He also chose James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, and He called them Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder.
Jesus knew the character and inner inclinations of His disciples. James and John had a zealous and fiery temperament, which at times is also seen in the Gospels (Luke 9:54). The title “sons of thunder” both describes their nature and shows what it could become in Christ’s hands. The Lord saw them not only as they already were, but also as they would become by His grace. Their intense disposition had to be cleansed and directed so that it would become holy zeal, fervor for the truth, and powerful testimony. Thus it is shown that Christ did not choose people only for their present condition, but also in order to transform them, so that their natural qualities, refined by Christ’s grace, might serve the work of God.