Person New Testament
John the apostle
Also known as John son of Zebedee, John
John was a Galilean fisherman, the brother of James and son of Zebedee, called by Jesus beside the Sea of Galilee. With Peter and James he witnessed the raising of Jairus's daughter and the transfiguration, and Christian tradition identifies him with the disciple whom Jesus loved and with the author of the fourth Gospel.
Why it matters. John belonged to the innermost circle of the Twelve and, by long tradition, gave the church the Gospel that most fully explains who Jesus is.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
John the apostle participates in The calling of the first disciples
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceNamed in the Gospel accounts of the call beside the Sea of Galilee.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in The raising of Jairus's daughter
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceNamed in Mark and Luke among those who entered the house where the girl was raised.
John the apostle witnesses The raising of Jairus's daughter
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceAdmitted with the parents to the room where the girl was raised.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in The transfiguration
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceOne of the three disciples Jesus took up the mountain.
Evidence:John the apostle witnesses The transfiguration
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceOne of the three who saw Jesus transfigured; 2 Peter later appeals to that eyewitness memory.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in The Olivet discourse
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceMark names John among the four who asked Jesus privately on the Mount of Olives.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in Gethsemane
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe two sons of Zebedee, James and John, accompany Jesus further into Gethsemane.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in Peter denies Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJohn records another disciple, known to the high priest, who brought Peter into the courtyard; Christian tradition identifies him with John.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in The crucifixion of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe disciple whom Jesus loved stands at the cross and takes Jesus' mother into his home; Christian tradition identifies him with John.
Evidence:John the apostle witnesses The resurrection of Jesus
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJohn records seeing the risen Jesus and testifies to it as the author.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in The empty tomb is discovered
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe text names John in this event at the cited verses.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in Jesus appears to the gathered disciples
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe text names John in this event at the cited verses.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe text names John in this event at the cited verses.
Evidence:John the apostle participates in The healing at the Beautiful Gate
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe text names John in this event at the cited verses.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Siblings
- James son of Zebedee
Appears in Scripture
Named in 35 verses across 6 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.