James, the son of Zebedee, was one of the three disciples of Jesus’ inner circle. Of the three disciples closest to Jesus, James is the man we know the least about. In the gospel accounts, James is never mentioned alone. Whenever we see the narrative focus on James, he is coupled up with his brother. James was a fisherman in Galilee that was called by Jesus as he was mending his nets (Matthew 4:21). Although James is not mentioned as prominently as Peter and John, he would have been privy to events the other disciples would not have been privy to. James had the opportunity to see Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter back to life (Mark 5:37), to see the glory of Jesus revealed at the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), to speak with Jesus privately at the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3) and was with Jesus as the events unfolded in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-46). He was one of Jesus’ closest companions and these experiences would have strengthened his faith and further convinced him of Jesus’ power and glory.
One note we can take from the life of James was his passion. Jesus called James and John “Boanerges,” which are the sons of thunder. From this we see the implication that James and John had strong, impassioned personalities. As we look at some of the events that focus on James, we can see his boldness, zeal, and fervent nature. As followers of Christ, we can learn some valuable lessons from the life of James. Let’s look at three lessons we can learn and apply to our own lives.
The Calling
“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.” Matthew 4:21-22
Here, we see the calling of James and his response. In this text, we can learn that James responded immediately and fully. The immediacy of James’ response teaches us that James thought Jesus was worthy enough to drop whatever he was doing and follow. For us, we learn that wavering has no place in the disciple’s life. True belief in Jesus Christ as the only solution in life will leave no room for man’s logic or supposed alternate solutions. The immediacy of James’ response to the call is a great reminder that there is no time but now to respond appropriately to the call of Jesus Christ. Additionally, the passage indicates that James followed Jesus Christ fully. In response to the call of Jesus Christ, James left the ship and his father. From this, James shows us the valuable lesson of making the call the prominent feature in our lives, not our career or family. James was willing to forsake his business and family to follow. No details are given that would explain this type of motivation, but simply a willing and believing heart. Throughout our lives, it is important for us to revisit that time in our lives when we saw Jesus simply as our only solution. As life goes on in its business, and even ministry service, we run the risk of forgetting why we followed to begin with. Finally, the simple statement “and followed him” is such a profound truth that can be applied to our lives. As disciples, we must remember that we are following Jesus Christ, not some set of rules or religion, but the person of Jesus Christ. Being reminded of this should drive us to the gospels to learn what following Jesus Christ looks like. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:29 that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Since this is the case, it only makes sense to learn how Jesus lived his life and affected those he interacted with. This will always give us the best model to follow.
The Correcting
“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? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Luke 9:54-56
During this encounter between Jesus and James, we see the necessity of correction. In his zeal, James was filled with indignation to the fact that Jesus was rejected at Samaria. The desire of James was to have the power and permission to call down fire, just like Elijah had done. Jesus rebuked James and corrected the spirit in his request. Jesus’ correction was to realign James to the reason Jesus Christ came to the earth. Jesus reminds him that he had not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. For us, we will all go through times of correction. As we continue in the process of discipleship, we learn more and more that our spirit is reflected through our words and actions. For the most part, we learn over and over that our natural response, thoughts of nobility and boldness, typically stem from a spirit of self-promotion. One of the marks of a maturing disciple is the willingness and acceptance of correction. Today, we look to God’s Word as our source for this correction. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” As we become more and more established in the Word of God, we will allow the process of reproof and correction take hold in our lives. I am sure this was an unpleasant exchange for James to be a part of, but it was necessary for his growth. For us, we need to remember that Hebrews 12:11 says this correction will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Like James, it is good to transform our passion into peace for the sake of Jesus Christ.
The Conforming
“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. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.” Matthew 20:20-23
In this text, James and John request to be seated with Jesus in glory. Compared with Mark 10:35-45, we find out that this request was not just mom’s idea but was sourced in their boldness and over-confidence. At this point, we again find James in the middle of a controversy. James and John’s request was not as crazy as we would expect since Jesus had just told the disciples that they would be seated upon twelve thrones in his glory (Matthew 19:28). Again, we see the misguided nature of James’ passion that needed to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Jesus took this opportunity to teach that the way to be prominent in the kingdom was to be a servant on earth. Practically this account shows us that getting where we want to be often takes a completely different route. As we mature in our walks with the Lord, we begin to understand that God’s ways are not our ways. As we experience God at work in our lives, we will be increasingly convinced that the way up is down. The scriptures speak of it like this, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (1 Peter 5:6). The way to an exalted life is humility, not self-promotion. This paradigm shift will occur in our lives as we grow closer and closer to God. As we are conformed into the image of Jesus Christ, this truth will become not only evident, but the obvious way to love and lead others through their process of discipleship.
James and John said that they were able to drink of the same cup and be baptized the same as Christ, but they had no idea where this would lead them. Most of the time, our following Jesus Christ will be completely different than what we had in mind. Flexibility, or a soft heart, will be formed in us as we follow Jesus Christ. Over time, we will learn the valuable lesson of staying soft when it comes to our conforming. In the end, we can look back at our lives and see that it looked nothing like we expected but it was certainly worth it.
In closing, the lessons we learn from the life of James can be applied to our day to day lives as we follow Jesus Christ. James closed out his life with faithful service leading in the early church. This teaches us one of the most valuable lessons we can learn. Like James, when we are called, corrected, and conformed, we will count it an honor to drink of the cup of suffering. Eventually, James does drink of the cup of martyrdom and was killed by the sword, as described in Acts 12:1-2. Most of us will never endure this type of physical death, but we are all called to this spiritually. The call for us in Romans 12:1 is to present our bodies a living sacrifice – individually dying to our ambitions, pride, and self for the good of the body. As we continue to grow through the process of discipleship, we will properly define this as our only response and service based on what Christ has done for us. The primary lesson we learn from James is the transforming power of discipleship in our lives. James was thunderous, zealous, and an impassioned man that was transformed through his time with Jesus Christ. This same transformation will be accomplished as we renew our minds to prove what is that good, and acceptable, perfect will of God through the obedience and process of following Jesus Christ, namely discipleship.
Chris Miller is a deacon at Midtown Baptist Temple and Director of Technology for the Living Faith Bible Institute.
