10. Let's fish. Notes

lfp. 1.  Andrew  is a form of the Greek name  Andreia , which means "manly" or "brave." If Andrew had a Hebrew or Aramaic name, it is not now known.

Simon might be a Hellenized form of the Hebrew  Shimon (which means "heard") or the Galilean may have been given the Greek name  Simon  ("pug-nosed"). Which derivation is correct is not known, but we might suspect the two brothers were given Greek names in an area that was under heavy Gentile influence.

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lfp.1a. Technically, Bethsaida was not in the Roman-supervised region of Galilee, which was ruled by Herod Antipas, but in the region of Lower Gaulanitis, which was part of the tetrarchy of Herod Philip II. Even so, as the town was apparently right on the Galilean border, this point is of little consequence.

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lfp.2.  James is derived from a Greek form of the Hebrew name Jacob  ("Trickster").

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lfp.3.  John is derived from a Greek form of the Hebrew name  Jonah  ("Gift of God").

8. Spirit of the Lord. Notes

SL.1a. We are making an educated guess that Jesus, Mary and some other of his relatives had moved to Capernaum from Nazareth some time previously.

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SL. 1. Jesus was probably reading from the Greek translation of Hebrew Scriptures now called the Septuagint. Later versions of the  Isaiah text show minor differences.

Isaiah 61:1,2

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord...

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SL.2. Jesus was using the idiom "Doctor, heal yourself" to convey an idea that we might convey with our idiom "Charity begins at home."

9. Less John. Notes

jd.1. Luke omits  Mark 's account of the dance of Herod's daughter and its grim outcome. That omission accords better with the ancient historian Josephus, who says Herod executed the Dunker for being a troublemaker (probably at the prodding of Jewish authorities who took him as an upstart). Still, one can easily imagine John publicly condemning Herod's marriage to Herodias, who divorced Herod II in order to wed his brother Herod Antipater (or Antipas). Such a public denunciation would have been taken as a political threat in those violent times.

Though  Luke bypasses the story of Herodias's revenge, everyone has heard the proverb, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

New World Encyclopedia tells us:

Herod II (ca. 27 BC – 33/34 AD) was the son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II, the daughter of Simon Boethus the high priest. For a brief period he was his father's heir. Some writers call him Herod Philip I (not to be confused with Philip the Tetrarch, whom some writers call Herod Philip II).
Around the year a.d. 1 or 2, Herodias married her uncle, Herod II, also called Herod Boethus, a son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II, the daughter of the high priest Simon Boethus. The Gospel of Mark calls Herod II "Philip," but this is probably an error, Philip being another son of Herod who was tetrarch of the territories east of the Sea of Galilee. Although seen for a while as the successor of Herod the Great, Herod II fell from grace after his mother was suspected of treason, and he was thus not included in Herod the Great's will as part of the plan to divide his kingdom among his other sons.
Herod II and Herodias nevertheless lived in luxury somewhere on the Mediterranean coast of the Levant as well as at Rome, where they enjoyed considerable influence. Herodias had a daughter, born around 14 C.E., whom she named Salome after her maternal grandmother.
Around 23, Herodias divorced Herod II and married another uncle, Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea. It is traditionally believed that Herod Antipas and Herodias truly loved each other, but political considerations were no doubt important considerations as well. Herodias's Hasmonean descent was a vital asset for Antipas' s ambition to rise to the position of king and unite his lands with those of Judaea, which were now governed directly by the Romans after his brother Archelaeus proved incompetent. For Herodias, her marriage with Antipas improved her social status significantly and she was close to being a queen, a position she might have hoped for ever since her betrothal to her first husband when he was still the heir-apparent of Herod the Great.

For further information, see the article on Herodias in the

New World Encyclopedia of Philosophy
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Herodias

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jd.1a. Mark 1:2-3 also quotes from

Malachi 3:1-4.

1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

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jd.2.  Matthew is citing

Isaiah 9:2

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, on them has the light shined.

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jd.3. The synoptic books have Jesus begin his public ministry in earnest after John's ministry is brought to an end.

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jd.z1. The reign of Antipas, writes A.H.M. Jones in  The Herods of Judaea  (Oxford 1938), was disrupted by the religious revival led by

John, the son of a priest named Zacharias, who went about the Peraea proclaiming the imminent arrival of the kingdom of God. His doctrine was to all appearances harmless; he only urged the people to repent of their sins and he washed them in the Jordan in token of their change of heart, whence he was popularly nicknamed John the Dipper. But Antipas knew only too well what these religious revivals led to —the kingdom of God was an ambiguous phrase and for the Zealots and the majority of the lower classes had distinctly revolutionary implications. Moreover John was so bold as to urge Antipas himself to repentance for his illegal marriage, and this savoured of treason. So Antipas had him arrested and incarcerated in the fortress of Machaerus on the extreme edge of his dominions.

