James: A Son of Thunder

Nate Bibens

Characters in the Life of Jesus • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Introduction

James the apostle is an interesting figure in the New Testament. He is mentioned several times, was probably one of Jesus’ earliest disciples, and belonged to Jesus’ inner circle along with Peter and John. Despite this, there is little that is actually said about James, anything he said, or what he did. Nearly all of the events in which he is mentioned also include his brother John. He did not write any of the New Testament, and aside from his death, nothing is recorded about James’ activity during the early years of the church. Still, while we don’t have a lot of information about James, there is enough for us to learn about this man, and some lessons we might find helpful in our own walk of faith.

Background Information

James’ Family

James is John’s brother (Mt. 10:2; Mk. 3:17),

May have been the older brother since he is mentioned first in almost all of the verses where both men are listed.

James’ father is a man named Zebedee,

Zebedee may have been well-known in the early church since James and John are often identified as the “sons of Zebedee.”

His Mother is believed to be Salome: (cf. Mk. 15:40; Mt. 27:55-56)

Mark 15:40 ESV

There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.

Matthew 27:55–56 ESV

There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

James and John’s mother spent time following Jesus, and was one of the women who helped support the ministry of Jesus.

It is possible that James and John were Jesus’ cousins (cf. Jn. 19:25)

Matthew and Mark list three women at the cross: Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joses) and Salome (mother of the sons of Zebedee).

John Lists four women: Jesus’ Mother, Mary Magdalene, Mary (the wife of Clopas; likely the mother of James and Joses), and Mary’s (Jesus’ mother) sister. Unless John is listing Mary’s sister that the other two gospel’s don’t mention, then Mary’s sister was the mother of James and John.

Occupation Before Discipleship

James and John were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.

In Luke 5:10 we read that James and John were partners with Andrew and Peter.

Mark records that when James and John left fishing to follow Jesus, they left their father with the hired servants. If their business venture was able to hire workers, then it must have been a successful trade for the family.

James’ Call to be a Disciple

Call in John 1?

It is possible but not certain that James (and John) were some of Jesus’ very first disciples (John 1).

In John 1, there are two disciples of John the Baptist who are present when he proclaims Jesus is Lamb of God. These two follow Jesus and spend the day with him. One of those men is Andrew—the brother of Simon (Peter). The Bible says Simon “first found his own brother Simon...” Some commentators argue that language indicates the unnamed disciples also went and found his brother.

While we can’t be certain, it is possible the unnamed disciple is either James or John. John never mentions himself or his brother by name throughout his gospel. Every other disciple called in John 1 is named (Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathanael), so why not this other disciple? Likely because it is James or John.

If so, then James was among the earliest of disciples to begin following Jesus.

Full Time Call

Whether or not James was part of the initial band called in John 1, we know he was called to full-time discipleship at the same time as his brother and Andrew and Simon, which is recorded in the three synoptic gospels.

Luke 5:1–11 ESV

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

All four of these men provide us with the same, valuable lesson: following Jesus requires sacrifice. Like Peter, Andrew, and John—James was willing to leave behind a steady livelihood to follow Jesus. This action took tremendous faith, dedication, and hope.

While James (like all the disciples) had a great deal of learning to do, he demonstrated a key characteristic of what it means to follow Jesus from the very beginning. (cf. Luke 14:26-27, 33)

Luke 14:26–27 ESV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 ESV

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

What are we willing to renounce for the Lord? What are we willing to give up in order to follow Jesus? Will our commitment to Jesus be greater than our commitment to any thing and any person? Will we follow Jesus before our family? Will we serve Jesus over our employers? Will we follow Jesus even when it means we must suffer to do so? Are we willing to give up anything and everything to be Jesus’ disciple?

Events in James’ Life

While we don’t read anything of what James says, and we don’t see any events involving or even focusing on James, we do see James present for several events.

Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law (Mark 1:29-31)

James was able to witness one of Jesus’ earliest healings, the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31). After this, Mark tells us that after sundown, the city of Capernaum brought the sick, diseased, and demon-possessed to the door of the house, and Jesus healed them. This must have been an amazing day for James and the other disciples to witness!

The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24; Mark 13)

While the sermon of Jesus in Matthew 24 almost seems like a sermon before a crowd, Matthew tells us it was a discussion that took place when some disciples asked Him a question privately. After leaving the temple, some disciples had pointed out the beauty of the temple and Jesus responded, “there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” Matthew says that when Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and asked when such things would happen and when would be the end of the age. Mark tells us (mark 13:3-4) that specifically it was Peter, James, John, and Andrew that asked Jesus this question.

