Call of the Four

35 – Call of the Four; Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11

Matthew 4:18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He *said to them, “[a]Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, [b]James the son of Zebedee, and [c]John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Mark 1:16 As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 Going on a little farther, He saw [a]James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away [b]to follow Him.

Luke 5:1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the [a]people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but [b]I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ [c]feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were [d]James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

Footnotes (Matthew)

a. Matthew 4:19 Lit Come here after Me

b. Matthew 4:21 Or Jacob; James is the Eng form of Jacob

c. Matthew 4:21 Gr Joannes, Heb Johanan

Footnotes (Mark)

a. Mark 1:19 Or Jacob

b. Mark 1:20 Lit after Him

Footnotes (Luke)

a. Luke 5:3 Lit crowds

b. Luke 5:5 Lit upon Your word

c. Luke 5:8 Lit knees

d. Luke 5:10 Or Jacob

Commentary

Since it ties so well to some earlier posts about why people would have been convicted to repent when hearing the kingdom was at hand, I wanted to start by pointing out Peter’s exclamation, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” In context, Peter had been doubtful when Jesus told the men to let down their nets. After the dramatic miracle Jesus performs, Peter feels ashamed of his doubt, to the point of repentance and feelings of unworthiness. This gave me some new perspective on why it might be relevant for people to repent when they heard John the Baptist or Jesus say the kingdom was at hand. They may have grown complacent, no longer looking for the salvation they had been promised, even to the point of disbelief when it was right in front of them. They no longer placed their hope where it should have been, and when they were brought back to reality with the knowledge that the day had arrived, they would have been scrambling to get their houses in order. Similar to Peter’s comment about fishing all night, the Jewish people had been waiting 400 years for a word from God, and it seemed unlikely to happen so suddenly. Therefore, the appearance of the Messiah would have made them swoon, as Peter did, under the burden of humiliation.

Speaking of sudden, many people misunderstand the call of the disciples as a sudden event and think it strange the men would leave their work and families, as if in some trance. However, as we discussed in another post, when Jesus officially called the first four disciples, it was not the first time they had met Him (Peter, after all, calls Him ‘master’ in Luke 5:5). Jesus first encountered Simon (Peter) and Andrew in John 1:40-42, which is when Jesus gave Peter his nickname. I don’t know if it was just for a little humor, but The Word in Life Study Bible lists the nickname in several languages: Cephas (Aramaic), Peter (Greek), and “The Rock” or “Rocky” (English). Of course, in English, the names “The Rock” and “Rocky” are familiar to us for different reasons, but I appreciated the reference, if only to show me that the name Peter may not have been so much of a formal name as a nickname. Additionally, I appreciate the differences in the gospel accounts, since John gives us the additional stories from Jesus’s early ministry, through which we are able to see that Jesus spent a lot of time with Andrew, Peter, James, and John before this scene on the Sea of Galilee when they leave their careers as fishermen and become full-time disciples of Jesus. Before this official call in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they seem to have continued to support their families and villages through their fishing trade, since that is what they’re doing while Jesus is teaching on the shore.

In that study of the meeting between Jesus, Andrew, and Peter in John Chapter 1, I also mentioned that Andrew receives little acclaim as a disciple, but he was in fact the one to recruit the more notable Peter, his brother. In the passage above from Mark, we can see Peter’s importance, since Simon is listed first, and then Andrew is referred to as “Simon’s brother”. Even more obvious, Luke doesn’t even mention Andrew by name, but we know there was at least one other person in the boat because ‘they’ pulled in their nets. I wanted to take a quick look at why Peter might have been afforded this position.

Peter

“Papias (A.D. 125) claimed that Peter’s preaching led his interpreter, Mark, to write the first Gospel” (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1713). Most scholars agree that the book of Mark was the first gospel account to be written, and many hold that the books of Matthew and Luke used Mark’s writings as a template. Given Mark’s close relationship with Peter (as his interpreter), it seems natural he would focus on Peter’s role first, and if the other authors were using his writings as a template for their own, it would make sense they would follow suit. The most well-rounded picture of Andrew is painted in the book of John, also logical, given that Andrew and John had a long history, working together as business partners and having both been followers of John the Baptist, being the two present when John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:35-39). A further influence on Peter’s position in the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke is that all the gospel writers wrote their stories after the events had all taken place, and with the benefit of hindsight, we know that Jesus commissioned Peter to lead the church, placing him in a position of importance among the disciples. Finally, birth order may play a large role in the way the brothers are listed, since the firstborn son commonly held a place of importance. For instance, John, who later became “the beloved disciple”, wrote five books of the New Testament, and outlived all the other disciples, is listed second to James in the above passages. James is the elder brother of John, as Simon is the elder brother of Andrew.

