Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 21

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Matthew 4:21 “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.”

James the son... English form of Jacob. Brother of John and son of Zebedee (Mat. 4:21; 20:20; Mark 1:19; Luke 5:10-11). One of the 12 apostles (Mat. 10:2; Mark 3:17; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). One of three most intimate with Jesus (Mark 5:37; Mat. 17:1-8; 26:36-46; see also Mark 13:3-4; Luke 9:54; John 21:1-14). First martyr among the apostles (Act. 12:1-2). Tradition says that he was of the tribe of Levi through his father and of Judah through his mother (of both the priestly and the royal house), that he preached in India with Peter and later in Spain, becoming the patron saint of Spain.

This James is easy to distinguish from the other men named James in the New Testament, because he is never mentioned in Scripture apart from his brother John. His martyrdom by Herod Agrippa I marked the beginning at a time of severe persecution in the early church (Acts 12:2).

John his brother... The sons of Zebedee, two of the 12 apostles, were fishermen in partnership with their father and also Simon Peter (Luke 5:10). Since James is normally mentioned first, he was probably older than his brother John.

Peter, James and John formed the inner circle among the disciples, who exclusively witnessed the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37), Christ’s transfiguration (Mark 9:2), and the Gethsemane experience (Mark 14:33). But James and John are remembered with less distinction for their impulsive desire to destroy the non-receptive Samaritans with fire from heaven (Luke 9:54), and their desire to be first in Christ’s kingdom (Mark 10:35-40).

James is the first and only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in Scripture. In A.D. 44 King Herod beheaded James and planned the same for Peter (Acts 12:1-3). John, by contrast, lived a very long life and was a prominent leader in the Jerusalem church (Gal. 2:9).

Among the 12 apostles, only John and Peter are given individual recognition in the Book of Acts and in Paul’s epistles. John wrote the fourth gospel, his three epistles, and the Revelation. John never mentions by name his brother James or himself, except in Revelation, and as the beloved disciple in the gospel. Hence, James is mentioned in Scripture only by Matthew, Mark and Luke (Acts included).

The message of the coming kingdom needed to be proclaimed widely so that many could hear and could become, by repentance, subjects of His kingdom. The calling carried with it a cost, for it involved leaving not only one’s profession but also one’s family responsibilities.