James Series

Jesus came from a big family. Matthew 13:55-56 names Jesus' brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas and mentions sisters (plural), so He had at least six siblings.

James is consistently named first when Jesus' brothers are listed, which in his day likely meant that he was the eldest of the four. Known as James the Just and Old Camel Knees, James led the church at Jerusalem until his violent death in AD 62.

What Does the Bible Say about James? (Young Skeptic)

In John 7:1-4, Jesus' brothers mock Him. Verse 5 tells us the reason, "For even his brothers did not believe in him." This is toward the end of Jesus' ministry, likely about six months before His Crucifixion. This is after Jesus healed a man who had been disabled for 38 years (John 5:2-9), fed 5,000 men with a boy's lunch (John 6:5-14), and walked on water (John 6:16-21).

Even after more than two years of miracles, James is a skeptic. It would, after all, be rather hard to swallow the idea that the brother you had grown up with was the Son of God.

Humbled Witness

1 Corinthians 15:7 specifically names James as one to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection. Seeing his dead brother walking and talking, James believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God sent to save people from their sins.

When he later writes the Epistle of James, he introduces himself not as the brother of Jesus or a leader of the church but as simply, "James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (James 1:1).

Immediately after Jesus ascends to heaven, Acts 1:14 finds James with the apostles, praying and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. James is one of the 120 filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the day the church begins (Acts 2:1-4). When he encounters Jesus the Risen Lord, James is whole-heartedly devoted to serving Him and His Church.

James Was a Wise Leader

Less than ten years later, when Paul visits Jerusalem, he meets with two church elders: Peter and James, the brother of Jesus. When Paul describes this event in Galatians 1:18-19, he refers to James as an apostle, one of a select few who had witnessed the risen Christ and whose teaching held authority.

James is still head of the church at Jerusalem 14 years later when Paul returns to settle the issue of which Jewish laws apply to Gentile believers. Debate rages between the Judaizers, who demand that Gentile Christians be circumcised and observe all the laws God gave the Israelites, and Paul and Peter, who insist that Gentiles do not need to become Jews to follow Jesus (Acts 15:1-12). It is a thorny, complicated dispute threatening to tear the infant Church in two.

James listens to both sides. He allows them to express all their opinions, concerns, and arguments fully. He responds only after they stop speaking, and his answer demonstrates his knowledge of the Scriptures, discernment, and robust and impartial leadership.

Most orators of the day flattered their hearers with flowery accolades, wove in stories and cultural references, and eventually got around to alluding to whatever it was they wanted to communicate.

James's speech in Acts 15:13-21 is simple, straightforward, and to the point. He endorses Peter's testimony that God is redeeming Gentiles and Jews. He recites Amos 9:11-12 to show that this rescuing of the Gentiles is not in conflict with what Scripture teaches but rather fulfillment.

James then pronounces his judgment, a compromise. Gentile believers are not burdened with Jewish laws but are to abstain from four things likely to make fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers difficult.

There is no more debate. His authority and wisdom are respected, and his judgment is fair and beneficial to both parties.

When recounting the story of the Jerusalem Council in Galatians 2:1-10, Paul describes James as a pillar of the church, a man of high reputation. He also records that when James and the other elders approved his ministry to the Gentiles, the one thing they asked was that he remember the poor.

Jesus' Brother Was a Radical Advocate

It is a passion for James, who repeatedly demands justice for the poor in the Epistle of James. About a quarter of the book is devoted to advocating for and encouraging the needy, condemning favoritism based on wealth, and confronting the rich about their greed, apathy, exploitation, and foolish pride. The only other person in the New Testament who talks about social inequality is Jesus Himself. Like his brother, James minces no words.

"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last day. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter" (selected from James 5:1-5).