yes, he is the one who on that walk on the beach, we kind of talked about that last time. The breakfast on the beach that he and the other disciples had with Jesus. He and Peter take a walk. Peter learns how he's going to die. But John, Jesus says, "well, if I want him to be alive till I come, what's that to you?" Now, John clarifies, he didn't say, "I will be alive till he comes." But John does appear to be the only one who dies a natural death. You say, "oh, well, he didn't suffer much." Well, his brother was the first one to be martyred. So he suffered the loss of his brother. He stood there. He was close to the cross when Jesus died, standing there with Mary and the other women. He may not have been physically put to death. He may have lived to an old age. But we know from the gospel of John that at one point, he's exiled. He's in exile on the island of Patmos when he receives the revelation. Tradition tells us, again, is that historical? We don't know. It was written, like, 300 years later, but it was the next earliest history after the Book of Acts. Tradition tells us at one point he's boiled in oil. Now, I don't even know how he survived that. But he apparently was tortured for his faith at some level. So he suffers for Christ and sees, not only his brother die, but if he's the last remaining alive disciple, he sees all the others go to the grave for Christ. And he's still holding the torch when he is literally the last man standing. Again, this doesn't come from Eusebius, the writer of the verse history, but I think it's Jerome. He tells us that he was living in Ephesus and it seems even from the scriptures that we get the impression that John has a close connection with the church in Ephesus. And it appears that in his very old age, he's restored from the island of Patmos and literally being carried into the congregation. And as he is, and this is our final take on John, because this is who he ultimately became. He would say, "love one another." And somebody asked him one day, "why do you keep saying, 'love one another?" He said, "because the Lord commanded us, 'love one another." But that was a hard lesson for John. We kind of read it. We go, "oh, that's John." Actually, if you look back to his early life, that's not who John was. John was a self-serving, independent, fire and brimstone, son to thunder, argumentative, angry guy. But having Jesus in his life softened him, formed him, shaped him anew into this incredibly; not kind of a weak, oh, loving, gentle John. No. A strong, passionate ardent, devoted, love for Christ and because he loved Jesus, love for others. And you know what? Loving others can be so tough.

Jonathan Hernandez
It can be.

Garry Schick
But to love when you're getting knocked in the nose, that's a different thing. And that's the way Christ loves us. And you know what John did? He sat close to Jesus, and ultimately he embraced not only Jesus as Savior, but Jesus, Lord of his life. This is who Jesus is. This is who I choose. This is what the path I choose that I'm growing up to be through Him. So friends, I know you're sitting out there thinking, "man, I got some rough edges. I'm a long way from John." John was a long way from John when he started. The story's not done on any of us, but do what John's gospel just helps us do. Keep your eyes on Jesus and know that he who so loved the world, so loved you. And His love can live in you and through you. And that is the love that transforms the world. It's John who writes, "by this all will know that you're my disciples." Not by what you know, but by your love for one another, which is tough, but it's how Jesus loves us every day. Tough love, Jonathan.

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah. John came from a fishing family, more than likely, a fairly well off fishing family. And when Jesus called him, he went, you know? He could have stayed there and stayed rich, but there was something rich with being with Jesus. And he ultimately got that great reward at the end.