Redeemed Failures, Day 13: James and John – When Ambition Is Misdirected

Mark 3:17; Luke 9:51–56; Mark 10:35–45

James and John were not ordinary disciples. Along with Peter, they formed the inner circle closest to Jesus. They were present for moments most of the Twelve never saw: the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37), the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2–3), and the agony of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). They saw the kingdom’s power unveiled and heard the King’s voice in ways that should have inspired quiet humility.

Yet their story is as much about failure as it is about privilege. In Luke 9:51–56, when a Samaritan village refused to welcome Jesus, they asked if they could call down fire from heaven. In Mark 10:35–37 (paralleled in Matthew 20:20–21, where their mother makes the request), they boldly asked for the seats at Christ’s right and left hand in glory. Their zeal was real, but their ambition was misdirected.

Corrected by the Master

Jesus’ response was never to dismiss them outright. Instead, He patiently reshaped their vision of greatness. To their request for honor, He replied with the image of a cup to drink and a baptism to endure, pointing to His suffering. Then He redefined leadership: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant… For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43–45).

They did not fully grasp this at first. Like many of us, they wanted a crown without the cross. But by the Spirit’s work after Pentecost, their ambition was redirected toward the glory of Christ, not themselves. Philippians 2:5–8 offers the lens for what they came to learn: true greatness is patterned after the humility and self-emptying of the Lord Himself.

Redeemed for Service

History records that James was the first apostle martyred (Acts 12:1–2), while John outlived all the others, bearing witness through his Gospel, letters, and the book of Revelation. The men once called “Sons of Thunder” became faithful servants of the gospel—bold, but now with the boldness of love.

An Encouragement

Pride, impatience, and self-seeking ambition are not disqualifications in themselves; they are invitations to transformation. In Christ’s hands, zeal that once sought the highest seat can be turned toward the lowest service. His grace does not only forgive; it reshapes. And for those who follow Him, the path to true greatness still runs in the same direction: down.

Early church tradition holds that James was beheaded under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1–2) around AD 44, while John ministered into old age, possibly in Ephesus, and received the visions recorded in Revelation while exiled on Patmos.

Enjoy all 31 devotionals in the Redeemed Failures series here —stories of grace, second chances, and the God who still restores.