James of Jerusalem
- James Collazo
- May 15, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 25
Introduction
James, son of Joseph (Hebrew: Yaakov ben Yosef—Greek: Iakōbos ton tou Iōsēph), was born around AD 1 in the Roman client state of Judea. The apostle Paul called him "the Lord's brother." He wrote about meeting him in Jerusalem after Paul's conversion near Damascus (Gal. 1:19). James shared the same mother, Mary, with Jesus and at least three brothers—Joseph, Simon, and Jude—and an unknown number of sisters (Matt. 13:55–56; Mark 6:3). At first, James and his siblings did not believe Jesus was the Messiah (John 7:5). In fact, the family thought Jesus was out of his mind (Mark 3:21). James believed only after the resurrection (Acts 12:17). Unlike James Alphaeus or James Zebedee, James of Jerusalem was not one of the twelve apostles (Acts 1:13–14; 1 Cor. 9:5, 15:7).
After seeing the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 15:7), James believed and became the leader of the Jerusalem church (Gal. 1:18–19). The death of James Zebedee in AD 44 and Peter's departure from Jerusalem opened the way for his leadership (Acts 12:17). He presided over the Council of Jerusalem in AD 50, creating a middle path for Jewish and Gentile believers based on the Law of Moses for foreigners (Lev. 17–18; Acts 15:13–21).
James welcomed Paul during his final visit to Jerusalem (Acts 21:18) and wrote the letter of James (James 1:1), which warns against favoritism (2:1–13), hypocrisy, judgmentalism, pride (2:4), and harmful speech (3:1–12). He urges believers to hear and do the Word (1:19–27), value God's wisdom over worldly knowledge (3:13–18), and pray constantly (5:13–18). Because of his close family ties, James gave more attention to Jesus' teachings than to his death, resurrection, or divinity. Yet, he still called Jesus "our glorious Lord" (2:1), affirming his faith in Christ's divine nature.
Martyrdom of James
James was stoned to death in Jerusalem by the Sanhedrin in AD 62. Between AD 93 and 94, the Jewish-Roman historian Josephus recorded this event:
Festus was now dead, and Albinus was. Still, upon the road, he assembled the Sanhedrin of judges and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others [or some of his companions]. When he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done; they also sent to the king [Agrippa], desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done was not to be justified; nay, some of them also went to meet Albinus, as he was upon his journey from Alexandria, and informed him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble a Sanhedrin without his consent. At which point Albinus complied with what they said, wrote in anger to Ananus, and threatened that he would bring him to punishment for what he had done, on which King Agrippa took the high priesthood from him, when he had ruled but three months, and made Jesus, the son of Damneus, the high priest (Antiquities of the Jews 20.9).
Ossuary of James
Historians know little about James beyond the New Testament and Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus. Yet in 2002, an ossuary—a small limestone burial box—drew worldwide attention because of its Aramaic inscription: "James son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" (יעקוב בר יוסף אחי די ישוע, Yaakov bar Yosef akhui diYeshua). Scholars and the Israeli government still debate whether the inscription is authentic.
In 2012, a court acquitted Israeli antiquities dealer Oded Golan of forgery. The verdict showed he had not fabricated the artifact, but did not confirm that the inscription was authentic. The ossuary is about twenty inches long and dates to between the first century BC and AD 70, when Jews often collected a person's bones and reburied them in such limestone boxes. The container itself is ancient, but the actual authorship of the inscription remains uncertain. If proven genuine, it would provide the first archaeological evidence of Jesus' historicity.
Conclusion
James, the brother of Jesus, played a vital role in early Christianity. Though he first doubted Jesus, he became a firm believer after seeing the risen Lord. After Herod killed James Zebedee, Peter left Jerusalem, and James took the lead of the church there. He guided believers through key decisions, including the Council of Jerusalem, which determined how to welcome Gentile converts into the faith. James also wrote the letter of James, teaching faith, wisdom, and godly living. Growing up with Jesus gave him a unique perspective, and his teachings show deep respect for his brother's message. Through his leadership and writing, James left a lasting mark on Christian history.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of heaven and earth! Following the example of your apostle James, the brother of our Lord, guide your church to devote itself continually to prayer and to bring peace wherever conflict divides. Strengthen us to speak words of reconciliation, serve with compassion, and remain faithful as peacemakers so that your love may heal our communities and glorify your name. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Bibliography
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