The Call of the Apostles - James, the son of Zebedee

 

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18–22 ESV).

 

Today we come to another of the twelve apostles called by Jesus, James, son of Zebedee. James died early, in 44 AD, and was also known as James the Greater as he was older than the other James who was also a follower of Jesus. He was a Galilean fisherman who, alongside his brother John (who we will look at tomorrow), left his nets to become one of Jesus' first and closest disciples. In fact, as we shall see, he was one of the “inner circle” who often was a part of those experiences with Jesus like the transfiguration and the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was also the first apostle to be martyred, his life, character, and legacy are central to early Christian history.

 

He was from the family of Zebedee and Salome; and, of course, the older brother of John the Apostle. While their trade was made as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, he immediately became a follower of Jesus once called. He and his brother were called “sons of thunder” undoubtedly to their fiery temperament (cf. Mark 3:17). He was executed by beheading under King Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem around 44 AD (cf. Acts 12:1-2).

 

James was uniquely selected to witness several of the most pivotal and intimate moments of Jesus' earthly ministry. However, because of his early death, much of what we know about him comes from the Spanish Church Traditions. According to strong historical tradition, James had traveled to preach the Gospel in Spain before his death. Following his martyrdom, his disciples are said to have miraculously transported his body to Galicia in northwestern Spain. His rediscovered tomb sparked the creation of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which remains the destination for the world-famous Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) pilgrimage route.

 

There are three things we should learn from the life of James. First, often radical obedience replaces comfort. James was a successful fisherman working in a prosperous family business with his father, Zebedee. When Jesus called him, James immediately left his nets, his career, and his family to follow an unknown future (Matthew 4:21–22). True discipleship requires immediate responsiveness and a willingness to step away from worldly security when God calls. Second, misguided zeal must be tempered by grace. I often tell folks that their “truth-telling” must be balanced with “grace-giving.” Passion for God is a virtue, but it must be balanced with grace, mercy, and wisdom rather than descending into judgment and anger. And, third, true greatness is found in servant leadership. Both James and John learned this lesson when they let ambition get the better of them as they (alongside their mother) asked Jesus for the ultimate positions of power, to sit on His right and left hand in the coming kingdom (cf. Matthew 20:20–28). Jesus used this moment to turn their definition of success upside down, stating that "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant".

 

These lessons ought to be incorporated into our lives each day as we grow in Christ!

 

The Call of the Apostles - Andrew

 

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18–22 ESV).

 

Andrew was also a fisherman from Bethsaida and originally a disciple of John the Baptist. After hearing John identify Jesus as the "Lamb of God," Andrew followed Jesus and spent the day with Him. Recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, Andrew immediately brought his brother Simon Peter to meet Him. The calling of Andrew is described primarily in the Gospels of John, Matthew, and Mark. The narratives break down into two distinct moments. The initial encounter (cf. John 1:35-42) took place near the Jordan River. Andrew and another disciple (traditionally believed to be John the Apostle) heard John the Baptist speak, which prompted them to follow Jesus. Jesus turned and asked, "What do you want?" When they asked where He was staying, He replied, "Come and you will see." Andrew spent the day with Jesus and was so convinced of His identity that he found his brother Simon, declaring, "We have found the Messiah," and introduced him to Christ.

 

Sometime later, while Andrew and Peter were casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked by and formally called them to a life of full-time ministry. Jesus said, "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people." The brothers immediately left their nets and followed Him. Because Andrew was the first of the Apostles to be summoned into Christ's service, the Eastern Orthodox Church honors him with the name Protokletos, meaning "the First-Called".

 

Unlike his brother Peter, who is mentioned 156 times in the New Testament, Andrew’s name is only mentioned twelve times throughout scripture. Needless to say, Andrew’s role in establishing the Church was not as obviously impactful and as well-known as some of the other disciples. Regardless of how many times Andrew is mentioned in scripture, it is important to point out that what we do know about Andrew helps us identify character qualities that should be seen in the life of every disciple of Jesus Christ.

 

Perhaps most impactful and unique with Andrew was how he desired so greatly to spend time with men who were noticeably holy. Even before Jesus Christ had fully engaged in his ministry, we see in the Gospel of John that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist (cf. John 1:40). Andrew followed him and desired to learn of what he was teaching. Which brings us to another important point about the character of Andrew – he was teachable. So much so, that when John the Baptist announced to his disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36), Andrew obediently began to follow Jesus Christ.