6. Shown to Israel. Notes

jsi. 1.

Deuteronomy 18:18-19

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

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jsi.2. Some of John's words here are echoed in a previous section. As he may have been addressing different people, there is no reason to object to the idea that he might have repeated himself.

On the other hand, John in particular seems to use literary license in order to transmit important spiritual truths that the writer had gained after years of walking with the Lord. Some of these truths he likely picked up from oral tradition and snatches of written material. The rest came through inspiration by the Spirit, perhaps in a communal setting. The primary aim of John is to teach new believers or those who are nearing belief about what it means to have Jesus Christ in your life.
Please see my discussion on the composition of the Sermon on the Mount. The remarks there apply in general to the formation of the gospel accounts.

On the writing of the Sermon
http://tiny.cc/v1y9rz

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jsi.3a. We should beware assuming that John's proclamation was taken seriously by more than a very few bystanders. Those who heard it probably did not know what to make of it; Jesus did not look like a king. And once he had retreated into the desert, he vanished from any public consciousness.

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jsi.3. One wonders why John was unaware that his cousin was to be the Messiah. Had not his mother Elizabeth told him? Didn't their families get together from time to time? Perhaps not, as John lived with his parents in the Judaean mountains and Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Still, this seems out of place. Scholars think John adapted "the Spirit descending" event either from Matthew or Luke or had access to another version of the report. Also, scholars wonder about the scene in which Mary and Elizabeth meet, as they question the infancy stories in general.

John bypasses infancy and childhood stories with a focus on the pre-existence of the Word, which is the Son (and Projection) of God.

The Secret Path also omits the infancy stories on ground that this writer has been unable to reconcile them in a reasonable way.

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jsi.4. John relates that, at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went through the Temple in Jerusalem like a whirlwind and cast out the money changers and the dove-sellers, while the other three gospel writers place that episode at the close of his earthly life. Had Jesus done such a deed early in his career, one would think he would have been quickly put under arrest. Yet, we cannot exclude the possibility that Jesus actually did perform such an action twice. Perhaps on a first occasion, he simply vanished into the enormous crowds thronging Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Had that occurred, he would have been soon forgotten as just another overzealous crank.

Yet, I don't think the John writer was much concerned with chronological accuracy. He wanted to play up the episodes and ideas that would get across the Christian message of salvation in an artful way. Though he, and perhaps an editor, is a literary artist, that does not mean he was not fashioning his material from the recollections of witnesses, as handed down in the Johannine community.

7. Great test. Notes

gt.1. Ancient writers used symbolic numbers to indicate approximate time periods, usually having some spiritual association. Thus, "40," as Wikipedia notes, is something like "umpteen." It is also associated with a probationary period or time of testing – though this association may stem from the gospel story.

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gt.2. Deuteronomy 8:3

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

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gt.3.  Psalm 91: 10-12

9 Because you have made Jehovah — who is my refuge — the most High, your dwelling place,
10 no evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near where you reside.
11 For he will have his angels look out for you, to keep you in all your ways.
12 They will lift you up with their hands, should you dash your foot on a stone.

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gt.4. Deuteronomy 6:16

16 You must not test Jehovah your God, as you tested him in Massah.

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gt.5. Deuteronomy 6:13

You are to fear Jehovah your God, and serve him, and you are to swear by his name.

The Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible, with which Jesus was familiar, specifies that "you are to swear only by his name," which is surely what the Hebrew writer meant. Even though Jesus appears to have paraphrased Deut. 6:13, we may regard his version as giving the true meaning for a spiritual man. In any case, fearing God implies worshiping him and serving no one but him. Later in this book, Jesus teaches that his followers don't need to make promises to God in exchange for favors – even though it had been customary for Jews to make an oath in Jehovah's name to do him some service or make a generous offering to the Temple in exchange for some desired end. Deut. 6:13 is telling people not to hedge their bets by also making a similar pledge to one of the other gods known to the ancient tribes. In any case, Jesus mildly paraphrases Deut. 6:13 and in so doing improves it – and, as it happens, shows that he, in concert with the Spirit and his Father, is the authoritative interpreter of Scripture.

3. Flash forward. Notes

ff.1. In the Greek, we have a pun: The Greek for  born again and  born from above is the same (though Jesus would have been speaking in Aramaic).

