James and John - Mark 1:19

Mark wrote as Jesus, “walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him”, and in chapter one and verse nineteen of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus saw, “James … and John” where we read:

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.

The verse reads, “And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, ...” Mark began words, “and when” which means “and at the time” “he had gone a little further thence” which means “Jesus went forward and advance from there”, “he saw James” or “Jesus perceived, noticed, discerned and discovered James whose name means supplanter” “the son of Zebedee” which means “the male offspring and progeny of Zebedee whose name means my gift”. Mark shared how Jesus continued in His travels and discovered the “son of Zebedee” named “James”.

The verse goes on to say “... and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.” Mark continued with the words, “and John his brother” which means “and John whose name means Jehovah is a gracious giver who was James' brother”, “who also were in the ship” which means “James and John were even so and indeed in the sailing vessel” “mending their nets” or “rendering fit, completing, making sound and repairing their fishing nets”. Mark shared how Jesus also saw “John” who was “Jame's brother”, and they were both in a “sailing vessel” “repairing their fishing nets”.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see Jesus gathering together two more men who would become His disciples. “James and John”, who were sons of Zebedee and brothers, were also “fishermen”. They were attending to their “nets” by repairing damaged places in them, and because they were expecting to “catch” fish again, they needed there to be no tears or holes through which fish might escape. Jesus calls people where they are, and these men who were “fishermen” would become “fishers of men” when Jesus filled them with His Spirit. Let all who read these words know God desires to have a relationship with them through His Son Jesus, and those who are listening shall not only “hear” Him when He calls, but also respond to Him and His ability to use them in His Kingdom.

Next time Mark tells how Jesus, “called them: and they left their father Zebedee”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".