What About Him?

In his Nov 1st message, Pastor Bruce spoke about the apostle John, the author of the book of Revelation. During the message Pastor Bruce shared a reading from a book written by David Jeremiah, entitled “Agents of the Apocalypse”. The story that Pastor Bruce shared was written from a historical fiction perspective. It told some of the events that might have occurred to the apostle John that lead up to his exile on the island of Patmos.

The apostle John has become a favorite of mine. I spend a lot of time reading and studying his writings-both his gospel and his letters. I also try to put into perspective his life story – the different stages of his life after his call to be a disciple. I was reminded of a story told by John at the very end of his gospel. The story with actually begins John 21:15 and talks about the conversation between the apostle Peter and Jesus, as Peter is reinstated into the circle of disciples after his denial. The scripture that I am referring to is in John 21:22-24. Peter, upon hearing Jesus tell him tell him how he would die, then turns to John, and asks Jesus- “Lord, what about him?” I wonder what John thought as he listened to Jesus’ reply. What did John think as he listened to Jesus reply, ”Jesus reply, ” If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

What about Him? What about that apostle John? Why him? Why was he allowed to live long enough, why was he entrusted with witnessing, experiencing, and preserving the most extensive revelation of future events in the all of scriptures. Who was this John that qualified him to be bestowed with this sacred trust.

It was this John who had been with Jesus from the very beginning of Jesus earthly ministry. John was there to witness Jesus’ baptism, and was there as the Heavenly Father pronounced “This is my Beloved Son” . This was the same apostle John that was there in the Jordan valley with “the Baptist” as the Baptist” pronounced Jesus to be “the very Lamb of God”. John was there to witness that very first miracle of turning water into wine. It was John, along with James, Peter, and Andrew that Jesus invited to ” come, follow me”. It was this same John that was with Peter as they witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration. It was this John who sat and wept at the base of the cross as Jesus was crucified. It was this same John, who with Peter, witnessed and wondered at the sight of the empty tomb. It was again this same John who gathered with the rest of the disciples to witness the ascension of Jesus Christ. John must have pondered all those things as he sat alone there on the island of Patmos. I’m sure he also remembered Peter’s question to Jesus. “What about Him? Now almost sixty years later, therein exile on Patmos, John was left to ponder , Ah, this is what Jesus was referring to.

I wonder the apostle John’s thoughts as he penned the final words of Revelation. I wonder about John’s thoughts as he finished penning the last few words of the most extensive revelation of future events in all of scripture. I wonder John’s thoughts as he came close to the end of a life that had brought him from being a follower of John the Baptist, to being a disciple of the very Son of God. I wonder John’s thoughts that had taken him from seeing, talking to, and touching the very of Son God, and then being transported to heaven and seeing Jesus in His full glory.

I wonder if John thought back and remembered Jesus words of 60 years earlier. Those words spoken by Jesus in response to Peter’s question “If I want him(John) to live until I return, what is it to you?” Even as John thought about those words, I’m sure that there was no way that John could have even began to imagine all that Jesus had planned to him.

And yet at the end of all, this John, who called himself “the beloved disciple,” could do nothing but fall on his knees, and think… “Absolutely Amazing!!