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Lenten tradition suggests that we humbly deny ourselves recognizing the sacrifice of Jesus and His resurrection. Lent can also represent an opportunity to learn and add to our Christian character. Our renewed efforts to pursue God’s wisdom during Lent moves us closer to the acceptance of our role in God’s plan. Let’s consider the disciple James, the older brother of John and his call to serve Jesus.

13 He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve to be with him and to be sent out to preach 15 and to have authority to cast out demons. 16 So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder), 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who handed him over. Mark 3:13-19.

John MacArthur in the book Twelve Ordinary Men asks the question, “Did Jesus select respected learned theologians or twelve ordinary people who He transformed into disciples”? 1 Most believe it was a conversion of average men that loved and trusted the Lord. The renovation of James into a dedicated disciple came through the teaching and influence of Jesus over three years. It is the same influence that is available to each of us when we invite the Holy Spirit (the Living Lord Jesus) into our lives each day. We are transformed by Christ into disciples to minister to God’s children. I don’t accept that any of us are born as disciples but all of us who love the Lord are called to be disciples.

These average men were not born with the gifts of ministry, Jesus expressly told the twelve recruited that he would transform them into fishers of men! And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.”2 The conversion to discipleship requires a willing and dedicated heart to love and to follow the Lord. Christ does the rest…

James came to Jesus as the son of a successful fisherman born into a prominent family residing in Bethsaida located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.3 The passion and fire of James may have been a product of his elevated family status, a learned trait from his father, or an internal passion to seek righteousness but Jesus molded and transformed the fiery James (son of thunder) into a Christ-like disciple teaching patience, compassion, restraint, and love as the essential characteristics of the ministry of Christ.4 After the death and resurrection of Christ, James, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, dedicated his life to the successful establishment of the church across Spain. James would be the first disciple martyred by the order of Herod Agrippa in 44A.D. Agrippa was attempting to reunite Israel and Judea by appeasing the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

James was one of three who were close to Jesus and often referred to as the inner circle of disciples referencing Peter, James, and John. These three were often selected to witness key events critical to the understanding of the ministry and the trials of Christ including the transfiguration of Christ, praying with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and witnessing the raising of Jairus’s daughter from the dead. The importance of their witness and the confidence placed in James, John and Peter is reflected in the words of Mark.

37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James…. 41 Taking  her by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And  immediately the girl stood up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this  hey were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no ones and told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:37-47.

Perhaps Jesus wanted James, John and Peter to witness the transfiguration and the miracle of the raising of the young girl from the dead to strengthen their faith and resolve. Jesus knew that after His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane James would run and Peter would deny him three times. God calls us knowing our faults, gifts, sins, weaknesses, and strengths then He teaches and adds what is needed. Spiritually we are just an aggregate of crude iron and carbon refined by the Holy spirit into the steel of discipleship. How will you serve the Risen Lord Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus, open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and transform our lives casting out the unnecessary and teaching the essential attributes of discipleship. Commit our days to serving God’s children and building His church. We make this prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

1 Twelve Ordinary Men, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, 2007.
2 Matthew 4:19.
3 Matthew 4:21-22.

4 https://www.thecollector.com/james-zebedee-twelve-disciples-bio-death/

The Wesleyan Bridge is written by K.B. Kelly with the Reverend Valerie Mireb and Pastor Hank Brooks as Theological Editors with Debbie Kelly as Text and Content Editor.