The Scriptures refer to him as James, James the son of Zebedee, James the brother of John, and Boanerges (Son of Thunder), and tradition adds to these the names James the Elder and James the Great. These many names distinguish this James from two other notable figures in the New Testament: James the son of Alphaeus and James the brother of the Lord. We know precious little about this prominent apostle of the Lord Jesus, yet the lessons we learn are greatly relevant.
What We Know
We know that James and his brother John were fishermen and were likely business partners with Peter and possibly Andrew (Luk 5:10). James received his call to discipleship from the Lord while on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and immediately left his nets and followed Christ (Mat 4:18-22; Mar 1:16-19; Luk 5:1-10).
When the names of the twelve disciples are mentioned together in Scripture, James is always found high on the list, signifying his prominence among the Twelve. In the Gospel records, James’ privilege is seen in that he was part of the so-called “inner circle” (with Peter and John) that enjoyed a special nearness to Christ; he was present at the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mar 1:29-31) and at the raising of the daughter of Jairus (5:35-43; Luk 8:49-56). As well, this nearness to Christ allowed Peter, James and John to be exclusively present at the highly significant events of the Transfiguration (Mat 17:1-13; Mar 9:1-13; Luk 9:28-36), and they also were with Him in Gethsemane, witnessing the touching scene of Christ agonizing in the garden (Mat 26:36-46; Mar 14:32-42). At this same time, James experienced the tender mercy of the Lord also, for as the three were in the garden during that deep hour, they repeatedly succumbed to physical weakness and fell asleep. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus recognized their weakness, and mercifully told the three to “sleep on now, and take your rest.”
The Lord Himself gives us a glimpse into the character of James and his brother John. In Mark 3:17, Christ gave James and John the surname “Boanerges, which is, The sons of Thunder.”1 Perhaps this is a reference to their temperament, their zeal and their fervor. On one occasion, when the Samaritans didn’t receive the messengers Christ sent, these Sons of Thunder asked Christ if they should send fire down from heaven to consume them (Luk 9:51-56). On another occasion, these two brothers boldly approached Christ to ask that it should be granted unto them to sit on the right hand and left hand of Christ in His glory, thus suffering the displeasure of the other ten (Mar 10:35-42).
After the Gospel records close, little is known about the life and service of this James. In fact, all that is revealed from Scripture about him is that he was the first of the apostles of Christ to suffer martyrdom. As Christianity spread and grew, Herod the king must have seen James as a powerful witness for Christ and an effective leader in the Church, and mercilessly “killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Act 12:2). Shortly afterward, he took James’ longtime friend and fellow apostle, Simon Peter, and imprisoned him. Yet God is stronger than His foes, for we read that “the word of God grew and multiplied” (v24).
What We Don’t Know
Tradition says much about the service of this James, the brother of John, but much of it is received with great skepticism by conservative historians. It is said that this James brought the gospel to Spain, and he is referred to throughout the Spanish speaking world. The name Santiago is commonly used in Spanish culture, and several cities bear the name Santiago. An ancient route in Spain called El Camino de Santiago (The Way of Saint James) is still a popular destination, and it is said that his body is buried along that route at a cathedral called Santiago de Compostela. Roman Catholicism still holds these things to be true and promotes other fanciful ideas about James as well, but the historical accuracy of all these suggestions is questionable at best.
What We Learn
His Call
The language of Scripture describing the response of James and John to their encounter with Christ is highly instructive: “They forsook all, and followed him” (Luk 5:11). Similarly, when a new believer encounters the saving power of Christ, a fitting response is to “forsake all, and follow him.” It is good for a believer to demonstrate selfless surrender to Christ throughout the days of their life.
His Privilege
Each of Christ’s own is able to enjoy close communion with Him. Daily meditation on the person of Christ, searching the Scriptures to discover fresh gleanings on His glories, and time spent each day in prayerful communion with Christ will serve to bring the individual believer into a deeper relationship with Christ and inspire worship. True are the words of a hymn: “When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He shines on our way.”
His Temperament
There’s a valuable lesson for all of us from the life of this Son of Thunder. How prone we all are to succumb to the fleshly instinct to pass thunderous judgement on others. But James and John were rebuked by the Lord because that is not the way of Christ. Zeal for Christ is at its best when it is tempered with mercy. How instructive are the words of a different James: “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (Jas 2:13 ESV).
His Martyrdom
The Lord foretold that James would have a bitter cup to drink (Mar 10:39), and indeed he did. Herod’s hatred toward James and the other Christians was actually due to his hatred of Christ Himself (Joh 15:18-21). We may never be called upon to suffer martyrdom, but we would benefit from understanding and accepting the words of Paul, whose life also ended in martyrdom: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2Ti 3:12). The One who “was dead, and is alive” assured the persecuted church at Smyrna that the martyr would be given “a crown of life,” and the overcomer would “not be hurt of the second death” (Rev 2:8-11).
The life and service of this seldom mentioned yet prominent apostle of our Lord Jesus furnishes us with many valuable lessons we can apply to our own lives.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV unless otherwise noted.
