John of Nob
Patriarch of the village of Nob, near Jerusalem. He recently lost his Wife and his daughter married far away when he welcomed Jesus on behalf of the entire village.
John attended, together with his wife Lia, the speech of the old man Simeon about the coming of the Messiah, during the presentation of baby Jesus at the Temple. When he meets Jesus, he thus expresses the same wish as Simeon:
"Now, Lord, let your servant go in peace, because my eyes have seen the Saviour"[1]
He offers his house, close to Jerusalem but still isolated, as a refuge for the persecuted Jesus.[2] He has the trial of hosting a Judas who is arrogant, an outcast:
"«Still busy carving, old man? It’s cold! And there is no fire in here. I am hungry. And there is no food ready. Is Eliza sleeping perhaps? She wanted to do everything by herself. But old people are slow and their memory is weak. I say! Are you not speaking? Are you completely deaf this evening?»
«No, but I am letting you speak, because you are an apostle and it ill-becomes me to reproach you» replies the old man.
«Reproach me? Why?»
«Examine yourself and you will find why.»
«My conscience has no voice…»
«Which means that it is deformed or that you have maimed it.»"[3]
Character and Appearance
Apostolic Journey
Witness of the Resurrection. Jesus sends him a lamb for Resurrection Sunday:
"Jesus of Nazareth, your friend, sends you this lamb, so that you may celebrate this day with a banquet of joy, because for the true friends of the Christ there is not a greater joy than today’s."[4]
John sees in this gesture the certainty that Jesus is risen. This faith is rewarded. To Jesus who appears to him and asks if he still wants to die, he replies:
"It would be lovely to go out of this world, where You no longer are as You were previously. But I forgo the peace of Heaven to say to the incredulous: 'I have seen Him!'"[5]
Jesus then lays his hand on his head to bless him and adds:
"But it will soon be also peace, and you will come to Me with the rank of confessor of the Christ."[5]
His Name
ןיוחנ (John – Yohanân)[6]
From the Greek Iôannês coming from the Hebrew. Iohanân, "the Eternal One has shown Grace, has been favorable".
Where is he mentioned in the work?
GRM 511 GRM 528 GRM 529 GRM 531 GRM 532 GRM 538 GRM 566 GRM 576 GRM 590