James

Having given Peter and Andrew a closer look, I also wanted to examine the person of James, since, despite his early adoption of Jesus’ ministry and importance as a disciple, the gospel accounts are remarkably silent about him, as well. For the sake of clarification, this is James the Great, disciple of Jesus, son of Zebedee, brother of John, not to be confused with James the Less/Younger (son of Alphaeus, son of Mary, brother of Joses or Joseph), or James, the Lord’s brother (author of the book of James), or James, the father of Judas (not Iscariot) (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13).

For the sake of modesty, John does not refer to himself or his brother by name in his gospel account, so most of what we know of James comes from the synoptic gospels and a couple of verses in Acts. Like Peter, the brothers James and John are given a nickname, Sons of Thunder, by Jesus (Mark 3:17), perhaps an allusion to their zeal and impetuosity, which we see displayed in Luke 9:54 when they offer to call down fire to consume the Samaritans who wouldn’t allow Jesus to stay with them, or in Mark 10:37 when they selfishly(?) ask to be seated on either side of Jesus in Heaven (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 392). When the twelve disciples are listed, James consistently appears second or third in the list (Matt 10:2; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). He was one of four who were at Peter’s mother-in-law’s house (Mark 1:29-31), and he was one of three Jesus allowed to come into the room when He was healing the child at Jairus’s house (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), as well as one of the three Jesus chose to climb the mountain with Him at the Transfiguration (Matt 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28) and to accompany Him in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). He is mentioned just two other times in the gospel accounts: on the Mount of Olives, asking questions about the last things (Mark 13:3-4) and “at the Sea of Galilee when the risen Lord appeared a third time to the disciples and… the miraculous draught of fishes was made (John 21:1-14)” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 392).

The gospel accounts give us details about James’s relatives, including clues about his mother. “The mother of James and John was probably Salome, thought by some to be the sister of the mother of Jesus (cf. Matt 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25)” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 391). So James may have been Jesus’s first cousin (making it a little less surprising that James and John would have requested to be seated on either side of Jesus, but no less misguided). Although, if you read John 19:25, which I pasted in the scripture references near the bottom, you will see that some scholars disagree on this point because “His mother’s sister” could be an individual, or it could be a descriptive phrase for Mary the wife of Clopas. Either way, it’s clear from those verses that James’s mother was close to Jesus, also, as she is clearly present at the crucifixion and was also present when James and John asked to be seated on either side of Jesus in Heaven (Matt 20:20-21).

Following their request for James and John to be seated at the right and left of Jesus, He tells them the brothers will drink of their master’s cup (Mark 10:39), and this is fulfilled for James in Acts 12:1-3 when James becomes the first disciple martyred and the only one whose death is related in the New Testament. Despite the absence of details about James’s travels and actions in the book of Acts until the record of his death in chapter 12, the fact that Herod Agrippa I would single him out for execution was evidence that James must have been a figure of renown and importance among Christians. This early death, in my opinion, may be one of the reasons James’s story is not as prevalent in the gospel accounts. As I mentioned before, the gospel writers all set down their memoirs of Jesus some years after the events had taken place. Luke acknowledges that he did a lot of research, presumably including interviews with those who had been present. If James were not alive by the time the writers were collaborating with others to recall the events, his experiences would not have been related from his point of view.

Fishing Trade

So let’s take a closer look at what these four fishermen gave up to follow Jesus. The fishing trade was big business in the region of the Sea of Galilee, and it included fishing with various types of nets for long hours and then returning to shore to mend and wash the nets, salt and preserve the fish, maintain boats and supplies, train and supervise crews, and negotiate with merchants and buyers (The Word in Life Study Bible pg. 1782). What’s more, the mention of Zebedee’s hired servants implies to us that their particular business was profiting well and would have made a good inheritance (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1238), particularly for the firstborn. “Some infer additional evidence of affluence from the fact that John was ‘known to the high priest’ (John 18:15). Perhaps the family owned property in Jerusalem and spent some of their time there” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol 3 pg. 391). This inheritance was no small matter to forfeit; Zebedee no doubt worked hard to provide for his sons and may have been emotional at the idea of leaving the business to other relations. In addition to losing their own fortunes, the disciples would have walked away from their cultural responsibility to work together with their family for the mutual benefit and support of the other family members, including their mother and any sisters they may have had. To leave was not the prerogative of youth, as it is today when we can ‘take a year off’ and things will carry on without us. They must have been convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus was the Messiah because they were potentially putting themselves and their family in jeopardy by leaving.

