Meet the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ

Take a few moments to learn about the 12 apostles of Jesus and their characteristics. Discover lessons from the men who helped ignite the light of the truth that still dwells within hearts today and calls people to come and follow Christ.

John

The apostle John, brother to James, was nicknamed by Jesus one of the “sons of thunder,” but he liked to call himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John was probably younger than James since he is usually mentioned after him. Together with their father Zebedee, the brothers were fishermen when Jesus called them.

With his fiery temperament and special devotion to the Savior, John gained a favoured place in Christ’s inner circle. His enormous impact on the early Christian church and his larger-than-life personality, make him a fascinating character study. His writings reveal contrasting traits. For instance, on the first Easter morning, with his typical zeal and enthusiasm, John raced Peter to the tomb after Mary Magdalene reported that it was now empty. Although John won the race and bragged about this achievement in his Gospel (John 20:1-9), he humbly allowed Peter to enter the tomb first.

According to tradition, John outlived all of the disciples, dying of old age in Ephesus, where he preached a gospel of love and taught against heresy.