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ff.2. Literally, "water and the Spirit." We may have here a later "correction" in order to state the church's early criterion that water baptism is necessary for salvation. As the concept of "water" is a metaphor for the Spirit in the Old Testament – and also in John  – we might suspect that  John either said or meant to say "water of the Spirit."

I am not denying the importance of water baptism. The point of water baptism is to demonstrate to yourself and to God that you have made a decision to change your life. Once you have decided for Jesus, then you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit – that is, you are baptized – or awash – in the Spirit. Some Christians may experience a "second blessing" of the Spirit in which they receive the joy of the Lord that for some reason was deficient previously.

All who are truly born again receive the Holy Spirit with power, though it may take some longer than others to realize that power. That power  might  be manifested by the believer suddenly finding he can "speak in tongues" and exhibit other spiritual gifts, as listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-15. But it should be remembered that the point of spiritual gifts is mainly for use in Christian love and service. Hence, some Christians may obtain gifts that are not specified precisely in 1 Corinthians.

Anyone who claims that if you don't speak in tongues, then you aren't really a Christian might reflect on

1 Corinthians 12:15

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

And one gift, the gift of faith (believing that God can and will do something), even today moves mountains, though often very quietly.

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ff.3. The word for  wind and  spirit  are the same in both Greek and Hebrew.

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ff.4.  Literally: Jesus added, "If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about divine things?"

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ff.5. The evangelist did not have in mind Enoch, who "walked with God" (Genesis 5:24), or Elijah, who was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:9-11). Nor was he thinking of the non-biblical report that Mary was assumed directly into paradise. But we quibble. The important point is that no one before Jesus had descended from heaven or ascended back for the purpose of salvation. [Interestingly, the 2 Kings story shows that Elijah's disciple, Elishah, required spiritual eyes in order to see the miracle of his master's translation into another dimension.]

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ff.6. Numbers 21.4-9. The Israelites in the desert who would only look up on the bronze snake would gain earthy life. Those who felt too sick to do so and would not make the effort died. Similarly, those who won't look toward Jesus remain spiritually dead.

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ff.7. At this juncture  John  inserts a little story that, to bolster new Christians, affirms Christ's supremacy; some of them may have turned to God at the behest of John the baptizer, without learning much about Jesus (Acts 19:1-7).  John 's writer has used material not found in the Synoptics, though one may detect allusions to the Synoptics.

I have decided to place the  John story at a later spot in this book.

John 3:22-30

Jesus and his disciples were baptizing people in the Jordan not far from John, who was baptizing on the other side of the river near the Judaean town of Aenon, near Salim, where there was plenty of water. John had not yet been thrown in prison.
(John 4:2 notes that Jesus did not personally baptize people in water.)
Some men were worried about who should be permitted to baptize others – pointing out Jesus – and asked John about it.
John told them, "A person can receive nothing unless heaven has given it. You yourselves heard me say, 'I am not the Messiah, but that I am sent out ahead of him.' The groom gets the bride, while his friend stands next to him, happy to hear his voice. So, this fulfills my joy. He must increase, but I must decrease."

John  also has Jesus and his disciples returning to Judaea once the Pharisees learned of the baptisms by his men. I have decided to follow the synoptics on the idea that the Galilean mission came first. On the other hand no one denies that the Jewish elders wanted such activities suppressed and so it is possible Jesus did some preliminary missionary work in Judaea. Nevertheless, I have decided to place that incident elsewhere.

John 4:1-3

When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had discovered that his group was baptizing more people than was John, Jesus decided it was time to leave Judaea and head back to Galilee.

4. Taste of the future. Notes

tf.1. We must infer that this miracle occurred before Jesus was baptized and underwent his ordeal in the desert. Surely once Jesus was anointed by God at his dunking, he was qualified to begin his mission – though he first had to prevail by wrestling with God, who sent the Devil to represent him (recall the book of Job).

We do not know the chronology of many of the episodes recounted in the four gospels, and it appears that the evangelists did not know their order either.

John's ordering of the episodes appears to have been done on theological grounds, rather than to give a strict chronology.

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tf.2. Some believe that these brothers, and sisters mentioned elsewhere, were in fact cousins or neighbors he grew up with. Others argue that Jesus being born of a virgin does not preclude Mary from later giving birth to children conceived in the usual way. Still others see no reason to accept that Jesus was born of a virgin.

For further discussion of the viginity issue, please see On Mary.

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tf.2 Disciple means student.

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tf.3. Also known as Lake Gennesaret and Lake Tiberias.

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