There are a few times something like this happens in the gospels, and I think it teaches us an important lesson—the need to learn and the humility we should have to ask questions. Many times the disciples didn’t understand what Jesus’ teachings meant, so they often asked Him to explain. James’ presence for the question on the Mount of Olives makes me think he was one who wanted to learn and know, and was willing to ask to learn.

Jesus’ Resurrection Appearance at the Sea of Tiberias (John 21)

James was present during the resurrection of Jesus’ in the upper room (both times), but also present for Jesus’ appearance by the Sea of Tiberias. John records that Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee (James and John) and two other disciples were together and went fishing before Jesus’ appearance the next morning on the shore.

Among the Inner Circle

We often refer to an “inner circle” of Jesus’ closest friends, and this circle is made up of Peter, James, and John. This small group that saw some unique things.

Who made up the “inner circle” of Jesus’ disciples?

The raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mk. 5:36-43; Lk. 8:51-56)

When Jairus’ (a ruler of the synagogue) daughter became badly ill, he sought Jesus’ help. By the time Jesus arrived, however, the girl had died. Both Mark & Luke record that Jesus made everyone leave the house, and only permitted Peter and James and John along with the parents to witness the incredible miracle of raising Jairus’ daughter back to life.

Why did Jesus only allow these three? First, the girl was in a room in the house, so perhaps Jesus did see fit to bring twelve strange men into Jairus’ home during such a difficult time. A small crowd fit better. Beyond that assumption, we can’t know for sure.

Perhaps these men needed the encouragement

Perhaps Jesus was rewarding or blessing these three

Mark 4:24–25 ESV

And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Whatever the case, the “inner circle” was blessed to witness something amazing that day!

The Transfiguration (Mt. 17:1-8; Mk. 9:2-8; Lk. 9:28-35)

The synoptics all record that Peter, James, and John were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Luke alone records Jesus took them up the mountain to pray. Perhaps this is one of the reasons these men were with Jesus often—they had learned the importance of prayer and Jesus called on them to pray with Him!

Because they were taken along, they were blessed to see Moses and Elijah

Because they were taken along, they were blessed to see the transfigured and glorified Jesus!

Because they were taken along, they were blessed to hear the voice of God proclaiming, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him!”

In familiar fashion, Peter become the center of this story (as he does many stories). Seeing Jesus with Moses and Elijah, he comes up with an idea and suggests they build tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Mark records that Peter didn’t know what to say because he (and the others) were terrified. Luke also says Peter spoke “not knowing what he said.” Basically, Peter spoke without thinking. This seems to be something Peter did from time to time. One thing we don’t ever see though, is James doing this. We see James present for many things, but we don’t hear James speak. Surely that isn’t because he couldn’t, but perhaps James understood the value of silence. Without assuming too much, perhaps we could learn a lesson from James’ silence.

Psalm 4:4 ESV

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah

Proverbs 11:12 ESV

Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.

Proverbs 17:27–28 ESV

Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt. 26:37-38; Mk. 14:33-34)

Matthew and Mark both record that when Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He took Peter, James and John deeper into the garden. After leaving the other disciples, it says Jesus “began to be greatly distressed and troubled” and then asked Peter, James, and John to “remain here and watch.” This scene certainly seems to be a situation where Jesus chose these men because they were the closest to Him. They were the men He trust most and relied on the most. And while even they weren’t up to the task, they were the men Jesus sought help from.

The fact that James is in this group tells us something about him. Peter and John were great men as we see throughout the rest of the New Testament. To be in this group, James must have also been a great man. Even though all three of these men were only human and failed from time to time, their character must have been such that Jesus trusted them in His darkest hour, and looked to them for help.

Are we dependable people? Are we the type that others can lean on when in need? When someone needs a brother or sister to pray for them or with them, are we the type they might think to call? Are we the type that others might look to for strength when they are weak?

Misguided Passion

There are two events concerning just James and John.

Calling Down Fire (Lk. 9:51-56)

Towards the end of Jesus’ ministry, when Luke says the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up and He set His face to go to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria to get to Jerusalem. A town they came to would not receive Jesus, and this angered James and John. They asked Jesus if He wanted them to “tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Perhaps it is this event that earned these two the nickname “sons of Thunder” (cf. Mk. 3:17). There are some positive and negative things about this idea of James and John

Positively, they cared about the Lord’s honor. It bothered James and John to see their Lord slighted. They recognized His greatness and kingship, and they wanted their Lord to be honored, and passionately so.