 

Those two characteristics would do us well in our journeys. We ought to seek wise men who understand the call to holiness; and, we should seek to be teachable throughout our lives. Let Andrew inspire you to those traits in your life!

The Call of the Apostles - Peter

 

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he [Jesus] saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18–22 ESV).

 

I hope you were encouraged and blessed through the little series through the Sermon on the Mount over the past few weeks. Today we start a new series that will look at the lives of each of the first twelve Apostles. We will take them in the order that Jesus chose them. The first two were brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew. We will look at Peter first and Andrew tomorrow. I must remind you that the order of the choice does not indicate prominence of position as much as it shows us simply how Jesus did it.

 

Simon Peter, also known as Cephas (cf. John 1:42), was one of the first followers of Jesus Christ. He was an outspoken and ardent disciple, one of Jesus’ closest friends, an apostle, and a “pillar” of the church (cf. Galatians 2:9). Peter was enthusiastic, strong-willed, impulsive, and, at times, brash. But for all his strengths, Peter had several failings in his life. Still, the Lord who chose him continued to mold him into exactly who He intended Peter to be.

 

It is interesting to note that Simon was originally from Bethsaida (cf. John 1:44) and lived in Capernaum (cf. Mark 1:29), both cities on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. He was married (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:5), and he and James and John were partners in a profitable fishing business (cf. Luke 5:10). Simon met Jesus through his brother Andrew, who had followed Jesus after hearing John the Baptist proclaim that Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:35-36). Andrew immediately went to find his brother to bring him to Jesus. Upon meeting Simon, Jesus gave him a new name: Cephas, which is the Aramaic, or Peter, which is the Greek and means “rock” (cf. John 1:40-42). Later, Jesus officially called Peter to follow Him, producing a miraculous catch of fish (cf. Luke 5:1-7). For the next three years, Peter lived as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Being a natural-born leader, Peter became the de facto spokesman for the Twelve More significantly, it was Peter who first confessed Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” a truth which Jesus said was divinely revealed to Peter (cf. Matthew 16:16-17).

 

Peter was part of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, along with James and John. Only those three were present when Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (Matthew 17:1). Peter and John were given the special task of preparing the final Passover meal (Luke 22:8).

 

In several instances, Peter showed himself to be impetuous to the point of rashness. For example, it was Peter who left the boat to walk on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29)—and promptly took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink (verse 30). It was Peter who took Jesus aside to rebuke Him for speaking of His death (Matthew 16:22)—and was swiftly corrected by the Lord (verse 23). It was Peter who suggested erecting three tabernacles to honor Moses, Elijah, and Jesus (Matthew 17:4)—and fell to the ground in fearful silence at God’s glory (verses 5-6). It was Peter who drew his sword and attacked the servant of the high priest (John 18:10)—and was immediately told to sheath his weapon (verse 11). It was Peter who boasted that he would never forsake the Lord, even if everyone else did (Matthew 26:33)—and later denied three times that he even knew the Lord (verses 70-74).

 

Even as an apostle, Peter experienced some growing pains. At first, he had resisted taking the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile. However, when he saw the Romans receive the Holy Spirit in the same manner he had, Peter concluded that “God does not show favoritism” (cf. Acts 10:34). After that, Peter strongly defended the Gentiles’ position as believers and was adamant that they did not need to conform to Jewish law (cf. Acts 15:7-11).

 

Another episode of growth in Peter’s life concerns his visit to Antioch, where he enjoyed the fellowship of Gentile believers. However, when some legalistic Jews arrived in Antioch, Peter, to appease them, withdrew from the Gentile Christians. The Apostle Paul saw this as hypocrisy and called it such to Peter’s face (Galatians 2:11-14). Later in life, Peter spent time with John Mark (cf. 1 Peter 5:13), who wrote the gospel of Mark based on Peter’s remembrances of his time with Jesus. Peter wrote two inspired epistles, 1 and 2 Peter, between A.D. 60 and 68. Jesus said that Peter would die a martyr’s death (John 21:18-19)—a prophecy fulfilled, presumably, during Nero’s reign. There are several things we can learn from the life of the great man of God.