Differences in Gospel Accounts

Though these three accounts of the call do not differ significantly, I do want to take a quick moment to reconcile them. I read an article with some well-stated theological points about supposed contradictions in scripture. Most notably, the author calls out those convenient section headers or reading guides and cautions us against considering those as part of the scripture itself (https://mainsailministries.org/index.php/q-a-a-god-bible-theology-culture/103-call-of-the-disciples-alleged-conflict.html). He also says that if there is at least one plausible explanation for the way things fit together, there isn’t a bona fide conflict. In the case of these stories in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we can see clearly that the account in Luke differs from the others. However, just as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, just because Luke doesn’t mention Andrew by name doesn’t mean Andrew wasn’t there. Also, if you recognize that these authors have different styles and different intended audiences, you can make a pretty short leap to say that, in general, Luke’s account is just a more detailed version of the same event. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus saw them, He called them; they went. In Luke, they had been fishing all night, where Jesus presumably had seen them while He began teaching. As Jesus continued to teach, the crowds got bigger, and Jesus noticed that the men had brought their boats back in. He asks Simon (someone He already knows well, per John chapter 1) to take Him out to teach from the water. He then teaches for a while before performing the miracle of the catch, which breaks the nets (causing them to need mending after), and through conversations both in the boat and back on land, Jesus, whose Messiahship has been made clear by this miracle, persuades them that fishing for men will be way better than fishing for fish. They then leave their gear and go to follow Him. The most important thing to remember when reconciling these stories is that we are not bending any theology whatsoever by piecing these stories together. There is no conflict of basic belief here, but merely some literary questions.

Since this post has gotten so long, I’ll end abruptly with that and look at some more ideas next time. Until then!

See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2019/09/06/demoniac-healed-at-the-synagogue/

Scripture Reference

Matthew 4:18

Ezekiel 47:10 Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Matthew 10:2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Matthew 15:29 Moving on from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountain and sat down.

Matthew 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

Mark 7:31 Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

John 6:1 After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).

Matthew 4:19

Ezekiel 47:10 Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Matthew 4:20

Mark 10:28 Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”

Matthew 4:21

Matthew 10:2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.

Matthew 26:37 He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

John 21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

Acts 12:2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.

Matthew 4:22

Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Mark 1:16

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

Mark 1:19

John 21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

Mark 1:20

Mark 1:21 Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and as soon as the Sabbath began, Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach.

Luke 5:1

Numbers 34:11 then go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Chinnereth.

Deuteronomy 3:17 The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.

Joshua 12:3 as well as the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Salt Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.

Joshua 13:27 and in the valley, Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, with the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon (the territory on the east side of the Jordan up to the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth).

Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.

Mark 3:9 Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.

Mark 4:1 Once again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

Luke 8:22 One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So He got into a boat with them and set out.

Luke 8:23 As they sailed, He fell asleep, and a squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

Luke 8:33 Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

John 6:1 After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Luke 5:2

John 1:40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

Luke 5:3

Matthew 13:2 Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.

Mark 3:9 Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.

Mark 3:10 For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.

Mark 4:1 Once again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

Luke 5:4

John 21:6 He told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

Luke 5:5

Ezekiel 47:10 Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Luke 8:24 The disciples went and woke Him saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm.

Luke 8:45 “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. But they all denied it. “Master,” said Peter, “the people are crowding and pressing against You.”

Luke 9:33 As Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

Luke 9:49 “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

Luke 17:13 and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

John 21:3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they said. So they went out and got into the boat, but caught nothing that night.

Luke 5:6

John 21:6 He told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

Luke 5:7

John 21:6 He told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

Luke 5:8

2 Samuel 6:9 That day David feared the LORD and asked, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?”

Isaiah 6:5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”

Luke 5:10

Ezekiel 47:10 Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Matthew 14:27 But Jesus immediately spoke up: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

John 21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.

2 Timothy 2:26 Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.

Luke 5:11

Matthew 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

Luke 5:28 and Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him.

Luke 18:28 “Look,” said Peter, “we have left everything we had to follow You.”

Commentary

John 1:35-39 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

Luke 6:16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor

Acts 1:13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

Mark 3:17 and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”);

Luke 9:54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

Mark 10:37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”

Matt 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

Luke 6:14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew;

Acts 1:13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

Mark 1:29 And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 31 And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

Mark 5:37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James.

Luke 8:51 When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother.

Matt 17:1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

Mark 9:2 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them;

Luke 9:28 Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

Matt 26:37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.

Mark 14:33 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.

Mark 13:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”

John 21:1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

Matt 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”

Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.

Mark 10:39 They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

Matt 27:56 Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Mark 15:40 There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.

John 19:25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

John 18:15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest,