James, brother of John

Vertical cross hilted sword represents the method of his martyrdom at the hands of Herod Agrippa; the escalloped shell is the symbol for his pilgrimages and missionary journeys.

This James was the brother of John, the son of Zebedee. Strangely, we know little about this man, although he seems to be an important follower of Jesus, as his name always appears in the first three mentioned in the gospel lists of disciples, always with his brother John. Throughout the Gospels, he and his brother John almost appear as a composite figure, almost like conjoined twins who were not separated. James is not mentioned as a separate person until the book of Acts, where he is the first disciple martyred.

These two brothers, along with Peter, seem to be part of the "inner circle." They were the only disciples allowed to see Jesus raise the daughter of Jairus, the only ones to witness the transfiguration of Jesus, and the only ones to accompany Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.

James and John made one of the most brash requests ever made of Jesus. They asked for chief places in the kingdom of God. They were pushers and grabbers, concerned with achievement and status. Because the kingdom of God doesn’t work like kingdoms on earth, they didn’t understand what that would require. To inherit first places in the kingdom, they must be satisfied with the last place. To save their lives, they must lose them. Their Lord rules from a cross, not from a throne, and to ask for places at his left and right hand is to ask for a sacrificial death. Although they said that they were willing to drink at the cup of Jesus, they didn’t understand what they were promising. It was only after Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified that they realized they were not able to follow him.

It is significant that James was the first of the apostles to become a martyr. After seeing the sacrifice that his Lord made for all humankind, James understands that his ambition should not be to glorify himself, but rather to glorify his risen Lord. Having once failed to follow Jesus in his death at the hand of Pontius Pilate, James finally succeeded in following his master.

Writings of the historian Eusebius record that the man who turned James over to Herod was so profoundly affected by the courageous behavior of this apostle at his trial that the informer became a follower of Christ and received baptism from James himself. He, too, was tried and sentenced to die with James, who forgave the man as they were being led to their deaths.

That’s the true power of Jesus. No matter what some branches of Christianity may tell you, it is not Jesus’ power to move mountains or heal the sick that is most impressive. Jesus’ strongest power is His power to change and transform the human heart. It is His power to overcome our need to be the most important, His power to teach us how to forgive, and His ability to teach us all how to extend the grace that we have been given to our fellow man that ensures that the kingdom of God will one day be fulfilled.

Brandon Gilliam