 

First, Jesus always overcomes fear. Whether stepping out of a boat onto a tossing sea or stepping across the threshold of a Gentile home for the first time, Peter found courage in following Christ (cf. 1 John 4:18). Second, Jesus forgives unfaithfulness. After Peter had boasted of his fidelity, he fervently denied the Lord three times. It seemed that Peter had burned his bridges, but Jesus lovingly rebuilt them and restored Peter to service. Peter was a former failure, but, with Jesus, failure is not the end (cf. 2 Timothy 2:13). Third, Jesus patiently teaches. Peter repeatedly needed correction, and the Lord gave it with patience, firmness, and love. The Master Teacher looks for students willing to learn (cf. Psalm 32:8). Fourth, Jesus sees us as He intends us to be. The very first time they met, Jesus called Simon “Peter.” The rough and reckless fisherman was, in Jesus’ eyes, a firm and faithful rock (cf. Philippians 1:6).

 

Peter is wonderful example for all of us. When we trust in Jesus, He will produce our best in us. Trust Jesus’ call in your life!

The Reaction of the People on the Mount

 

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:28–29 ESV).

 

Our reading today concludes the Sermon on the Mount. It is worth noting that Matthew recalls the crowds were astounded because Jesus spoke with His own divine authority. Unlike religious scribes who merely quoted previous rabbis and traditions, Jesus delivered absolute truths directly from God. These verses highlight a pivotal reaction to Jesus' teaching. The Greek word for "amazed" is ἐξεπλήσσοντο (exeplēssonto). According to Strong’s Lexicon it means to be astounded or thrown completely out of one's senses. The crowd was overwhelmed by the wisdom and radical nature of His message, properly, "strike out of one's senses" with the outcome of being utterly amazed (dumbfounded) or left "at a loss" from witnessing the incredible causing the viewer to gape in astonishment.

 

Jesus did not need to cite previous scholars or experts. Instead, He spoke the direct decrees of God, famously using phrases like, "You have heard that it was said..., but I say to you," establishing His identity as King. However, this cannot be the last of the experience.

 

The crowds were "amazed," but the Scripture shows us that many of these same people eventually walked away when Jesus’ teaching became too demanding. Being astonished by Jesus is easy; being transformed by him requires building your life on the rock of daily faith and obedience. Our reading today should challenge us to look beyond a superficial admiration of Jesus' moral teachings. If we truly recognize his voice as the supreme authority over our relationships, our finances, our hidden thoughts, and our future, we cannot remain unchanged. We must move past being casual fans in the crowd and become true builders on the rock.

 

It is wonderful to get excited when we are touched by the Spirit of God. However, I would caution all of us to heed the warning of the step-brother of our Lord, who wrote:

 

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. (James 2:18–23 ESV).

 

A tingly feeling is not the goal of Jesus’ teaching. A change in life is!

 

Further Instructions from the Mount - Pt 9

[Jesus said] “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24–27 ESV).

 

Spending my childhood and teen years in Galveston, Texas, I experienced several hurricanes. One of those is still ranked as one of the top five most destructive hurricanes to hit the United States. Carla came in with winds topping 150 mph and classified as a Category 4 on the Saffir-simpson scale. My dad felt confident we could ride it out in our home, though there was some doubt as the water began to rise to twelve feet completely covering the entire first floor of our grocery store. After the storm left our area, we ventured out to see the devastation. There were buildings of all sorts that were completely destroyed, others seemed to be little damaged.

 

What makes the difference between one home left standing and another left fractured and falling down. The quality of the building materials? No, these were all well-built homes and businesses. Only the best materials were used. The difference was what they were built upon. Those homes which had their foundation laid solidly in the ground stood firm against the tempest that raged against them. Those homes whose foundations were laid in the sand, fractured, broke and fell as the sand was swept away and the foundation collapsed.

 

Jesus uses this same analogy to bring out his final point in His conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount. It does not matter if you are talking about the foundation of a physical building or the foundation upon which you have built your life, the principle is the same. The material upon which you lay your foundation will determine the strength of the structure that is built upon it. It does not matter the cost and quality of the building materials used, for a house built on sand is only as strong as that sand. It will collapse when put to the test.

 

What are you building your life on? If it is anything less than the solid rock of Jesus, you have no hope of surviving the final storm!

  

Further Instructions from the Mount - Pt 14

 

[Jesus said] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21–23 ESV).

 

In our reading today Jesus is speaking on the subject of true faith versus false professions, using the technique of contrast and comparison. Remember earlier in this chapter He describes two paths on which people walk through life, the broad road that leads to eternal destruction and the narrow path that leads to eternal life (vv. 13-14). In these verses He introduces the concept of the “many” and the “few” that He will return to.

