In yesterday’s passage, Jesus called out to two fishermen—Peter and Andrew and they followed him. In today’s passage, Jesus calls to two more brothers—James and John. They also leave and follow Jesus. They difference between these two passages, James and John left the boat they were working in and for their father—Zebedee! They immediately left the boat and their father. Peter and Andrew left their “nets.” Does this mean James and John jumped out of the boat and swam to Jesus? Peter, James, and John would become Jesus’s inner circle.

What strikes me about this passage, is the obedience of James and John. Jesus calls to them and they simply go. They left “immediately.” They left the boat (their financial means) and their father (their family). This is developed further in the Gospels—The Rich Young Ruler (Matt 19:16—26, Mark 10:17—27, Luke 18:26) and family (Matt 19:29, Mark 10:29, Luke 15:25-27; 18:29). The call to the Christian walk is not an easy one. We are asked to leave everything if need be. Our obedience is to be radical, exhibit James and John.

Matthew 4:21-22

21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and 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.

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ Who is James and John’s father? [v21]

+ What were James and John doing? [v21]

+ “Immediately they left the boat”—what does this imply? [v22]

+ “He called them”—who is he? Why is “He” and “Him” capitalized? [v21—22]

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there a sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ What may Christ be calling you to have “James and John-like” obedience with?

+ What may Christ be calling you to leave behind—repent from, like James and John?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?

+ Who in your life reminds you of James and John?

+ Who in your life can you be a Christian example to, pray for, share the Gospel or testimony with, in a style like James and John’s obedience?

STUDY GUIDE [ WWW.ESV.ORG ]

+ Matt. 4:1–25 Jesus the Messiah Begins to Advance the Messianic Kingdom. Jesus triumphs over the devil in the wilderness (vv. 1–11), proclaims the kingdom of God (vv. 12–17), and calls disciples to follow him (vv. 18–22).

+ Matt. 4:18–22 Peter, James, and John become the inner circle among Jesus’ 12 disciples.

+ James and his brother John were fishermen. Together with their father Zebedee, they were mending their nets when Jesus called them to be disciples. Jesus called James and John the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17; see Luke 9:54). James, along with Peter and John, were the disciples closest to Jesus. They were with the Lord during many of the key moments of his ministry. James was with Jesus at the Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed his divine glory. He was also with Jesus when he healed Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37). When Jesus prayed at Gethsemane, he asked James, John, and Peter to share with him the agonizing time of anticipation and sorrow as he faced the cross (Matt. 26:37). James was later executed by Herod, becoming the first apostle to die for his faith (Acts 12:1–3). (Matthew 4:21–22).

+ Matt. 4:21 A boat, dated from the first century A.D. or earlier, was found in the Sea of Galilee in 1986. Approximately 26.5 feet long and 7.5 feet wide (8 m by 2.3 m), it could hold about 15 people.

+ Theme Matthew tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-expected Messiah who brought the kingdom of God to earth.

+ Purpose Matthew writes his Gospel to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has the right to the throne of David as Israel’s true King, and that he is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to all the world (1:1; Gen. 12:1–3). Matthew seeks to encourage Jewish Christians (and all future disciples) to stand strong despite opposition. They should feel secure in the knowledge of their citizenship in God’s kingdom. Matthew shows that Gentiles also can find salvation through Jesus the Messiah.

+ The Setting of Matthew The events in the book of Matthew take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman Empire. The opening chapters describe events surrounding Jesus’ birth in Judea, where Herod had been appointed king by the Romans. The closing chapters end with Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension during the rule of Pontius Pilate and the tetrarchs Antipas and Philip.