Are we concerned about the Lord’s honor? Do we want others to know and honor King Jesus?

On another positive note, James and John display some remarkable faith. The only prophet to ever call down fire was the mighty prophet Elijah, but James and John seemed to believe they could do so in service to Christ. They had taken seriously Jesus’ words about being able to great things in faith.

Negatively, of course, James and John’s passion was misguided. While they wanted Jesus to be honored, they went about it the wrong way. Jesus isn’t honored when we attack those who are against Him. He is the Lord—He will judge those who don’t bow to Him. Our job is to love others and preach the gospel to convert them to Him. Those who refuse will answer to Him, not us.

We can assume James learned his lesson. His brother certainly did. John is often called the disciple or apostle of love because of his focus on love in his epistles. Clearly the vengeful John changed, and it’s safe to assume James did as well.

It is possible that James and John suffered from racism. There were many Jews that denied Jesus, but they never offered to call down fire from heaven on those Jews. These people, however, were Samaritans. We don’t want to over-speculate, but it is at least possible that they were ready to act so harshly because these people were Samaritans. Again, however, we can also be confident James and John learned better. Jesus rebuked them, and they became better.

Request to Sit at Jesus’ Right and Left Hand in the Kingdom (Mt. 20:20-23; Mk. 10:35-40)

Matthew and Mark both record an event when James and John come to Jesus with a forward request.

Matthew tells us that their mother accompanied them for this request, and was the one who actually spoke it. Perhaps that helps us see where James and John got their temperament from!

Mark 10:35–40 ESV

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

James and John were essentially asking for positions of power and authority. They likely thought since Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was about to begin His kingdom reign. He was, but they still misjudged the nature of His kingdom. Further, their desire for power and prominence is a problem.

Jesus used this opportunity to teach all the disciples about greatness in His kingdom. And in Christ’s kingdom, greatness comes through serving (cf. Mk. 10:41-45)

Jesus would not grant James and John their request. He did tell them, however, that they would be baptized with His baptism and drink the cup He drank. They didn’t understand this, but to “ask to reign with Jesus is to ask to suffer with Him” (cf. Expositor’s Bible Commentary).

2 Corinthians 1:5 ESV

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

1 Peter 4:13 ESV

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

We must be willing to suffer with Christ. We will never suffer as much as Christ, but following Jesus brings challenges, trials, and even suffering. But as He suffered for us and our salvation, we must learn to be willing to suffer for Him and His kingdom

James and John asked for power, but I believe they learned what Jesus meant, and willingly suffered for their commitment to Jesus the Christ.

James’ Death

Acts 12:1–3 ESV

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.

Of all the apostles, James is the only one who’s death is recorded in Scripture.

While there are traditions and fairly reliable history concerning many of the others, James is the only one we read about in the Bible itself.

It also appears that James was probably the first of the apostles to be killed. There had been others killed (like Stephen), but James wasn’t killed by a mob of angry Jews—he was arrested and killed by Herod, thus beginning a new era of state-sponsored persecution of the church.

For Herod to arrest and kill James, we can assume that James must have been an active leader in the Church. After James, Herod sought to kill Peter next. It seems James may have been one of the key and visible leaders of the Church, and thus became a primary target of persecution.

And so, James truly did share Jesus’ cup, but we can rest assured He did so willingly. He learned the true nature of Christ’s kingdom, and he gave his life in service to His Lord.

Again, he had learned Jesus’ teaching. He had learned leadership through service, gain through loss, and eternal life through earthly death.

Conclusion: Four Words that Describe James

We do not know a lot of personal details about James. He is never the primary focus on any Biblical passage. We don’t have a single word of James’ recorded. And yet we learn some good lessons from this man.

He was present.

While he may not be the focus, we see James present from the earliest days of Jesus ministry and during some of Jesus’ most important moments. We should not discount the purpose and power of simply being present.

He was silent.

While we have no recorded words of James, perhaps that’s a good lesson. Perhaps James was a man that was able to hold his tongue. Perhaps he didn’t struggle with speaking when he should remain silent. Perhaps there is a good lesson to learn from James’ silence.

He was passionate.

Even though his passion was misguided at times, he and his brother loved the Lord fervently.

He was brave.

He was willing to not only live for Jesus, but to die for Him.

We may not have many stories, words, or any books written by James, but we can still learn these valuable lessons from this great apostle of Jesus.

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