Jesus Appeared to James

The next line of 1 Corinthians 15 reads, "then he appeared to James" (verse 7). Professor N.T. Wright situates the significance of James for us:

"It is of course common knowledge that James, the brother of Jesus, became the central leader in Jerusalem in the mid-century, while Peter and Paul and others were travelling around the world. Since he had probably not been a disciple of Jesus during the latter's public career, it is difficult to account for his centrality and unrivalled leadership unless he was himself known to have seen the risen Jesus."

**First, the gospels provide a negative report about James.** In John 7:5 we read, "(For not even his brothers believed in Jesus)." And in Mark 3:20-21 we find, "When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, 'He's out of his mind.'"

Of course, his family was unable to prevent Jesus' mission. Perhaps James greatly grieved when his brother was executed, but we have no indication that he was expecting Jesus to rise from the grave.

To put this into context, consider the situation with Mormonism. When Mark Twain learned that "the Eight Witnesses" who testified to seeing Joseph Smith's golden plates were related to each other, he quipped about their bias. But when it comes to the gospels, we have the opposite situation. **When Jesus was alive, his brother James did not believe in him. It was only after Jesus was crucified that his brother James publicly claimed that his brother was God.**

And as Dr. Sean McDowell summarizes the evidence, "All things considered, there is good reason to believe James died as a martyr in AD 62 while leading the early church in Jerusalem."

Think about it for yourself. What would motivate you to publicly state that your brother was God - and you would remain steadfast in that belief even if you were killed for it?

James tells us in the letter that he wrote:

"Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance... Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

**Why would James be so confident that those who stand the test receive a crown of life? The best explanation is that he saw the risen Jesus.**