Biblical Views: The Martyrdom of the Zebedee Brothers

The sons of Zebedee—James and John—are two of the more enigmatic apostles. What ever happened to them? It is an especially pertinent question because of their request shortly before Jesus’ crucifixion. The story is told in Mark 10:35–45. They would like box seats in the Kingdom, on either side of Jesus when he comes into his glory. Jesus tells them that it is not for him to grant them such seats, but he makes a prediction: “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.”

Jesus is predicting that James and John, the sons of Zebedee, will be martyred, as Jesus was soon to be, for their beliefs and witness. Was this prediction fulfilled? The answer is clearly “yes” in the case of James Zebedee. But what about John?

The pattern of increasing violence against Christian leaders after Jesus’ crucifixion is made clear in Acts4–5. Shortly thereafter, in Acts 6–7, we learn of Stephen’s martyrdom.

This led the young Saul, an over-zealous Pharisee later to be known as Paul, to begin a great persecution of the Jerusalem church, “And all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”

If all were scattered except the apostles, then the sons of Zebedee—as members of the Twelve—presumably remained in Jerusalem.