The Apostle James
September 1, 2024

THE APOSTLE JAMES (of Zebedee)

  • Brother of John, son of Zebedee (and Salome)
  • Part of Jesus’ “inner circle”
  • Referred to as “Boanerges” - or Sons of Thunder
  • James the Greater or Big James
  • Characterized by zeal, passion, and ambition.
  • Not the author of the epistle (Jesus’ brother)

KEY MOMENTS

James, along with John (his brother) and Peter were the only disciples to witness:

  • Raising of Jairus’s daughter from the dead (Mark 5)
  • The Transfiguration of Jesus where he see Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah (Mt. 17)
  • Conversation with Jesus about the temple destruction (Olivet discourse in Mark 13)

THE CALL OF JAMES

Matthew 4:18–22 - Jesus Calls the First Disciples

THE TRANSFIGURATION

Luke 9:28–31

FIRE FROM HEAVEN

Luke 9:51–53 - A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus

Context…
Goes back to the Assyrian conquest (722BC) and resettlement that is described in 2 Kings 17

Fast forward to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4
*John 4:7–9* - The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
John 4:20–21 – “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain (Mt. Gerizim), but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

Back to our story in Luke 9…
Jesus set his face to Jerusalem and chose to go through Samaria.
But the people did not receive him. Why? Because he was on his way to Jerusalem. The contention for the true place of worship was in full conflict here.

So, what was James’ response?

“Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them (as Elijah did)?” —Luke 9:54

Remember, he had just witnessed Jesus’ conversation with Elijah and Moses on the mountain top. They are in Samaria. Elijah and fire from heaven is clearly on his mind.

Elijah and the men from Ahaziah in 2 Kings 1

Back to James and John…
Elijah was on the mind (just saw him in the transfiguration) and now traveling through Samaria).
When James (and John) suggested fire from heaven they thought that they were operating on precedent. They were rejected by the Samaritans! This was an opportunity for justice and revenge!
But Jesus did not have the same response to James and John this time around…

And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. —Luke 9:54–55

  • Some manuscripts add: And he said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man came not to destroy people’s lives but to save them”

What can we draw from James’ suggestion to Jesus?
Passionate. Zealous. Loyal.

The Request of James and John

Mark 10:35–38 - The Request of James and John
[also see Matthew 20:20–21]

The request: “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

They must be thinking: “we are already receiving a throne!”

Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. —Matthew 19:27–28

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. —Matthew 19:29

The Death of James

Acts 12:1–3

[Clement] says that the one who led James to the judgment-seat, when he saw him bearing his testimony, was moved, and confessed that he was himself also a Christian. They were both therefore, he says, led away together; and on the way he begged James to forgive him. And James, after considering a little, said, ‘Peace be with thee’, and kissed him. And thus they were both beheaded at the same time. —Eusebius, Ecclesiastical Church History 2.9.2-3

Summary

  • James is a leader that is passionate, zealous, loyal, strong, and ambitious and I would say courageous.
  • Ultimately, his passions were tempered by sensitivity and grace, but he didn’t lose his courage!
  • Which means that somewhere along the line he had learned to control his anger, bridle his tongue, redirect his zeal, eliminate his thirst for revenge, and completely lose his selfish ambition.
  • And the Lord used him to do a wonderful work in the early church.

But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. —Mark 13:9

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. —1 Corinthians 1:26-29