Zebedee Hires Jesus in His Boatbuilding Shop 

Jesus told his family he was going to Tiberias and other cities about the Sea of Galilee and left unceremoniously, Ultimately, he spent a week at Tiberias, the new city that would succeed Sepphoris as Galilee's capital, but nothing interested him, so he continued through Magdala and Bethsaida to Capernaum, where he visited his father's friend Zebedee. Zebedee built boats and his sons fished. Zebedee had long known that Jesus was a master woodworker and designer. After long considering improving boats, Zebedee approached Jesus and asked the visiting carpenter to join him. Jesus agreed.

Jesus worked with Zebedee for a little more than a year, but in that time he came up with a new type of boat and set up completely new ways to build boats. Jesus and Zebedee started to make boats of much higher quality by using better tools and better ways to steam the boards. These boats were much safer to sail on the lake than the older ones. Zebedee's small shop in Capernaum could not keep up with the demand for his new-style boats for a number of years. In less than five years, almost all the boats on the lake were made in Zebedee's shop. People who fished in Galilee knew Jesus as the person who designed the new boats.

Zebedee’s boatbuilding shops were on Lake Galilee just south of Capernaum, and his home was down the lake shore in Bethsaida. Jesus lived in the home of Zebedee and figuratively became his adopted son. Jesus loved going to work with his father-partner, especially after being alone for so long without a father. Zebedee’s wife, Salome, also looked upon Jesus as one of her sons, all of whom soon followed Jesus in his ministry: James and John as apostles, and young David as his faithful messenger of the kingdom’s activities. Their four daughters looked upon Jesus as their elder brother.

Jesus would often go out with James, John, and David who were fishermen and appreciated Jesus’ help and fishing expertise.

Jesus conducted services in the synagogue and spent at least five evenings per week at the synagogue’s library in serious study. One evening each week he spent with the elderly, and one evening with the youth. Jesus' graciousness and inspiration always attracted young people. They always felt comfortable with him. Perhaps his secret to getting along with them was that he was always interested in what they were doing and rarely gave advice unless they asked. He also held an open discussion about any topic in after-supper meetings, and a once-a-week, open-invitation meeting, where he was called “Master” for the first time.

This year, Jesus advanced in his mental mastery and gained conscious contact with his indwelling spirit. His settled life ended this year. Never again did Jesus spend a whole year somewhere or doing one thing. Soon, his earth pilgrimages would begin. A few years of extensive travel and highly diversified personal activity were about to separate his simple but intensely active life of the past from his still more intense and strenuous public ministry.