Jesus called him Son of Thunder.
Not because he was loud, though he might have been. Not because he shook the skies, though his words sometimes did. No, Jesus Himself gave him that name. Alongside his brother John, James was christened with a title few men have earned: *Boanerges*—“sons of thunder.”
What sort of man do you have to be for the Son of God to nickname you Thunder?
Let’s begin there.
James was the son of Zebedee, a fisherman by trade, a Jew by heritage, and a firebrand by temperament.
When Jesus walked past their boats and called, James didn’t hesitate. He dropped the nets, dropped the predictable future, and followed.
James had ambition. Holy ambition, perhaps, but ambition all the same.
In Mark 3 and Luke 9, Jesus sends his disciples out to preach the good news.
James and John go to a Samaritan village. The village refuses Jesus. And James, zealous, fiery, and loyal, asks: “Lord, do You want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54)
A request for judgment.
James was ready to see others suffer for the crime of rejecting Christ. And in his mind, that was righteous. That was justice.
But Jesus rebuked him.
Because the kingdom of God is not a kingdom of vengeance, but of mercy. Not fire raining down from heaven, but Living Water offered from a well.
This is when James and John are given the nicknames “Sons of Thunder.”
I’d like to imagine this was Jesus being funny, but the name also holds some weight, since Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
James wasn’t a peacemaker. Not yet.
Later, James and John (through their mother) ask for the seats of honor beside Jesus when He comes into His kingdom.
Left hand. Right hand. Power. Prestige. Glory.
Jesus’ response is interesting… “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” (Matthew 20:22)
And James, full of faith and fire, says yes.
He doesn’t understand what he's signing up for. Not yet.
But oh... he will.
You see, James will drink the cup. James, Son of Thunder, becomes the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred for his faith.
WHAT IF THE BIBLE HAD A MOVIE TRAILER?From Genesis to Revelation, witness the epic battles ⚔️, miracles ✨, betrayals 🩸, and redemption 🙏 that shaped history. Click here to watch👇🏽
In Acts 12, James is arrested by Herod for preaching the Gospel.
Herod beheads James with the sword. No last words recorded. No dramatic resistance. No blaze of glory. Just… obedience, unto death.
James… first among the apostles to die for Christ.
First.
And now, the irony sets in.
This man, who once wanted to incinerate the unfaithful... becomes the first to be consumed himself.
This man, who asked for a throne beside Christ... is given a sword instead.
And maybe… just maybe, that was the throne all along.
James teaches us something that cuts against our instincts:
Following Christ is not about seizing control. It’s not about demanding that others bow, suffer, or change.
It’s about dying. Dying to self, to pride, to ambition.
That’s what James did. And that’s what made his death, though sad, profoundly beautiful.
In the end, the Son of Thunder didn’t call down fire.
He became an offering.
I admire James. Not because he got it right from the start, but because he let Christ finish what He began.
Admire James, the Son of Thunder, who learned that true glory comes not in ruling others... but in reflecting the One who laid it all down.
.jpg)
.jpg)
