December 27 has traditionally been a feast day for the Apostle John. Many words could be used to describe the Apostle John. My current favorite is that he is the Apostle of abiding, or 'remaining' in Christ.
From John's gospel, Jesus says:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:5-8)
John is also linked to Mary, the mother of Jesus. When Jesus was on the cross, he addressed Mary and John together:
"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home." (John 19:25-27)
Richard John Neuhaus reflects upon this passage:
"Mary is the model of discipleship in her total availability to the will of God. She had no business of her own. She was always on call. To the angel's announcement, she says, "Let it be as you say." She was dependent on others, on Joseph, for example, and now on John. By saying yes to the angel and agreeing to be the mother of the Messiah, she had created a situation beyond her control. Who was to pick up the pieces? God provides by sending an angel to say, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife." Now at the cross she is once again alone in the world. God provides. "Son, behold your mother.' And from that hour John took her to his own home." In her total availability to God, Mary is totally independent and totally dependent upon God's providing. True availability to God overcomes the fear of being dependent on others, for God provides. It is our determination to be independent by being in control that makes us unavailable to God." (Neuhaus, Death on a Friday Afternoon, 90)
John begins Revelation 12 this way:
"A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." (Rev. 12:1-2)
David Chilton comments:
"This Woman, St. John says, is the Mother of Christ: She is seen to be with child (the same Greek expression used of the Virgin Mary in Matthew 1:18, 23), carrying in her womb the Messiah who is destined "to rule all the nations with a rod of iron" (v. 5)." (David Chilton, Days of Vengeance: An Exposition of the Book of Revelation, 298)
More:
"St. John thus brings together all the Woman-imagery of the Bible for this composite portrait of the covenant community, laboring to bring forth the Messiah: She is Eve, the Mother of all living, whose Seed will crush the Dragon's head; she is also Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Jochebed, Hannah, and the other women of the covenant who gave birth to deliverers, forerunners of the Seed; she is the Virgin Mary, through whom the promises to the fathers met their fulfillment." (Chilton, 299)
We get a hint here how densely John layers biblical symbolism to tell us about Mary, and thus to tell us about Christ.
Here is how Malcolm Guite's sonnet about John ends:
This is the Gospel of all inner meaning,
The heart of heaven opened to the earth,
A gentle friend on Jesus' bosom leaning,
And Nicodemus offered a new birth.
No need to search the heavens high above,
Come close with John, and feel the pulse of Love. (Malcolm Guite, "John" from Sounding the Seasons, 6)
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