Mark 1:16-20, Jesus Calls the First Disciples

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” [Jesus established hi priority of evangelism.] 18 And immediately [one of Mark’s favorite words to keep the narrative moving] they left their nets and followed him. [Had they met Jesus before? Yes. Andrew met Jesus at the Jordan River where John was baptizing and introduced him to Peter.] 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John [who was likely with Andrew when he met Jesus for the first time] his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. [What kind of people does Jesus call to follow him? Here he calls four fishermen, who were all likely in business together working for Zebedee. These were not the learned, sophisticated leaders in Jerusalem but common men living in the multi-ethnic and multi-religious north.]

The first disciple named in Mark’s Gospel is Peter (1:16) or rather Simon, as Mark consistently calls him until Jesus changes his name in 3:26. There is a particular emphasis on Simon’s name. Mark could have written “Simon and his brother Andrew,” but writes, “Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon,” just as in the following verse he refers to “James the son of Zebedee and his brother John” (1:19).

In 16:7 Peter is the last disciple called by name in Mark: “But go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.” This inclusio, having Peter named first and last in Mark, indicates that Peter was the main eyewitness source behind Mark’s Gospel. The name Simon occurs seven times with reference to Simon Peter and the name Peter nineteen times. This frequency, relative to the length of the Gospels, is considerably higher in Mark than in the other Gospels.