Mark 3:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);

NIV: James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means 'sons of thunder'),

NASB: James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, 'Sons of Thunder');

CSB: and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name "Boanerges" (that is, "Sons of Thunder");

NLT: James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them 'Sons of Thunder' ),

KJV: And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

NKJV: James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”;

While Matthew 10:2 and Luke 6:14 list Peter's brother Andrew next, Mark goes straight to James and John. Peter and the sons of Zebedee become Jesus' closest friends. Along with Peter and Andrew, Jesus had already chosen them to be disciples early on (Mark 1:19–20).

The James referred to here is not the same person who wrote the book of James. That letter was written by Jesus' half-brother and the leader of the church in Jerusalem. This James, John's brother, is the first martyr, and his execution by Herod is the only apostle's death mentioned in the Bible, except for that of Judas Iscariot (Acts 12:1–2).

John becomes one of the most influential of Jesus' apostles. He is not to be confused with John the Baptist, or John-Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark and the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). This John is the author of the Gospel of John; the letters 1, 2, and 3 John; and the book of Revelation. His Gospel is unique in that it focuses on the theology of Christ more than the miracles. John is also known as the disciple whom Jesus loves (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7). Although all the disciples love and admire Jesus, no one else is shown to be so assured of Jesus' love except maybe Mary of Bethany.

Despite John's simple devotion, he and his brother can be impulsive. Boanerges is Aramaic for "sons of rage" or "sons of thunder." Jesus' nickname for the brothers reflects that they have the destructive zeal of a thunderstorm. They live up to their name when they ask Jesus for places of honor in His kingdom (Mark 10:35–40). James, John, and Peter are the only people mentioned to whom Jesus gives nicknames.

Mark 3:13–21 is the third story about the reactions people had to Jesus' ministry. Here, we establish which men Jesus chooses to be in His inner circle. Jesus separates ''the twelve'' for special training so they can be equipped to heal (Matthew 10:1), cast out demons, and spread the gospel. Other than Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), there is no record that Jesus performed miracles of healing for them. But they have witnessed Jesus' power and authority, and are willing to dedicate themselves to His teaching. This is a stark contrast to Jesus' own family. This account is also recorded in Matthew 10:1–4 and Luke 6:12–16.

The bulk of chapter 3 deals with how different people react to Jesus' teaching and His assumption of authority. The Pharisees' confusion transitions into plotting. The crowds that continually follow Jesus for healing become more frenetic and dangerous. Jesus' own family, afraid for His sanity, try to pull Him away. But true followers also show themselves. Twelve join together to become a core group, while a slightly bigger crowd, more interested in Jesus' teaching than miracles, earn the honor of being called His true family.

Mark chapter 3 continues in the same pattern as chapter 2, describing various teaching and healing encounters from the life of Jesus. These events are used to explain Jesus' overall message and demonstrate His power. They also serve to show how different people react to His teachings. Chapter 4 will focus more on Jesus' parables.

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.