 

Also, earlier in this chapter He again contrasts the two types of people by using imagery well known to those in an agrarian culture—sheep/wolves, grapes/figs, thorn bushes/thistles, good trees/bad trees, and good fruit/bad fruit (vv. 15-18). Having established the idea of dichotomy in the minds of His hearers, He goes on to apply these truths to the spiritual state of all those listening to Him. Jesus presents the two types of people who will come to Him on “that day,” meaning the last day, the day of judgment, the great day fixed by God and unknown to angels and men and which will be terrible to some and joyful to others. All will be seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven, but some will be turned away and will react in utter confusion and disappointment as what they thought was their “ticket” to heaven turns out to be worthless.

 

Some of these people are those who prophesied in the name of Jesus, meaning either foretelling things to come or preaching the Word in His name. Some may have even performed miraculous acts such as driving out demons and perhaps healings and other miracles, but all to no avail. Their works were done for their own glory, not His, and were nothing more than “filthy rags” (cf. Isaiah 64:6). In contrast, those who will enter heaven will not do so based on their miraculous achievements and accomplishments or works of any sort. They will have eternal life solely based on God’s sovereign gift of grace through the work of Jesus on the cross resulting in their faith in Him.

 

That naturally leads us to question who are these unfortunate people and how can they do miracles unless they are doing them by God’s power? We know several things about them from the text. First, we know there are many of them, because it is many who are on the broad road to eternal death, as compared to the relative few who have found the narrow path to eternal life. Second, they claim the name of Christ. These are not Muslims, Buddhists, or atheists. These are those who would gladly say, “I am a Christian.” They work their works in Jesus’ name. They pray and heal in Jesus’ name. They preach and teach in Jesus’ name. They build huge churches and ministries in Jesus’ name. They claim a relationship with Him. But they are none of His. In fact, He sends them away, not with commendation for their good works in His name, but by disowning their every deed and word. He “never” knew them, nor did they ever truly know Him.

 

Further, they weren’t Christians who lost their salvation. They were never part of the elect of God, chosen before the foundation of the world (cf. Ephesians 1:4), set apart and sanctified by the Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:21), and justified by faith (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). The ones Christ puts away from Himself with harsh words of condemnation, calling them doers of evil, were never chosen of God and thus never came to Him in faith, despite their outward good works and miracles.

 

So, how do we know? That answer is simple. After a lengthy discussion the Apostle Paul says:

 

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:8–13 ESV).

 

It is a heart matter, not a behavior. Look into your heart!

 

Further Instruction from the Mount - Pt 7

 

[Jesus said] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15–20 ESV).

 

A "wolf in sheep's clothing" is an idiom for someone who disguises a ruthless, malicious nature behind a harmless, friendly facade. It serves as a universal warning to be cautious of deceptive people who use charm or a veneer of innocence to mask their true, dangerous intentions. 

 

Throughout the Scripture we are warned about false prophets (cf. Ezekiel 13, Matthew 24:23–27, 2 Peter 3:3). False prophets claim to speak for God, but they speak falsehood. To gain a hearing, they look good and make promises of great blessing and gain from the following of their teachings.  No matter how innocent and harmless these teachers appear on the outside, they have the nature of wolves—they are intent on destroying faith, causing spiritual carnage in the church, and enriching themselves. They “secretly introduce destructive heresies,” “bring the way of truth into disrepute,” and “exploit you with fabricated stories” (2 Peter 2:1–3).

 

The false teachers wear “sheep’s clothing” so they can mingle with the sheep without arousing suspicion. They usually are not up front about what they believe; rather, they mix in some truth with their falsehood and carefully choose their words to sound correct. However, in reality, they “follow their own ungodly desires” (Jude 1:17–18), and “they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed” (2 Peter 2:14). By contrast, a true prophet teaches the Scripture fully (cf. Deuteronomy 18:20). Wolves in sheep’s clothing twist God’s Word to deceive or influence the audience for their own purposes. Remember, Satan masquerades as an angel of light (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:15).

 

The best way to guard against these false prophets is to heed the warnings of Scripture and know the truth. A believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and carefully studies the Bible will be able to identify false prophets. Christians must judge all teaching against what Scripture says. We must trust and verify by the Scripture. We can also identify false prophets by their fruit—their words, actions, and lifestyles. If a teacher in the church does not live according to God’s Word, he is one of those wolves in sheep’s clothing. Be alert and aware!