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Mark 3:16-17
"James" is the English form of the Vulgar Latin name Iacomus, which was derived from Iakobos, the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Ya'āqov. Put more simply, "James" is the English form of the Hebrew "Jacob." The name Jacob means "supplanter" or "holder of the heel," referring to Jacob's being born holding onto his brother Esau's heel (Genesis 25:26). We have too little information about the life of James to compare him to the patriarch Jacob in any meaningful way. For the most part, James is mentioned alongside Peter and John (and sometimes with Andrew, Peter's brother), their lives overlapping to such an extent that it is difficult to mention one without the others. In time, James became known as "James the Great" or "James the Greater." It is not clear if he was called this because he was among the first to be named in the four lists of the apostles or because he was the first apostle to suffer martyrdom. Since there are two apostles of the same name, he could simply have been called "James the Great" to distinguish him from the other James, the son of Alphaeus. He, being the older of the two, may have rated the "great" honorific solely for that reason. Scholars are sure, however, that it had nothing to do with describing his character. In most instances, he is called "James the son of Zebedee, brother of John." He was a disciple, then an apostle, of Christ for around 17 years before being put to death by King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2), becoming the first of the Twelve to be martyred. Other than the three years or so that he spent with Jesus during His ministry, there is not much more recorded in the New Testament about his life or personality. The gospels indicate that his parents were righteous people—or at least it appears that his mother was. There is no mention of Zebedee after Jesus calls his sons to follow Him. Some expositors, using John 19:25, assert that James and John's mother, Salome, was Mary's sister. They also base this on her request that her sons be allowed to sit on Jesus's right hand (Matthew 20:20-21), essentially alluding to the old adage that "blood is thicker than water." If we compare Matthew's, Mark's, and John's accounts of those in attendance at the crucifixion, the chances that Salome was Mary's sister increase. She was also one of the women who came to anoint Jesus' body after His death (Mark 16:1). Salome appears to have been a disciple and active in some of the major events of Christ's life. James followed his father in the family fishing business, as did John. Some sort of business arrangement seems to have existed between the fathers of James and John and of Peter and Andrew, a fact that Luke indicates in Luke 5:7. After being called by Jesus, these four comprised a close circle of disciples following Him. Normally, when one is listed, all of them are, although Andrew is sometimes left out. In fact, James is never mentioned separately from John or Peter. The gospels record three episodes in which these three disciples—Peter, James, and John—are alone allowed to witness an event firsthand: -
They alone were allowed to witness the raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37). -
Only these three were chosen to witness Jesus' transfiguration on the mount (Matthew 17:1). -
In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus went to pray the night before His death, He took only these three into His private place, telling them to watch and pray with Him (Mark 14:33). The special relationship they shared is one that can be defined by the principle, "To whom much is given, from him much will be required" (Luke 12:48), as Christ was preparing them for the jobs that lay ahead after His death and resurrection.
Ronny H. Graham
Sons of Thunder (Part One)
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