His Gospel is supposed to have been written next.  Why did he write it?  As we have noticed, Matthew, Mark and Luke had already written their Gospels.  But there was abundant reason for John’s writing the fourth Gospel.  We need not doubt the tradition that he was urged to do so by the disciples, elders and bishops of the early Church.  They had heard him tell much concerning Christ of which the first three Evangelists had not told.  These things were too precious to be forgotten, or to be changed by frequent repetition after his lips were silent.  That must be soon, for he was very old, having long passed the limit of human age.  They had listened to the story of the early call of the disciples, and of the first miracle at Cana, and of the night visit of Nicodemus to Jesus, and of the talk by the well of Samaria with the Samaritaness, and of the washing of the disciples’ feet, and of many other things which Jesus said and did of which no one had written.  In John’s talks with Christians, and his preaching in their churches, he explained fully and simply the teachings of Jesus, as no one else had done, or could do.  They longed for a record of them, that they might read it themselves, and leave it to their children, and those who never could hear the words from his lips.

So St. John wrote his Gospel, giving to his first readers his great reason,—­“These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name.”

For the writing of his first Epistle he also gives a reason, saying,—­“That which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled concerning the word of life, ... that ... declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us.”

Through these words John draws us very near to his Lord and ours, Whom we behold through his eyes, and hear through his ears.  We almost feel the grasp of a divine yet human hand.

The great theme is the love of God, or as Luther expresses it, “The main substance of this Epistle relates to love.”  John’s Gospel abounds in declarations and illustration of this greatest of truths, but it does not contain the phrase in this Epistle in which he sums up the whole Gospel, “GOD IS LOVE.”  Because of John’s deep sense of God’s love, and because of the depth of his own love, the Beloved Apostle is called, The Apostle of Love.

John’s second Epistle should be of special interest to the young.  From it we infer that there were two Christian homes, in each of which John took delight.  The mothers were sisters.  His letter is addressed to “The elect lady”—­or as she is sometimes called the Lady Electa—­and her children.  John tells of his love and that of others for them,—­Mother and children—­because of their Christian character.  He tells of his great joy because of the children “walking in the truth”—­living as children should live who have learned of the teachings of Christ.