St. John the Apostle is often remembered as the beloved disciple, the one who rested against Christ at the Last Supper and stood faithfully at the foot of the Cross. He is also known as the apostle of love, the evangelist who wrote so deeply about light, truth, and abiding in Christ.
According to a long-held Christian tradition, John’s witness to Christ once led him into a dramatic confrontation with death itself.
While living and preaching in Ephesus, John was challenged to prove the power of the God he proclaimed. In one version of the story, a priest of the Temple of Artemis demanded that John drink a cup of poisoned wine. In another telling, the Roman Emperor Domitian himself ordered the test. The condition was simple. If John survived, it would show that the God of Christians was greater than the gods of the empire.
John prayed, blessed the cup, and drank.
According to tradition, the poison did not harm him. Some accounts say the poison visibly departed the cup, often symbolized as a serpent. Others add that John went on to raise to life those who had already died from the same poison. Whatever the details, the meaning was clear to early Christians. John’s life was preserved not by chance, but by the power of Christ.
This story helps explain why John is often depicted in Christian art holding a chalice. The image recalls both this moment in Ephesus and Christ’s words at the Last Supper, reminding believers that faith calls us to trust God even when the cost is high.
John was not seeking spectacle. He was a man who had spent his life abiding in Christ. When faced with danger, he did what he had always done. He placed his life entirely in God’s hands.
St. John reminds us that faith is not merely something we profess. It is something we live.
To explore the lives of saints in a more approachable and human way, Drinking With the Saints offers a thoughtful look at how holiness is woven into everyday life. Filled with stories, feast days, and reflections paired with simple recipes, it is a reminder that saints were real people whose faith shaped even the ordinary moments they shared around the table. Purchase yours today at The Catholic Company!
