A. James, the brother of Jesus, was reputed to be a
pillar in the church of Christ at Jerusalem (Gal. 2:9), but he did not always
have such a faithful relationship with the Lord Jesus.
B. In this lesson, we will consider how James moved from
being an unbeliever of Jesus to being a prominent figure in the Lord's
church. We will also take some lessons
from James' story that we can apply to ourselves and others.
II. JAMES: FROM UNBELIEVER TO PILLAR OF THE CHURCH
A. The Scriptures plainly teach that Jesus had brothers
and sisters, including James.
1.
When the people
of Nazareth heard and saw Jesus preaching in their synagogue, they were
astonished because they considered Him and His family to be ordinary people who
lived among them. Notice how they described
Jesus and identified James as His brother in Matthew 13:54-56:
"Where did this man get this wisdom, and these
miraculous powers? Is not this the
carpenter's son? Is not His mother
called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
2.
James is again
identified as the brother of Jesus by the apostle Paul in Galatians 1:19.
3.
The Scriptures
are clear concerning the existence and identity of Christ's brothers, but Roman
Catholicism teaches that Mary was a perpetual virgin without other children
besides Jesus. The Scriptural record
shows that James and the other brothers of Jesus were indeed His brothers by
the same mother and not half-brothers or cousins as some say. (See also Matthew 12:46-47.)
B. When Jesus was engaged in His ministry, James and the
other brothers of Jesus did not believe in Him.
1.
When Jesus had
withdrawn into Galilee because the Jews of Judea were seeking to kill Him, His
brothers dared Him to reveal Himself to be the Christ. Notice John 7:2-5:
Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was
near. Therefore His brothers said to
Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your
works which You are doing. For no one
does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the
world.” For not even His brothers were
believing in Him.
2.
This rejection by
the Lord's brothers fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 69:8 – "I have become
estranged from my brothers and an alien to my mother's sons.” (Notice that this gives further proof that
James and the other brothers of Jesus were indeed children of Mary.)
3.
It is interesting
to consider that Jesus entrusted His mother to the apostle John rather than to
James or any of His other brothers (John 19:25-27). Apparently, the unbelief of His brothers and
their absence at His cross caused Jesus to bypass them and assign this
responsibility to John.
C. However, after Christ's resurrection, James and all of
the brothers of Jesus were among His believers.
1.
After Jesus
ascended to heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem to wait according to the
Lord's instructions. There they stayed
in an upper room and devoted themselves to prayer "along with the women, and
Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts 1:13-14).
2.
It is evident
that the brothers of Jesus, including James, had been converted to Him. Apparently, this happened after Christ's
resurrection, for Paul wrote that Jesus had "appeared to James, then to all the
apostles” (1Cor. 15:7). Because James is
differentiated from the apostles, it is reasonable to understand that Paul
spoke of James, the brother of Jesus, who witnessed the risen Christ.
D. James became a pillar in the church at Jerusalem.
1.
In Acts 15:6-29,
James played a significant role in the council of the apostles and elders at
Jerusalem concerning the Gentiles and the Law of Moses. It was James who stated the judgment that was
adopted by the apostles, the elders, and the whole church.
2.
In apparently
recalling this council, Paul described James, Cephas, and John as "reputed to
be pillars” (Gal. 2:9). This description
indicates the strength of James, His role in the Jerusalem church, and His
reputation that equaled that of the apostles.
3.
Some have
suggested that James actually became an apostle because of Paul's words in Galatians
1:19 – "But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's
brother.” However, this seems to be
Paul's way of saying that although he did not see the apostles when he went to
Jerusalem, he did see James.
4.
It is likely that
James, the brother of Jesus, was the author of the epistle of James. That writer identifies himself as "James, a
bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jas. 1:1). This description could also fit other men by
the name of James, but the internal and external evidence favors the Lord's
brother.
III. LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JAMES
A. The gospel separates people.
1.
The Lord
certainly set a demanding expectation in Matthew 10:34-37 when He said:
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth;
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her
mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies
will be the members of his household. He
who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves
son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
2.
This standard may
be demanding, but it is not more than our Lord upheld Himself, for even His
brothers did not believe in Him. As we
saw in Psalm 69:8, Jesus became estranged from His brothers and an alien to His
mother's sons.
3.
The rewards of
serving Christ will be worth any sacrifice we make in this life, for Jesus
said, "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or
mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much,
and will inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:29).
B. The gospel changes people.
1.
There is no more
profound change that can occur in man than conversion to Jesus Christ.
a. The New Testament describes this change as a new birth
(John 3:3-8; Jas. 1:18; 1Pet. 1:22-23; 1John 5:1), a regeneration (Tit. 3:5), a
new creation (2Cor. 5:17), and a resurrection (Rom. 6:3-13).
b. Like James, every person must undergo that complete
transformation that comes when He realizes that Jesus is the Lord, the Christ,
and the Savior. See Romans 12:2.
2.
James is just one
example of the countless many that have experienced a radical change of life.
a. Saul, the persecutor of Christ's church, became Paul,
the apostle and champion of the gospel to the Gentiles (1Tim. 1:12-16).
b. The Thessalonian Christians "turned to God from idols
to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He
raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come”
(1Thess. 1:9-10).
c.
The Ephesian
Christians came out of rampant idolatry and sorcery to become followers of
Jesus (Acts 19:17-20).
d. The Corinthian Christians had formerly been
fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, coveters,
drunkards, revilers, swindlers, and other such sinners, but they were washed,
sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus (1Cor. 6:9-11).
C. The gospel brings people together.
1.
Although it is a
paradox, Jesus not only causes division, but He also brings people closer together
than they have ever been before.
a. James and the brothers of Jesus were estranged from
Him during His ministry, but after His resurrection, they certainly had a
better relationship with Him than even brotherhood had given them.
b. Likewise, Christians who are divided from unbelievers
in their families can be drawn closer to them than ever before if their family
members convert to Christ.
c.
This is because
fellowship in Christ exceeds every other relationship that man can have. Christians' love for one another is
comparable to Christ's love for them (1John 3:16).
2.
The gospel is a
ministry of reconciliation primarily of man to God but also of man to man.
a. God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ
(2Cor. 5:18-20). This means that He
reestablished a friendly relationship with the world, for all men had been
separated from Him because of sin (Isa. 59:2).
b. In doing so, God also reconciled men unto one another,
as both Jews and Gentiles have fellowship with one another and are at peace in
one body through Jesus (Eph. 2:14-18).
c.
Thus, the gospel
of Christ can make brothers out of strangers or even enemies.
