James

James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. He was a fisherman by trade and was called by Jesus, along with his brother, to follow Him (Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19). James, John, and Peter formed Jesus' inner circle and were present at significant events such as the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28) and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). Jesus surnamed James and John "Boanerges," meaning "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17), possibly referring to their zealous and passionate nature. James and his brother also asked Jesus for positions of honor in His kingdom (Mark 10:35-41). After Jesus' ascension, James continued to play a prominent role in the early church (Acts 1:13). He was the first of the Twelve Apostles to be martyred, executed by Herod Agrippa I around 44 AD (Acts 12:2).