Mark 1:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.

NIV: When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.

NASB: And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who were also in the boat mending the nets.

CSB: Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order.

NLT: A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets.

KJV: And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

NKJV: When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.

Luke 5:1–11 explains that Jesus had borrowed Simon Peter's boat as a stage, and then impelled him to go fishing. The catch was so big, Simon Peter had to call on his partners, James and John, to help. So, apparently, the two boats landed with their catch, and some time after sending the fish to be processed, the men mended their nets. It was then that Jesus approached James and John.

Like Peter and Andrew, they were brothers who had worked as fishermen for a living. They ran their own business, yet were working class individuals rather than wealthy royalty or educated religious leaders. But their hearts—especially John's—were submitted to Jesus. This John, a different person from John the Baptist, describes himself in his Gospel as the disciple "whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23). The James mentioned here is a different person from the author of the book of James, who was also Jesus' half-brother. This James, the brother of John, becomes one of the first Christian martyrs (Acts 12:2).

Their attitudes are in stark contrast to the stubborn, hard hearts of the religious leaders. Those who should have been most aware of the prophecies regarding Jesus and how He fulfilled them were the ones who opposed Him. Social status and extensive education mean nothing without a teachable spirit and a submissive heart (John 7:17).

Mark 1:14–20 describes Jesus' call of the first disciples. First, Jesus approaches Simon—later named Peter—and Andrew, and then speaks to James and John. Both pairs of men choose to leave their fishing businesses behind, in order to follow Jesus. As the following passage shows, this means abandoning everything, as Jesus' ministry will take Him away from this region. Other Gospels give additional details on these encounters (Matthew 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11; John 1:35–42).

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.