“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Matthew 10:1–4 ESV)
We continue our profile of the Twelve Apostles. Today’s study concerns the Apostle James, the Son of Zebedee and the brother of the Apostle John. James was a member of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples; along with Peter and John. James, Zebedee’s son, is not to be confused with James, brother of Jesus or James, son of Alphaeus. “Later Christian tradition called him “James the Greater,” explains commentator Chris Kugler.
The first appearance of James in Scripture is recorded in Matt 4:21. Jesus called him and his brother John to become disciples. Each of the Synoptic Gospels identify James as an early disciple of Jesus (Matt 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:10–11). James would become one of the disciples of Jesus’ inner circle, along with Peter and John (e.g., Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33; 17:1-8).
Mark 1:20 records that James and John left their father with “the hired men” or “servants.” James and John may have been part of an affluent family.
Luke 5:10 describes James and John as Peter’s “partners” (κοινωνοὶ, koinōnoi), suggesting the three of them may have worked together in a fishing business. Jesus’ choice to call Andrew, Peter, James, and John makes sense in understanding they all knew one another and worked together.
Mark 3:17 records that Jesus gave James and John the name ‘Boanērges,’ which means ‘sons of thunder.’ Commentators speculate that this epithet hints at the hot temper that the sons of Zebedee. Support for this view is taken from Luke 9:54, which records that when some Samaritans refused to receive Jesus into their town, James and John asked Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
Finally, in Mark 10:35–37 James and John ask Jesus if they can rule next to Him in His kingdom. Jesus responds by asking, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38 NIV). Jesus may have been alluding to James’ martyrdom by Agrippa I around ad 44 (Acts 12:1-2).
“James remained a faithful disciple. James the Greater had the distinction of being the first Apostolic martyr in Christian history. James was not the first Christian martyr. The first martyr, of course, was Stephen (Acts 7:54-60), but the first of the Twelve, the first martyred Apostle, was James in the year 44 A.D. James was martyred during a Jewish persecution led by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-5), which was the occasion for Peter’s imprisonment right after James had been executed. So, James is remembered as being the first of the Apostolic martyrs in church history,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.
James life as a disciple/apostle of Jesus may not have been lengthy, but he was faithful to the Lord unto death. We may not experience martyrdom like James, but we are live as faithful martyrs, or witnesses, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Soli deo Gloria!
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