Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
Parallel translations
- WEB James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.”
- KJV And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
- BSB Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
- NASB James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying to Him, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.”
- NLT Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
James and John ask Jesus to grant whatever they request. Their bold approach reveals self-seeking ambition right after talk of the cross.
Overview
Immediately after Jesus foretells his suffering, the brothers seek personal advancement, a jarring contrast Mark highlights. Their request to have Jesus agree before hearing it betrays presumption. The episode exposes how persistently the desire for status clings even to devoted disciples, setting up Jesus' lesson on servanthood.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Matt 20:20–28Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
- 2 Sam 14:4–11When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
- 1 Kgs 2:20Then she said, “I ask one small petition of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you.”
- Mark 1:19–20Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.
- Mark 14:33He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed.
- Mark 5:37He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
- 1 Kgs 2:16Now I ask one petition of you. Don’t deny me.” She said to him, “Say on.”
- Mark 9:2After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into another form in front of them.
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 10:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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