Note: This is a study from the book 12 Ordinary Men by John McArthur an excellent book. There is also a fill in the blank outline from Adult Bible Fellowships of First Baptist Church Orion that I have posted in the series. This is not original but worth posting for study.
James: The Apostle of Passion
Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the
brother of John with the sword. - Acts 12:1-2
I. The Gospels are surprisingly silent about James. This is ironic for a few reasons.
a. He was the eldest of the Zebedee brothers.
b. The Zebedee family seems to have been more prominent than the
Jonas family (Peter and Andrew). This is hinted at the fact that they are called "the sons of Zebedee without additional information. So at this writing they were well known, even 30 years after the death of Jesus. Also we see that Zebedee owned a large fishing business Mark 1:20, and John was prominent enough to be known to the high priest to get Peter admitted to the courtyard (John 18:15-16).
c. In the lists of the apostles, James is always mentioned right after Peter.
II. However, James does figure prominently in the close inner close of the three. Together they were privileged to witness some amazing things.
a. They saw Jesus power in the raising of Jairus’s daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37).
b. They saw His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1).
c. They (along with Andrew) saw His sovereignty when He foretold the future on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3).
d. They saw the Savior’s agony in the garden of Gethsemane when He asked them to watch and pray with Him.
It is interesting that these were the only three or four who were permitted to see this about Jesus. It makes you wonder why, maybe because He was preparing them for a special task.
III. The fervor and intensity in James’ personality are clearly seen in his desire to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans.
a. Jesus had nicknamed the sons of Zebedee, Boanerges, which means
“Sons of thunder.”
We see a James who is zealous, thunderous, passionate, and fervent.
He reminds us of Jehu in 2 Kings 9 who furiously destroyed the wicked house of Ahab the wicked king. This was a great zeal for the Lord but this turned to selfish and worldly ambition for himself as we see, 2Ki 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin.
Passion is good but unbridled by the Holy Spirit can be deadly.
There are other people who were passionate about their cause in scripture Nehemiah, John the Baptist, Elijah yet they learned how to keep it focused on the task at hand and not get out of control.
Zeal is good but a part from knowledge is damning Rom 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Zeal with out compassion is condemning.
b. We get our best glimpse of why James and John were called this in Luke 9:51-56.
Luk 9:51-56 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, (52) and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. (53) But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. (54) And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" (55) But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. (56) "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.
c. It was significant that Jesus chose to travel through Samaria at all.
d. In Jesus day, the Samaritans still accepted to worship Jehovah as God, but in
essence they made a new religion based in large part on pagan practices.
e. Since the party traveling with Jesus was fairly large He sent messengers ahead to
arrange accommodations.
f. The Samaritans summarily reject the request.
g. James and John, the Sons of Thunder were instantly filled with passionate outrage.
h. The reference to Elijah is significant.
This story is found in 2 Kings 2:1-17. Ahizah the King was sick seeking the direction of Baal-Zubub
i. Jesus was not by any means condemning what Elijah had done in his day.
j. However, Jesus taught James and John by His example in this situation that
loving-kindness and mercy are virtues to be cultivated as much as (and sometimes
more than) righteous indignation and fiery zeal.
Things Jesus did for Samaria
1. Healing the Samaritan leper (Luke 17:16)
2. Water of Life to Samaritan woman (John 4:7-29)
3. Evangelized the neighborhood for 2 days after this (John 4:39-43)
4. Made a Samaritan a hero of one His best known stories (Luke 10:30-37)
5. Later commanded His disciples to preach to Samaria (Acts 1:8)
A few years after this, as the early church began to grow and the gospel message spread beyond Judea, Phillip the deacon "went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them" (Acts 8:5). A marvelous thing happened,
Act 8:6-8 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. (7) For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. (8) And there was great joy in that city.
Undoubtedly, many who were saved under Phillip's preaching were some of the same people who Jesus spared when James had wanted to incinerate them.
IV. In the account of asking for thrones in the Kingdom, we see that James was also ambitious and overconfident.
a. We read about this in Matthew 20:20-28.
Mat 20:20-28 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. (21) And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom." (22) But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." (23) So He said to them, "You will indeed drink 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 is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father." (24) And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. (25) But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. (26) "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. (27) "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; (28) "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
b. By comparing this with the parallel passage in Mark 10:35-45, it is clear that James
and John were the ones asking for this request.
Refering back to: Mat 19:28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
c. Jesus reply subtly reminded them that suffering is the prelude to glory.
d. James wanted a crown of glory; Jesus gave him a cup of suffering.
He wanted power; Jesus gave him sevanthood. He wanted to rule; Jesus gave him
a sword - not to wield, but to be the instrument of his own execution.
We know little else of James, while Andrews was quietly brining individuals to Jesus, James was wishing he could call down fire from heaven and destroy whole villages of people.
Fourteen year after this, James would become the first of the Twelve to be killed for his faith.
Did James learn the lesson Jesus tried to teach him?
Act 12:1-8 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. (2) Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. (3) And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. (4) So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (5) Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. (6) And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. (7) Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. (8) Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me."
History records that James’s testimony bore fruit right up until the moment of his execution. Eusebius, the early church historian, passes on an account of James’s death that came from Clement of Alexandria: “[Clement] says that the one who led James to the judgment-seat, when he saw him bearing his testimony, was move, and confessed that he was himself also a Christian. They were both therefore, he says, led away together; and on the way he begged James to forgive him. And James, after considering a little, said, ‘Peace be with thee,’ and kissed him. And thus they were both beheaded at the same time.” Thus in the end, James had learned to be more like Andrew, bringing people to Christ instead of itching to execute judgment.
