Who Are the Sons of Zebedee in the Bible? 
In the Bible, Zebedee is known as the father of James and John. He also had another son named Judas, who was killed by his own brother, and a son named Simon. But who are these boys? We will learn about them in this article.
James
James is considered one of the most unlearned of the apostles, and he was not trained in rabbinical schools. But despite his humble status, he was chosen by Jesus as one of the three disciples to witness the Transfiguration of the Lord. His request to sit on Christ’s right side in the glory earned him the nickname of “Boanerges.” Later, he and his brother were rebuked for trying to call down fire on a Samaritan town.
James’ hometown was probably Capernaum, near Bethsaida, on the Sea of Galilee. His father, Zebedee, was a rich, influential man. He probably had a fishing business, and his mother was named Salome. He left that business in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar.
James is mentioned twice in the gospels, and is a close relative of Jesus. His countrymen disparaged his teachings and followers, but James was a close associate of Christ, accompanying him to Judea and Capernaum. He was also considered a pillar of the community.
In the Bible, there are two accounts of the life of James the Just. In the Preaching of James the Just, he preaches the gospel, heals the sick, and casts out demons. Later, in the Martyrdom of James, he is mentioned as preaching in the name of Piobsata. Later, Ananus inflames the Jews against James, and he is killed by being thrown from the temple pinnacle.
John
The fourth Gospel of the Bible, the Gospel According to John, is often called John’s gospel, and is attributed to John by early tradition. The sons of Zebedee appear only once in this gospel, when they are at the shores of the Sea of Tiberias when the risen Lord appears to them. John is not named, but his mother is mentioned.
After the Resurrection, John gained an authoritative position in the church and was sent to Samaria with Peter to lay hands on new converts. During his lifetime, he continued to work on the Great Commission after Jesus’ ascension, establishing churches in Smyrna, Philadelphia, Sardis, and Laodicea.
The first account of the life of John is recorded in John 1:1-4, which is commonly known as the Gospel of John. Many scholars believe that this is a gospel book written by the apostle John, but this is unlikely to be the case. The Gospel of John was written between 60 and 70 AD, which means that it was written at least 30 years after the life of Christ. By this time, John had learned the lessons of humility and remained focused on Jesus’ love.
Eusebius, a third-century Christian, believed that John was an apostle. However, this claim has been challenged. According to Eusebius, the Gospel of John was written by a later Christian and was not an eyewitness.
Judas
The bible mentions Judas by name, and we know that he betrayed Jesus Christ. His name appears in Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:19, and Luke 6:19. While the rest of the apostles were Galileans, Judas was from Judea. He was one of the most outspoken leaders of the group.
The Bible has no way of knowing exactly what name Jude had in his early life, but it does mention that Jude was the son of Alpheus or Cleophas. He was also a brother of James the Younger. Jude lived in Galilee, but also traveled to Assyria and Persia. Later, he died as a martyr in Persia. In addition to being called Judas, he also had a number of other names, including Thaddeus, Lebbeus, and Judas, brother of James the Younger.
In the Bible, Judas is also referred to as a violent Jewish Nationalist. He accompanied Jesus hoping to see his nationalistic flame come to fruition. But he was also covetous, stealing money from the common purse. Ultimately, he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, but he did not put Jesus on the cross. Judas’ apostolic symbol is a money purse with silver falling from it.
The name Judas is a mystery, but we do know a little about his life. During his time with Jesus, he was close to Jesus and knew a great deal about him. His betrayal of the risen Christ is described in Matthew 26:25. His betrayal was a result of the temptation that he was under, and it may also have come from Satan. Judas’ behavior shows that he had a different relationship with Jesus than other disciples.
Simon
Though the Bible doesn’t mention his ministry, it is thought that Simon would have been a prominent leader of the early church. However, his title is not fully clear, as some believe he belonged to the Jewish sect known as the Zealots, who were known for violent uprisings and expecting their Messiah to overthrow the Roman empire by force.
The name Simon is not mentioned often in the Bible, but the early church mistranslated the title of Simon as “Simon the Canaanite,” and believed that Matthew and Mark were referring to Simon the Canaanite, a person from the ancient Near East. It is unclear if Simon had any formal education, but he probably received informal instruction in his home and in the synagogue, where he was taught the law, certain prayers, and memorizing scripture.
Peter purified the old Simon before reviving the new one. His bitter tears washed away the past of doubt and misunderstanding, and a new picture of the kingdom was revealed to Simon. Once the bitter tears had been wiped away, the picture of the kingdom that is worth dying for began to emerge.
Zebedee also had sons called James and John. The Bible records that Zebedee knew the high priest in Jerusalem and even spoke to the doorkeeper to give Peter access to the courtyard. This indicates that Zebedee’s influence extended far beyond Galilee and into Jerusalem.