hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. (22) But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask.
Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized
with? They say unto him, We are able. (23) And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to
give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. (24) And when the ten heard it, they
were moved with indignation against the two brethren. (25) But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye
know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority
upon them. (26) But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister;‖
The mother of James and John asked a question that came from her lack of understanding (Similar to Matt
18:1). Again, Y‘shua stresses the aspects of humility and servanthood.
The Zebedee family:
Ya‘akov (James) and Yochanan (John) were both called Ben Zavdai (son of Zebedee). The father, Zavdai
(Zebedee), was a fisherman who owned several boats on the Sea of Galilee and had hired servants in his
business (Mark 1:19-20). Some infer additional evidence of their affluence from the fact that Yochanan was
̳known to the high priest‘ (John 18:15). Perhaps the family owned property in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem)
and/or had business connections there. The family also had business associations with Shimon Kefa (Simon
Peter) (Luke 5:9-10). Their mother, Shalome, may have been a sister of the mother of Y‘shua (Matt 27:56;
Mark 15:40; John 19:25).
Ya‟akov (James) called to discipleship:
Ya‘akov seems not to have been with Kefa (Peter, Rock) and Andrew in their pilgrimage to Judea where they
heard of the ̳Lamb of God‘ and received their first call to discipleship (John 1:35-51). Perhaps Yochanan was
the other disciple of Yochanan the Immerser who was with Andrew (v 40). If so, Yaakov probably stayed
home to tend the business; and upon their return to Galil (Galilee), the recounting of the events of Judea
may have left a deep impression on James. At any rate, he was well prepared for the call later at the sea of
Galil (Luke 5:2-11).
Notice how the brothers, in obedience, left everything and followed Messiah Y‘shua (Matt 4:22). Rather than
catching fish, Y‘shua wanted the sons of Zavdai to become fishers of men (to go and look for the lost sheep
of the House od Israel.
Ya‘akov‘s and Yochanan‘s personalities:
a. Their title:
Y‘shua called Ya‘akov and Yochanan ̳Boanerges‘, which means ̳sons of thunder‘ (Mark 3:17). The title
described their zeal, passion, fervour, ambition and aggressiveness.
b. Their vengeful zeal (Luke 9:51-56):
Not long after the Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-9) and towards the close of His Galilean ministry, Y‘shua was
leading His disciples through Shomrom (Samaria) towards Yerushalayim. Messiah Y‘shua sent Ya‘akov and
Yochanan to find group lodging for the night. When they were not welcome, Ya‘akov and Yochanan used the
precedence of Elijah (2 Kings 1:10); asking permission from the Y‘shua to send fire down from Heaven to
destroy the Shomronim (Samaritans). Here we see Ya‘akov‘s impure zeal was mixed with fumes of pride and
anger. More noteworthy is Y‘shua‘s response (v 56). Y‘shua reinforced His teaching with His example. He
moved on to more receptive soil.
Ya‘akov‘s perception on this issue changed as he was being trained and molded by the Master. Y‘shua
commanded His Talmidim (disciples) to witness unto all men (Acts 1:8) – including areas in Shomrom.
Scholars believed that Ya‘akov likely made trips into the same region and preached the Word.
c. Their excessive ambition (Matt 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45):
In this incident, we notice the self-seeking attitude of both Ya‘akov and Yochanan. Messiah Y‘shua directed
His reply to the brothers, rather than their mother, as He knew that they were behind the request. They were
ambitious and wanted to rise to the position of great privilege in the Kingdom. Y‘shua taught them the greater
lesson on humility (Matt 20:25-28).
d. Ya‟akov‟s early martyrdom (Acts 12:1-2):
Ya‘akov suffered martyrdom about a decade after Pentecost. Why Ya‘akov? It seemed that Herod Agrippa,
grandson of Herod the Great (who ruled at the birth of Y‘shua) wished to increase his popularity with the
Jews and thus stabilise his political position. Ya‘akov was the obvious choice, probably because as ̳son of