James the Less (martyred for the Lord, 63 AD)
READ: Mark 3:20-21; James 5:7-20
James was Jesus’ younger brother,
and his ministry and martyrdom is a great testimony to the truthfulness of
Jesus Christ as our Saviour. When the enemy plants doubts about the reliability
of the Bible and the deity of Christ, we can think of James and be so
encouraged! While Jesus was ministering here on earth, James and the rest of
the family thought Jesus was out of his mind – imagine, your own brother
claiming to be one with God! What in the world could make a brother believe his
own brother were the Saviour of the world? Only an encounter with the risen Lord!
After Jesus rose from the dead, James saw and believed. He became the leader of
the church in Jerusalem. We read the book of James and we see a man of deep
faith, of perseverance and one with a great urgency for righteousness. When we
hear how he was martyred, we see that he was a man of integrity who lived out
the words he spoke.
When the scribes and Pharisees
urged James to renounce Jesus from atop the pinnacle of the temple, James
proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah instead. In anger, they pushed him off the
roof. The fall broke his legs but did not kill him and so as James prayed, the
crowd took up stones and clubs, crushing his skull with their final blows. Perseverance
had indeed finished its work and James died a mature believer (James 1:4),
receiving the blessing that he himself had penned: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has
stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to
those who trust in Him.” (James 1:12)
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
