Apostle James the Brother of Saint John the Theologian (30 April)
The Holy Apostle James, the son of Zebedee, was the brother of Saint John the Theologian, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He and his brother, Saint John, were called to be Apostles by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who called them the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). It was this James, with John and Peter, who witnessed the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus, the Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Saint James, after the Descent of the Holy Spirit, preached in Spain and in other lands, and then he returned to Jerusalem. He openly and boldly preached Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, and he denounced the Pharisees and the Scribes with the words of Holy Scripture, reproaching them for their malice of heart and unbelief.
The Jews could not prevail against Saint James, and so they hired the sorcerer Hermogenes to dispute with the apostle and refute his arguments that Christ was the promised Messiah Who had come into the world. The sorcerer sent to the apostle his pupil Philip, who was converted to belief in Christ. Then Hermogenes himself became persuaded of the power of God, he burned his books of magic, accepted holy Baptism and became a true follower of Christ.
The Jews persuaded Herod Agrippa (40-44) to arrest the Apostle James and sentence him to death (Acts 12:1-2). Eusebius provides some of the details of the saint’s execution (CHURCH HISTORY II, 9). Saint James calmly heard the death sentence and continued to bear witness to Christ. One of the false witnesses, whose name was Josiah, was struck by the courage of Saint James. He came to believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. When they led the apostle forth to execution, Josiah fell at his feet, repenting of his sin and asking forgiveness. The apostle embraced him, gave him a kiss and said, “Peace and forgiveness to you.” Then Josiah confessed his faith in Christ before everyone, and he was beheaded with Saint James in the year 44 at Jerusalem.
Saint James was the first of the Apostles to die as a martyr.
James was one of the Twelve, like his brother John (celebrated on Sept. 26), whom the Lord called “Sons of Thunder,” because they became great preachers and because of their profound theology. It was the Saint’s boldness in preaching the Gospel that Herod Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, could not endure, and so he took him into custody during the days of the Passover, and slew him with the sword (Acts 12: 1-2); and thus he drank the cup of which the Saviour had spoken to him prophetically (Matt. 20:23). As for Herod, the following year he went down to Caesarea, and, as the Acts of the Apostles records: “Upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration” to the elders of Tyre and Sidon; and the flatterers that surrounded him “gave a shout, saying, ‘it is the voice of a god, and not of a man.’ And immediately an Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and like his grandfather (see Dec. 29) “he was eaten of worms and gave up the spirit” (Acts 12:21-23)
James was the son of Zebedee, the brother of John and one of the Twelve Apostles. At the invitation of the Lord Jesus, James left his fishermen’s net and his father and, together with John, immediately followed after the Lord. He belonged to that trinity of apostles to whom the Lord revealed the greatest mysteries, before whom He was transfigured on Tabor, and before whom He was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane preceeding His passion. After receiving the Holy Spirit, he preached the Gospel in various places and traveled to Spain. Upon his return from Spain, the Jews began to quarrel with him concerning Holy Scripture, but no one was able to withstand him, not even a certain magician, Hermogenes. Hermogenes and his disciple Philip were defeated by the power of the truth which James preached, and both of them were baptized. Then the Jews accused James before Herod and persuaded a certain Josias to slander the apostle. Josias, seeing the brave conduct of James and listening to his clear explanation of the truth, repented and believed in Christ. When James was condemned to death, this same Josias was also condemned to death. En route to the place of execution, Josias implored James to forgive him the sin of slander. James embraced and kissed him and said: “Peace and forgiveness be to you!” Both of them bowed their heads under the sword and were beheaded for the Lord, Whom they loved and Whom they served. St. James suffered in Jerusalem in the year 45 A.D. His body was translated to Spain, where miraculous healings occur over his grave even to this day.
Apolytikion of Apostle James
Third Tone
O Holy Apostle James, intercede to our merciful God, that He may grant our souls forgiveness of sins.
Kontakion of Apostle James
Second Tone
The voice of thy God thou heardest when it called to thee, O glorious James; hence, casting off thy father’s love, thou together with John thy brother didst run straightway to Christ the Lord, and with him was granted to see the Lord’s most divine Transfiguration.
Source: oca.org / goarch.org / westserbdio.org
