John’s Heresy:
personal divinity
Pictured here in Jerusalem are the ancient steps to what is reputed to be the house of Caiaphas — before whom Jesus was brought for questioning after his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. And there are yet more stories behind this account of this climactic event leading to Jesus’ crucifixion.
The gospel writer John had a father named Zebedee — who owned what appears to have been a substantial fishing operation in the first century on the Sea of Galilee — north of Jerusalem. At this time, the fish harvested were prized as a delicacy throughout much of the Roman empire — from Jerusalem to Rome.
Consequently Zebedee & sons fishing business had status beyond the Galilee. In addition to his sons James and John, Zebedee also employed laborers from nearby villages including future disciples Peter and Andrew from Bethsaida.
Skipping forward in time from the beginning to the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus, the Gospel of John (chapter 18) tells us that “another disciple” (i.e., John) “was known to the high priest” Caiaphas. With this access into the household of a high ranking member of the city’s elite, it is John who lets Peter into the courtyard where Peter would deny his affiliation with Jesus the Christ three times.
The inter-relationships between the family of Jesus and that of John also are interesting. While not privy to all the details, the biblical evidence available hints at the possibility that Jesus and John were cousins.
The potential relationship between the family of Jesus and that of John is highlighted by comparing three gospel accounts of Jesus’ stalwart women followers who would come to the site of the crucifixion — as recounted by Mathew, Mark and John, as follows:
- And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. (Matthew 27:55-56)
- There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. (Mark 15:40-41)
- Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple (John), “Behold your mother!” (John 19:25-26)
Two of the three gospel accounts mention Mary Magdalene first. All three accounts reference a “Mary” described in John’s gospel as the wife of Clopas and by Mark as mother of James the Less and Joses with James the Less referenced elsewhere (Mark 2:14, Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:15) as the son of Alphaeus (which appears to be a variation of Clopas).
From the above accounts, this leaves only one other woman at the cross unaccounted for — a person identified as the mother of Zebedee’s sons by Matthew, as Salome by Mark and as the sister of Jesus’ mother by John. While these could be different people, the similarity of the gospel listings strongly suggest that the gospel writers are all referring to the same person, i.e., Salome as the wife of Zebedee
To summarize, here is the logic in simplified equation form:
Mother of Zebedee’s sons = Salome = Jesus’ mother’s sister.
Zebedee’s sons = James & John.
Therefore: John = Jesus’ cousin.
For yet more of these family and city-country connections, click on:
jesustheheresy.com/all-in-the-family
April 2023
When Jesus then saw His mother,
and the disciple whom He loved
standing nearby (to the cross),
He *said to His mother,
“Woman, behold, your son!”
- John 19:26
The Gospel of John represents a radical departure from the synoptic gospel formulations of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John’s account of the ministry of Jesus contains substantial information not found in with the synoptics, John is also significant for its omissions, for example, virtually no use of parables. There is no hint of Jesus as a social revolutionary. And unlike the synoptics, John’s Jesus makes no reference to any form of never-ending hell for those condemned.
The heresy of John’s gospel is that of a Jesus who gets up close and personal – over and over again. Unlike the synoptics who portray Jesus as uncomfortable with any disclosure of a possible divine role, in John’s gospel Jesus’ special link to the divine is openly acknowledged by many if not most of those with whom he comes in contact.
Only John’s gospel speaks of the “love” Jesus has for his disciples. For example, on their last evening together only John records Jesus getting up from the table, taking off his outer robe, tying a towel around himself, pouring water into a basin, washing the feet of his disciples, then drying them with a towel.
This sense of personal affinity is perhaps made possible by the gospel author’s seeming self-acknowledgement as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” A familial affinity is also suggested by textual evidence than John may have been a first cousin of Jesus. And there is Jesus’ noted ability to reach across the gender divide – evidenced by unique interactions with the Samaritan woman at the well, the repeated affection (even weeping) with the family of Martha, Mary (and Lazarus), and for his mother at the time of crucifixion.
In short, this is a peculiar gospel. John’s Jesus gets up close and personal. With an intimacy that can be wonderful, awesome, mysterious, transcendent, painful. Almost like touching God. John’s Jesus is divinity personalized, the Jewish Messiah, the word, the eternal “I am.” This is no social revolutionary, but a man who reaches out to interact on a personal level with both men and women of all social strata.
For more regarding the topic of John’s heresy, click on Personal Divinity. For a synopsis of all the heresy topics covered by this web site, click on 12 Heresies of Christianity. Or click on any images for other topics of interest below.