James and "a right strawy epistle"

Intro to the book...

When: Mid AD 40s, most likely the first New Testament book written.
To: Jewish Christians
Writer: James – His dad’s name was Joseph. His mother’s name was Mary. He and his older Brother must have studied the Scriptures together, shared meals together, and worked in the carpenter shop together. They might have gone together to gather firewood, or slaughter an animal for a feast. He knew things about Jesus – stories, experiences, sayings,…things that not even the inner circle of apostles or Paul would have had any idea about. He spent more time with the Master than any New Testament writer and he knew how to listen to His voice, he’d heard it for all his life.
Yet, with James we see a real paradox. Having observed the sinless Son of God since birth... “although he knew God, [he] did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but became foolish in [his] thinking…(Romans 1)” We observe this in John 7:5 – “For not even His brothers believed in Him.” It’s just as evident at the cross, as the Savior tells His mother – “behold your son,” but referring to John, a son of Zebedee. James was the next oldest son, (Matthew 13:55) yet in that critical moment he was nowhere to be found.
Skip ahead to 1 Corinthians 15 and Paul’s vital defense of the resurrection. “Then He appeared to James…” What a reunion that must have been! Whether they reminisced of days in the carpenter shop, or bitterly wept over the younger brother’s blindness to the Truth through the years, one thing is certain. James got born again. His name appears again and again in Acts as he leads the first church in Jerusalem, and is always referred to as simply, “James.” His biological relationship to Christ is no longer important, “regard no one according to the flesh,” His identity becomes “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Perhaps one of the greatest contributions of this letter is its confirmation that Jesus “knew no sin.” While the New Testament is sadly silent about Jesus life between His incarnation and His public ministry, a man who was an eyewitness to most of those years calls Him “the Lord of glory,” and himself, a servant – more accurately slave.
Impetus of the letter: Pastor Mike made a great point about the canon – if the Bible is a perfect work, then the arrangement of books is also perfect. This point is made stronger by flipping back through Hebrews. We call Hebrews the Faithbook, and this is satisfactory, especially as it reaches crescendo in the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. Hebrews is “indicative” truth. It tells us what is. Jesus is the High Priest. The Sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient. The Word of God is alive. James follows with more “imperative” truth. Bridle your tongue. Care for the least of these. – In Hebrews, God teaches us what faith is, then, in James He teaches us what faith does.