In yesterday's podcast, we were remembering how the angel at the garden tomb stressed that the news of Jesus' resurrection should be given not only to the disciples in general, but to Simon Peter in particular.

And we were reflecting on the loving way Peter was singled out.

But there's more than one singling out in the resurrection narratives, isn't there?

Doubting Thomas is another one.

But there is someone else we might overlook.

Remember when Paul lists Jesus' resurrection appearances in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3

through 8, he tells us that he appeared on one occasion to over 500 disciples, and that

most of them were still alive, the implication being, I suppose, you

can go and ask them.

But then he adds, then he appeared to James.

No explanation.

Not even a clear indication of which James he was talking about. Simply, then he appeared to James.

So, who was this James that Paul knew?

It's pretty clear Paul assumed everybody knew who he was talking about.

And by the way he words things, to James, then to all the apostles, I think he's

probably indicating that this James was not one of the original apostles. So not James

the brother of John. That James had been killed by Herod, you remember, and the Corinthians would have

heard of him as a martyr rather than as a contemporary. So this James was still alive,

and he was well enough known for Paul to assume the Corinthians knew who he was. To get to the point, I think he was almost certainly James,

the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, and probably the eldest of his half-brothers. But why a special

appearance to him? Now, the New Testament doesn't directly tell us, but there seems to be a

common thread running through our Lord's appearance to individuals, Mary Magdalene, Simon

...