In our list of apostles, we have looked at Matthew, Andrew, and today, James, the son of Zebedee. He was the brother of the apostle John. We first find him in Matthew 4:21, where he is in a ship with his father, Zebedee, and his brother, John. They were mending their nets. Jesus was walking along the coast of the Sea of Galilee and called James and John. They were with their father, and their occupation was fishing. They were taking the time to mend their nets. However, when Jesus calls, they leave their profession and their father to follow Him.
Matthew 4:21-22 “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”
We find that there was no hesitation in following Jesus. I find it interesting that everything he knew was left behind. His career and his family were taking second place to his faith in Jesus. This is a true disciple of Jesus. When we put everything into perspective, He must be first. In Jesus’ teaching in Matthew, he gives us a command to keep Him first. He is teaching us that when we put Him first, He will take care of the rest. James chooses to leave everything and follow Jesus, signifying to us the order of importance in his life.
In our world today, many people say that God is first, yet their actions speak louder. They spend most of their time trying to boost their careers to make more money to buy more things. They put family far above God. The proof of this is what it takes for them to miss their commitment to the church they are members of. People prioritize a one-year-old child’s birthday party over attending church. A birthday that the child will not even remember. They spend countless hours in recreation, family gatherings, and other social events that cause them to miss worshiping God. Yet, they cannot find time to study their Bibles and pray. They like short devotions that take five minutes to read because there is no time to seek God first. This is the opposite of what Jesus requires and what James exhibited.
Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
If we followed Jesus as Jesus taught in Matthew 6:31-34, we would have all we need. He states that He will add the things we need.
James had a prompt response to Jesus. He did not need to weigh his commitment against all the other things in His life. He left comfort and security, and he chose Jesus. His dedication and determination earned him and his brother John the nickname “Sons of Thunder.” Some believe it was because they asked Jesus in Luke 9:54 to call down fire from Heaven to consume a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus. We do not know the exact reason they were called this, but we can be sure that it implies they were bold and courageous for Christ.
Mark 3:17 “And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:”
Luke 9:54 “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”
This boldness may have come from his mother. In Matthew 20:20, she asks Jesus if her sons can sit at His right and left in His kingdom.
Matthew 20:20-21 “Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.”
James was part of Jesus’ inner circle. He was with Jesus in Mark 5:37 when Jesus went to Jarius’s house to raise his daughter from the dead. He was with Jesus at the Transfiguration in Mark 9:2 and was also with Jesus in the Garden before his arrest.
Mark 5:37 “And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.”
Mark 9:2 “And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.”
Mark 14:32-34 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
James was not a person who talked the talk. He demonstrated throughout his ministry that he put into practice what he claimed to believe. He died for his faith. He was one of the first to be murdered because Christ was preeminent in his life.
Act 12:1-2 “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.”
We need to examine ourselves and see if we have the character traits of James. He was bold and courageous for Christ. His commitment was unwavering. We, too, can be this way if we forget about ourselves and focus on Jesus. He was prompt to respond to Jesus. His dedication was evident in how Jesus welcomed him into the inner circle. He chose to spend time with Jesus. Jesus was first in everything. He did not back down on proclaiming Jesus, and it cost him his life on earth, but it gained him an eternity so grand and wonderful that we can’t even imagine. Jesus was pleased with the way that James lived and died. I’m sure he has already heard Well done, thou good and faithful servant. This is my goal. Is it yours?
