The Sons Of Thunder

THE SONS OF THUNDER

Mk. 3:17; Lk. 9:51-56; 1 Jn. 4

INTRODUCTION

A. HELL’S ANGELS

1. I was running a gas station outside of Springfield Missouri one time. I had 16 pumps. It was a large station and along a major highway.

2. There were two men on the pay phones. I was outside taking money from a lady who was wearing shorts.

3. Suddenly a stream of Harley-Davidson motorcycles started pouring off the highway and around the corner and began pulling into the station.

4. They were all big men, wearing black jackets, with long hair and tough looking. They had chains around their waists. It was the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang from California!

5. The first biker was the leader -- a huge man with a head of hair like a lion and a massive beard that was divided up into several forks. As he pulled into the station, he revved his motor and roared like a lion.

6. The young woman screamed, threw her money into the air and jumped in her car and took off. I went inside the station.

7. They pulled up 10 bikes to each pump and filled them up. After they had finished, they all filed in and politely paid for their gas. I was surprised how nice they were.

8. The two men on the phone were goggle-eyed, describing the scene on the phones to whoever they were talking to. This relates to our scripture today.

B. TEXT

1. Mark 3:13-17; “13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”).”

2. Jesus had some disciples who, if they were alive today, would’ve probably been in a motorcycle gang.

3. The Lord Himself named James and John the "Son of Thunder!" Wouldn't that have made a great name for a motorcycle gang? It was very appropriate in describing their characters as Sons of thunder – lightning is the product of thunderclaps.

4. They were swift, bright, and loud. James and John were brash, bold, and judgmental.

5. We're going to look at the background of these men, their character flaws, and see the transformation that took place in them, which needs to happen in all our lives.

6. The title of this message is “The Sons of Thunder.”

I. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE BROTHERS

A. BACKGROUND

1. John (Heb. Yohanan- ‘Jehovah is gracious’) and his brother James, were sons of Zebedee and Salome. They were fisherman who lived in Bethsaida and/or Capernaum.

2. We know they were a wealthy family because 1). their father had hired servants in his fishing business (Mark 1:20), 2). their mother Salome was a main financial contributor to Jesus (Lk. 8:3), and 3). John was personally known to the high-priest Caiaphas (John 18:15-16).

B. THEIR MOTHER, SALOME, WAS A TOP CHRISTIAN

1. Salome, their mother, was one of the pious women who followed Christ and "ministered unto him of her substance."

2. Salome was at the crucifixion: “Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome” Mark 15:40, Mt. 27:56.

3. Salome was at the Tomb on Easter morning: “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body” Mark 16:1.

4. So Salome wasn’t just another disciple, she was one of the most involved and persevering of Jesus’ followers.

C. MINISTRY HISTORY

1. James & John were 2 of the 3 members of Jesus’ Inner Circle of closest disciples (they were at Jairus’ daughter’s resurrection, Mark 5:37; the Transfiguration, Matt. 17:1; & in Gethsemane, Mark 14:33).

2. They were men of action – ambitious (Mk. 10:37), fiery (Lk. 9:54) and with explosive tempers, hence the name “Boanerges, which means ‘son of Thunder’ (Mk. 3:17). John, however, mellowed with time. In the latter part of his life, he became known as the “Apostle of love.”

3. John and Peter were the only disciples to follow Jesus, after His arrest, to Caiaphas’ house. John stayed there during the trial, and he was the only one of the apostles present at the crucifixion.

II. EVIDENCE OF AN UNCHRISTLIKE SPIRIT

Luke 9:51-56 NKJV; “51 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.”