That None Should Perish

May 28, 2026

James, the son of Zebedee, was one of the three disciples of Jesus’ inner circle. Of the three disciples closest to Jesus, James is the man we know the least about. In the gospel accounts, James is never mentioned alone. Whenever we see the narrative focus on James, he is coupled up with his brother. James was a fisherman in Galilee that was called by Jesus as he was mending his nets (Matthew 4:21). Although James is not mentioned as prominently as Peter and John, he would have been privy to events the other disciples would not have been privy to. James had the opportunity to see Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter back to life (Mark 5:37), to see the glory of Jesus revealed at the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), to speak with Jesus privately at the Mount of Olives (Mark 13:3) and was with Jesus as the events unfolded in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-46). He was one of Jesus’ closest companions and these experiences would have strengthened his faith and further convinced him of Jesus’ power and glory. 

One note we can take from the life of James was his passion. Jesus called James and John “Boanerges,” which are the sons of thunder. From this we see the implication that James and John had strong, impassioned personalities. As we look at some of the events that focus on James, we can see his boldness, zeal, and fervent nature. As followers of Christ, we can learn some valuable lessons from the life of James. Let’s look at three lessons we can learn and apply to our own lives.