The apostle James was honored with a favored position by Jesus Christ. Not only was he one of the twelve chosen disciples of Jesus, but he was also one of three men in Christ's inner circle. The others were James' brother John and Simon Peter. One more great distinction of the apostle James was to be the first to die a martyr's death.
Apostle James
- Also Known as: James of Zebedee; Nicknamed by Jesus “Boanerges” or “Son of Thunder.”
- Known for: James followed Jesus as one of the 12 chosen disciples. This apostle James (for there were two) was the brother of John, and a member of Christ’s inner circle of three, along with Peter and John. He proclaimed the gospel after Jesus' resurrection and was the first apostle to be martyred for his faith.
- Bible References: The apostle James is mentioned in all four Gospels and his martyrdom is cited in Acts 12:2.
- Father: Zebedee
- Mother: Salome
- Brother: John
- Hometown: He lived in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.
- Occupation: Fisherman, disciple of Jesus Christ.
- Strengths: James was a loyal disciple of Jesus. He apparently had outstanding personal qualities that are not detailed in Scripture, because his character made him one of Jesus' favorites.
- Weaknesses: With his brother John, James could be rash and unthinking. He did not always apply the gospel to earthly matters.
Who Was the Apostle James?
James was among the first of the twelve disciples. When Jesus called the brothers, James and John were fishermen with their father Zebedee on the Sea of Galilee. They immediately left their father and their business to follow the young rabbi. James was probably the older of the two brothers because he is always mentioned first.
Three times James, John, and Peter were invited by Jesus to witness events no one else saw: the raising of the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Mark 5:37-47), the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3), and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-37).
But James was not above making mistakes. When a Samaritan village rejected Jesus, he and John wanted to call down fire from heaven upon the place. This earned them the nickname "Boanerges," or "sons of thunder." The mother of James and John also overstepped her bounds, asking Jesus to grant her sons special positions in his kingdom.
James' zeal for Jesus resulted in his being the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred. He was killed with the sword on order of King Herod Agrippa I of Judea, about 44 A.D., in a general persecution of the early church.
Two other men named James appear in the New Testament: James, the son of Alphaeus, another of Christ's chosen apostles; and James, the brother of the Lord, a leader in the Jerusalem church and author of the book of James.
Life Lessons
In spite of everything James experienced as a disciple of Jesus, his faith remained weak until after the resurrection. Once, when he and his brother asked Jesus for the privilege of sitting beside him in glory, Jesus promised them only a share in his suffering (Mark 10:35–45). They were learning that the greatest calling of a servant of Jesus is to serve others. James discovered that following Jesus Christ can lead to hardship, persecution, and even death, but the reward is eternal life with him in heaven.
Key Verses
Luke 9:52-56
And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village. (NIV)
Matthew 17:1-3
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. (NIV)
Acts 12:1-2
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. (NIV)
FAQs
James the Great (Koinē Greek: Ἰάκωβος, romanized: Iákōbos; Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ, romanized: Yaʿqōḇ; died AD 44) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was the second of the apostles to die (after Judas Iscariot), and the first to be martyred.
Who was the first apostle of Jesus to die? ›
St. James the Greater was the first Apostle to be martyred for his faith. He willingly dropped everything at the seashore to follow Jesus as his first Apostle. He knew that Jesus was the Son of God, and knowingly walked with Jesus.
How did James the apostle meet Jesus? ›
James and his brother John were the sons of Zebedee. Both were fishermen by trade, and partners with the disciples Andrew and Simon Peter. Jesus first met them when they were out fishing on the Sea of Galilee.
How did James the apostle of Jesus die? ›
James was beheaded by order of King Herod Agrippa I of Judaea; according to Spanish tradition, his body was taken to Santiago de Compostela, where his shrine attracts Christian pilgrims from all over the world.
What was James's relationship to Jesus? ›
James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord (Latin: Iacobus from Hebrew: יעקב, Ya'aqov and Greek: Ἰάκωβος, Iákōbos, can also be Anglicized as "Jacob"), was a brother of Jesus, according to the New Testament. He was the first leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Apostolic Age.
Who was the first apostle of Jesus? ›
Andrew the Apostle, the first disciple to be called by Jesus. Though we know more about his brother Peter, it was Andrew who first met Jesus.
Who was the only apostle that wasn't killed? ›
It is traditionally believed that John was the youngest of the apostles and survived all of them. He is said to have lived to old age, dying of natural causes at Ephesus sometime after AD 98, during the reign of Trajan, thus becoming the only apostle who did not die as a martyr.
Is James the biological brother of Jesus? ›
The epistle states that it was authored by “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). Christian tradition has held that this James, like Jude, is one of the sons of Joseph and Mary and, therefore, a half brother of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; Galatians 1:19).
How did Jesus call James to be his disciple? ›
Jesus then saw James and John in the boat with their father Zebedee. They responded instantly to his call and left everything, including their father, to follow Jesus. The next disciple that Jesus called was Levi (Matthew). He was a tax collector who was sitting at his booth.
What was James the Lesser known for? ›
James became the leader of the Christians in Palestine after Saint Peter's departure for Rome. He was martyred shortly after preaching the Gospel near the Temple. He was stoned by the crowd and received a death blow from a club.
There are all kinds of unverified traditions about his death, most notably that he was crucified upside down because he didn't consider himself worthy to die the same way Jesus did. James was the first of the 12 to be put to death. King Herod had him killed by the sword in Jerusalem (Acts 12).
Who killed James in the Bible? ›
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.
Were James and John related to Jesus? ›
Usually identified by the name Salome, the mother of James and John may also have been a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, making them first cousins of Jesus and relatives of John the Baptist. Soon after his initial call, John witnessed many of the Lord's early miracles and teachings.
What did James do with Jesus? ›
James the apostle was part of Jesus' inner circle, alongside Peter and his brother John. witnessing the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration, and Jesus' agony in Gethsemane. Known for his zeal and dedication, James was the first of the 12 apostles to be martyred, a sign of his commitment to his faith.
Did Jesus and James have the same mother? ›
James and his siblings were not children of Mary but were Joseph's children from a previous marriage. Joseph's first wife died; many years later, at the age of eighty, "he took Mary (mother of Jesus)". According to Epiphanius the Scriptures call them "brothers of the Lord" to confound their opponents.
Which James did Jesus love? ›
James, brother of Jesus
James D. Tabor argues that the beloved disciple is James, brother of Jesus (the type of relative to Jesus, brother or cousin, depends on how one translates the word).
Which of the 12 disciples was killed? ›
James is the only apostle whose martyrdom is recorded in the New Testament (Acts 12:1-2). About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. The Herod in these verses is probably Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great.
Was Mary Magdalene the first apostle? ›
Jesus then sent her to tell the other apostles the good news of his resurrection. The Gospel of John therefore portrays Mary Magdalene as the first apostle, the apostle sent to the apostles.
What happened to James, the brother of Jesus? ›
This popularity is evident in the Jews' anger when priestly authorities had James put to death, reputedly either by stoning (after Flavius Josephus, historian of the Jews) or by being thrown from a Temple tower (after the early Christian writer St. Hegesippus).
Why did St Andrew die? ›
Andrew had converted multitudes to Christianity throughout the Mediterranean, including the wife of a Roman provincial governor in southern Greece; the governor, in turn, immediately ordered Andrew to be scourged and then crucified.
