James
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Introduction: Again, like Andrew, we do not have a lot of information when it comes to James. We do, however, have a couple key instances that give us some insight into the kind of person James was. We also have some historical record that refers to the life of James after the events that take place in the gospels.
James was one of the three in the inner circle of Jesus along with Peter and John. James never appears alone in the gospel accounts and most often appears with his younger brother John. Compared to Peter and John the gospels are comparatively silent when it comes to James. That is ironic considering James’s family background as well as the fact that he is seen more than once in the thick of debating who would be the greatest in the kingdom. The family of James and John seems to have been more influential than the family of Peter and Andrew. James and John are often referred to as the sons of Zebedee (which signifies family importance). Zebedee’s business was large enough to hire servants (), and on the night of Jesus’ arrest tells us that John was known to the high priest and was even able to get Peter admitted to the courtyard of the high priest. So it was likely that James and John’s family was influential due to both financial success as well as family status. There is some historical records that hint at the idea that Zebedee may have been a Levite closely related to the high priest’s family. Whatever the case, Scripture is clear that James came from a family of importance.
And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
The fact that James came from a prominent household helps to explain why he acted the way he did. He had grown up in a family of influence, he had a strong personality, and, as indicated when his mothers asks Jesus for a throne of prominence, he was likely pushed by his parents to reach for roles of influence and prestige. As far as leadership goes, it is likely that James was second only to Peter, as indicated by the fact that (when listing the apostles) his name comes directly after Peter’s in both Mark and Acts. His leadership within the group is also indicated by the fact that he was one of the three who were permitted to witness the raising of Jairus’s daughter from the dead, witness the transfiguration, question Jesus privately on the Mount of Olives, and encouraged to privately pray with Jesus in Gethsemane.
And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
James was intense. Jesus even gave James and John a nickname - “Sons of Thunder.” So James was likely loud and zealous. James even compares himself with passionate Elijah. Passion can be either a positive or negative thing. By the grace of God, James was eventually transformed into a courageous, positive leader despite the fact that his passion, at times, tended towards violence.
So, here we are again, going from one extreme to the other. Last week we saw Andrew, who was content to privately leader individuals to Christ. This week we will take a look at James, who was wishing he could call down fire from heaven and be rewarded with a prestigious throne in the kingdom. James was not subtle by any means. Thankfully God grabbed a hold of James’s heart and turned his passion into power.
Judgment Like Elijah
Judgment Like Elijah
Possibly the main reason James and John were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” was due to the event in .
Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Despite the hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans, Jesus chose to travel through Samaria on his way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans were the mixed offspring of Jews from the Northern Kingdom. When Israel was conquered by the Assyrians the most prominent Jews were taken into Assyrian captivity. The land of Samaria was then resettled by pagan foreigners. The poor Israelites, who were left behind, then intermarried with these pagan tribes and their offspring became known as Samaritans.
The result of the Israelites’ intermarrying with these pagan tribes led to an all inclusive religion. On one hand they claimed to worship Jehovah the God of Israel but in reality they kept the traditions of the pagan cultures as well and developed their own religion. They even built their own temple on Mount Gerizim which was built during the time of Alexander the Great and was destroyed before the time of Jesus. The Samaritans, however, still considered Mount Gerizim to be the only place where God could be worshiped. The Jews considered the Samaritans and everyone who lived in Samaria to be filthy mixed breeds who worshiped using an illegitimate religion. The Jews wouldn’t even pass through Samaria because they considered the whole area to be unclean.
So, since Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem, rather than going around Samaria, Jesus decided to take the shorter route by going through Samaria. Since they were traveling through Samaria Jesus sent messengers in order to secure accommodations for the night. However, since Jesus and the disciples were determined to go to Jerusalem they wouldn’t receive them. You see the Samaritans thought that all true worship happened on Gerizim and not in Jerusalem. And so Jesus represented to the Samaritans everything they hated about the Jews. As it turns out, the Samaritans hated the Jews just as much as the Jews hated the Samaritans. If Jesus was going to worship in false Jerusalem then they were going to make sure it was difficult for him to get there.
