My name is John, the fisherman. I was privileged to follow Jesus of Nazareth for about 3 years. Like my brother James and business partners Simon Peter and Andrew, I became a “fisher of men.” To begin with, I was a bit “rough around the edges” constantly maneuvering to get a favored spot in Jesus’ kingdom. But somehow, Jesus loved me. That was a revelation of grace.

I later became known as “The Revelator” because of that grace. First, I was a disciple, then part of the inner circle. In your quaint language, “I hung with Jesus.” That experience gave me physical revelation of Jesus’ humanity in the things I saw, heard and felt.

Once, Peter, James and I were led to a mountain where He was revealed in His heavenly glory. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light while he spoke with Moses and Elijah. That was a revelation of the hidden spiritual world!

The Garden of Gethsemane revealed the depth of Jesus’ love and the magnitude of His sacrifice. The unfair trial and unbridled hatred shown by His enemies was revelation of the depth of human depravity. That is exactly the reason why He came. – and increases our amazement at the love behind His statement, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” The sorrow we all felt at His death, because we had not understood that death was part of the plan, was a revelation of the need for hope!

On the cross, Jesus charged me with taking care of his mother. My conversations with her resulted in an emotional revelation. But after Jesus’ Resurrection I understood unspeakable joy – even though at that point we did not know what would happen next.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit, I saw the truth of Jesus’ predictions that His departing would allow the Spirit to do greater things by indwelling each of us. I travelled with Peter – the one disciple rougher than me – seeing conversions, healings and miraculous prison-breaks. That was a revelation of the matchless power of God!

I lived longer than the other apostles and was given the opportunity to write of the things I had seen and heard. How to start? Matthew and Luke had recorded the birth of Jesus, but, of course, that was not His origin. How does it feel to be inspired? The first scroll of Moses states, “In the beginning” and then “God said, ‘Let there be light and there was light.’” God spoke the universe into existence! He started with light! The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. I clearly saw that the Creator was Jesus and He gave life! This was the Spirit directing my thoughts.

It was amazing that history was orchestrated to prepare the physical circumstances for the proper place and time in which the eternal God would become a human being. But further, God had also prepared the language of the Greeks to embody the concept of reason, truth and language in the word, “logos.” God revealed this to a fisherman!

The really amazing revelations came on the island of Patmos, during my exile. I guess you could say that then I had the time. The images and words were often cryptic and mysterious. When Jesus was with us, we could ask questions. At the time of the visions, I was usually told to write things down, occasionally not to write. The meaning will have to become clear in the future. Is it clear in your day?

The book is sometimes called “Apocalypse,” which also means “Revelation.” But because the book refers mostly to the end of all things, apocalypse is often taken to mean exactly that. I now wait in the presence of the Eternal Father, the Lamb and the Spirit as these things continue to be fulfilled on earth. “Even so come, Lord Jesus.”

Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9, Gospel of John, Acts, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation.

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Discussion Questions

All these dramas may be used and shared freely. If you do use them, I would be interested in knowing about it and hearing comments.

Send comments to me at ross{at}rossolson.org

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