Mark 10:35-37 “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him.. They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.””

Verse 38 and 39 Yeshua asks James and John, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink.. ” and they said to Him, “We are able.” So Yeshua said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink”. James was killed early after Yeshua had risen, as we read in Acts 12:1-2, which states that King Herod had him “put to death with the sword”. As a note, the Book of James, which is a letter in the New Testament, is attributed to a different James, one of Yeshua’s brothers.

However, from John we have several letters in the New Testament. He is known as the “beloved disciple” is John 13:23, which says, “Now there was leaning on Yeshua’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Yeshua loved”. James and John were mostly together, and also mentioned at the cross and at the tomb. Yeshua asked John on the cross to take care of His mother. In Mark 3:17 we learn that Yeshua gave these two a name, “James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder””. Obviously they had a lot of passion and love for Yeshua, no wonder they wanted to be seated next to Him..

If we look at all twelve the disciples, or apostles, chosen by Yeshua, they were: Peter, Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew (sometimes identified as Nathanael), Thomas, Matthew (also known as Levi), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus (also known as Jude), Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. Here is what we know of them:

Simon Peter: Also known as Simon, he was given the name Peter by Yeshua.
Andrew: Simon Peter’s brother.
James, son of Zebedee: Also known as the “Greater,” he was the brother of John.
John: Brother of James, son of Zebedee.
Philip: One of the first disciples called.
Bartholomew: Sometimes identified with Nathanael.
Thomas: Also known as “Thomas the Twin”.
Matthew: The tax collector (also known as Levi).
James, son of Alphaeus: Also known as the “Lesser”.
Thaddaeus: Also identified as Jude.
Simon the Zealot: A former member of a political movement.
Judas Iscariot: The disciple who betrayed Yeshua.

The Letters of Matthew / Mark / Luke:
The first three Letters of the new Testament, are called the “Synoptic Gospels” because their texts present a similar view of Yeshua’s life when placed side by side.

• However, it is only Matthew that was a disciple and had first hand experience of Yeshua’s life on earth. The main purpose of his letter was to prove to a Jewish audience that Yeshua was the long-awaited Jewish Messiah by showing how his life and ministry fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. This is why the gospel begins with the geneology and reference after reference to prophecies been fulfilled.
• Mark was a companion of the Apostle Peter and his letter’s main purpose was to present Yeshua as the Son of Elohim and the suffering Messiah, especially to a predominantly Gentile audience in Rome.
• Peter was one of Yeshua’s twelve apostles and the leader of the early church, and his two letters were written to encourage believers facing persecution and to warn them against false teachers. Peter’s name means “Rock”, and in Matthew 16:18 Yeshua says, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”.
• Luke was a companion of Paul, who wasn’t one of the original disciples, but converted after Yeshua’s resurrection. The purpose of Luke’s (Paul’s companion) letters was to give a detailed, orderly account to a high-ranking Roman official named Theophilus, ensuring the certainty of the Christian teachings he had received. It looks like if Luke also wrote the book of Acts, as the letter begins as a continual addressing to Theophilus, however for some reason many scholars disagree with Luke being the author, and could be that these letters were also altered.

The reason why the letters of Matthew, Mark and Luke are so similar in wording and stories, almost copies, is because they have been copied. Matthew and Luke used Mark’s Gospel as a source, which is the most widely accepted theory called Markan priority. The authors of Matthew and Luke borrowed extensively from Mark’s narrative, which means the Letter of Mark came first.

• When we look at the letters of John, it is clear that Matthew, Mark and Luke were copied from each other, while John’s version is more distinct in content, style, and theological focus. Although John does give some of the same stories and parables, there are some differences between John and the other three. For example the timeline event of Yeshua’s Last Supper meal and His Resurrection. This difference will be explained when we get to Mark 14.