Following the third announcement of the suffering awaiting him (then, Matthew 20:20), Jesus is approached (prosporeuomai, only here in the NT) by James (usually the first one to be named as the oldest?) and John. The reader of Mark can already know that Mark talks about two brothers, the sons of Zebedee. Yet in John 10:35 it is separately mentioned again. In Mark 1:19 and Mark 3:17 Mark spoke of James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, while in Mark 10:35 the two names are mentioned first and then follows, by way of summary, the specification sons of Zebedee.

The reason why Mark chose to list them in this way may be that this time it was not his intention to present the two men to us or to distinguish them from others. He now indicates, by adding the specification that James and John do not act here as apostles (then they are usually together with Peter), but as brothers; because of their family relationship they come forward to raise a special concern.

This appears even more clearly from Matthew: their mother (Salome, one of the serving women among Jesus’ followers – Mark 15:40) comes with them to ask the question (Matthew 20:20–21). In Matthew also it is the two brothers who in fact come with the request (even though their mother puts it into words): this is clear from the fact that in his answer Jesus addresses them (Matthew 20:22).

Mark does not mention the mediating role played by mother Salome in approaching Jesus with the question for and on behalf of the two brothers; he only mentions those who are directly responsible for raising the question. They are followers of Jesus, but it appears that they have only incompletely left father and mother for the sake of the gospel (cf. Mark 10:29), and therefore the general promise for the followers in Mark 10:30 is not sufficient for them. Soon after Jesus' word there they look for clearer promises.¹