When James and John find out that the Samaritans were rejecting Jesus’ request for lodging, I am sure that they remembered how gracious Jesus had been with the Samaritans. He healed a Samaritan of leprosy, he had gone out of his way to be gracious and witness to a Samaritan woman at a well, he had stayed in the woman’s village for two days in order to witness and care for the Samaritans who lived there, and he had even made a Samaritan the hero in one of his parables. And now here is Jesus with a simple request for lodging for the night and they reject Him. Because of all of this, James and John were outraged and asked if they, like Elijah, could call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans.
This proposition was full of historical significance. Samaria used to be one of the most influential cities in the Northern Kingdom. Under Ahab Samaria became a center for Baal-worship. This is also where Ahab built his palace.
Passage:
James and John, although justified in feeling the rage of injustice, proposed an inappropriate response for the situation. Elijah responded appropriately according to the situation at the time. James and John, however, were seeking to exalt themselves as mighty prophets of God by destroying those who slighted Jesus. By refusing to respond in this way, Jesus taught James and John that, at times, mercy is better and more beneficial than swift judgement. This is a lesson that John takes seriously to heart as he gets older.
Thrones of Prominence
Thrones of Prominence
As we have already mentioned, James can often be seen in the gospels clamoring for significance. Not only was he passionate and zealous but he was also overconfident and ambitious.
Passage:
James and John’s mother was one of the women who would followed Jesus and ministered to Him. So, she was one of the women who traveled with the disciples and would cook meals and, in her case, probably provide financial support. Because of the success of Zebedee’s business she had the opportunity to travel with those that followed Jesus and meet the practical needs of Jesus and the twelve. This idea of prominence most likely stuck in James and John’s minds from Jesus’ statement in .
So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
They knew there would be thrones and they were eaten up inside by the idea of having the prominent ones. They didn’t want to sit on thrones 11 and 12; they wanted to sit on thrones 1 and 2. They wanted those thrones, so, why not simply do what they had probably been taught throughout their lives, ask for them. Jesus then kindly reminded them that suffering is a part of the deal, and in their ambition they volunteered for something they did not understand. Jesus did not promise them that they would sit on the prominent thrones but He did promise them that they would indeed drink His cup.
Life After the Gospels
Life After the Gospels
But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
Mark 20:25
After the gospels and Jesus’ ascension into heaven James did not live a very long life. In fact, records for us his martyrdom.
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
The Herod mentioned here is Herod Agrippa I. The most likely reasons he was so antagonistic to the church is that it was well known that his uncle had participated in the plot to kill Jesus and so the preaching of Jesus would have been an embarrassment to the family name. Herod probably was also trying to use the tensions between the early church and the Jewish religious leaders to his political advantage and so he executed James. When he saw it pleased the Jews, he also went after Peter who was then imprisoned and then miraculously (literally) escaped. After this Herod, hungry to exalt himself, accepted the kind of worship that is only appropriate for God and then died under the judgment of God.
And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.
So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Conclusion: James was the first apostle to be killed, and his death is actually the only one recorded for us in Scripture. James died the only way he is really ever portrayed in Scripture - a passionate man. Only by the time of his death, by the power of the Holy Spirit in his life, he was passionate in the right way and for the right cause. He was likely the first to be martyred because he was passionate. When Agrippa, looking to find favor with the Jewish religious leaders, thought of someone to murder in order to make a statement his mind went to one of the most outspoken apostles - James. And when he saw it pleased the Jews he went on to take hold of another outspoken apostle - Peter. Eusebius writes of an account of James’s death that he received from Clement. According to Clement, when James was on trial the man that led him to the judgment seat received Christ after hearing James’s testimony. They were then both taken to be beheaded. On their way to the execution the man asked for James’s forgiveness for his part in the unfair trial and James, the “Son of Thunder,” according to Clement said, “Peace be with you.” By the end James had learned to be a little more gracious and forgiving.
So, what about you? James’s life is a testimony to the fact that through God’s grace even the most unforgiving among us can learn to forgive. It is also a testimony that, under the power of the Holy Spirit, passion can be a powerful tool in the hands of God. If you are a harsh person, like James, you can submit yourself to the wisdom and working of God in order to become the man/woman God wants you to be.