James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
James 1:1

Today is Christmas Eve. We celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus, son of God and son of Mary, a virgin, and raised by Mary and her husband Joseph, in a home, a family, until He revealed Himself to the world, thirty years later.

James, who wrote this letter, was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, that very first community of believers. He is identified elsewhere in the Bible as one of four “brothers” of the Lord Jesus.

Many Christians believe that “brothers” means close relatives, maybe cousins, who were raised like brothers - along with at least three sisters - by Joseph and Mary, together with the Lord. Others believe it simply means that James and the rest were the children of Joseph and Mary.

I’m not much concerned about how you understand it.  What I find really interesting is that James identifies himself, not as a “brother,” but as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Growing up next to the Lord, knowing the story of His birth and watching him live day by day as only a brother growing up in the same house could do, James finally became fully convinced of the truth. He not only came to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, he staked his life on it. As the shepherd of the flock in Jerusalem he was eventually killed, martyred, for believing, living and expressing his faith in the Lord Jesus.

Years ago, I got to see the place where James’ body is buried, and pray there. I thank God for the witness of this faithful man who knew my Lord Jesus better than anyone else, the way my own four brothers know me. (If you wanted to hear stories about my imperfections, they could tell you plenty.)

Lord, thank You for placing James and the others so close, as faithful eyewitness to the truth of Your identity. Lord Jesus, give me an unshakable faith like James’ who stood firm, knowing You for who You are and trusting You completely because of it. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles