Who Were the Brothers of Jesus Christ? Although the Bible doesn’t provide extensive information about Jesus’ brothers and sisters, we can still learn many lessons from them.
For those with siblings, we know how much they can test our patience. I remember thinking as a child that I would sin much less if I didn’t have siblings. Of course, knowing myself, I knew I would sin anyway, but I believed this for years. Often when we think of Jesus Christ, we don’t think about his siblings. Since we often picture him in his early years in the stable and manger as an only child, we forget that Mary and Joseph had more children after Jesus was born.
After all, ancient Israel didn’t have effective contraception, and Mary gave birth to Jesus at a very young age. This means that before Joseph’s death, they could have had several children, though not enough to fill a school bus.
But who were the brothers and sisters of Jesus? Do we get a chance to meet them in the Bible? And what unexpected lessons can we learn from Jesus’ siblings?
فرست محتوا
Did Jesus Christ Have a Twin?
In short, no. The Bible clearly states that Joseph and Mary did not have sexual relations until after Jesus’ birth (Matthew 1:25). However, the misconception that Jesus had a twin still persists in some churches. The idea that Jesus had a twin named “Didymus Judas Thomas” is quite absurd, given that Joseph and Mary abstained from sexual relations until after Jesus’ birth.
Nevertheless, Jesus did not grow up without siblings. The Bible mentions Jesus’ half-brothers and half-sisters several times, and in fact, some of them authored books in the New Testament. Let’s explore some of the names of Jesus’ siblings mentioned in the Bible.
Read more : 5 sentences that Jesus Christ said about his own identity
Names of Jesus’ Siblings
The Bible does not mention the names of Jesus’ sisters. Typically, the Bible only names women who played significant roles, like the judge Deborah or Mary, the mother of Jesus. Let’s examine some of the verses that refer to Jesus’ siblings.
Matthew 12:46: “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.”
We know Jesus had sisters because of the following verse.
Matthew 13:56: “Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
As for the names of his brothers, four are mentioned in the Gospels: James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude (also known as Judas). We will now delve into some of the events involving some of these brothers.
Given that the Gospels refer to “sisters” (plural) and we have four named brothers, we can assume that Jesus had at least six siblings. The Gospels do not specify their number, but we know that Jesus was the firstborn and had responsibilities in caring for the rest of the family. This is why Mary, along with all of Jesus’ siblings, arrived during one of his teachings. Joseph was likely deceased, and she needed Jesus to be the man of the house.
Now, this question about Jesus’ half-siblings has become controversial among Christians due to the idea of Mary’s perpetual virginity, meaning Mary never had sexual relations throughout her life. Regardless of objections, the Bible refers to these individuals as Jesus’ siblings, and for this article, we will consider them as half-siblings.
What Happened to Jesus’ Siblings?
In Matthew 12, although Mary initially supports Jesus’ ministry, when things get tough, she asks him to come home and take care of the family. We don’t hear much about Jesus’ family until later in the New Testament.
However, we know that two of Jesus’ brothers, James and Jude, played significant roles in the New Testament narrative. We know that James and Jude initially doubted Jesus because they came with Mary to dissuade him from continuing his ministry. But these two later converted to Christianity.
After his conversion, James eventually became a leader of a church in Jerusalem and authored the book of James. He led that church for over a decade until he was martyred in AD 62. He died either by stoning or being thrown from the temple tower.
Regardless of the debates about Jude’s true relation to Jesus, Jude, Jesus’ half-brother, also authored a book in the New Testament. You guessed it, the book of Jude. Jude identifies himself as James’ brother (Jude 1:1). We don’t know much about Jude’s life except that he converted after Jesus’ ascension. In other words, he did not believe during Jesus’ earthly life.
As for the rest of Jesus’ siblings, we know that many of them converted and went on missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 9:5). We don’t know if all of them chose to have a saving relationship with him, but many did.
Three Lessons from Jesus’ Brothers
Although we can’t learn much about Jesus’ siblings from the Bible, we can still draw several lessons from them.
Firstly, Jesus’ relationship with his siblings shows that he truly understands all aspects of our lives. He knows what it’s like to grow up with people who don’t necessarily agree with you. Although ancient Israel did not have the individualistic mindset we see today, sibling rivalry and jealousy still existed. Jesus remained sinless in his dealings with his siblings, and that certainly shows something.
Secondly, even Jesus’ siblings doubted him. While his mother may have initially supported his ministry, after Joseph’s death, they wanted Jesus to return to carpentry and care for the family. James and Jude did not believe in him until after Jesus’ ascension. Similarly, we may have family members who resist our Christian faith. We can look to Jesus’ example for comfort, knowing that even his family didn’t support him.
Lastly, we know that many of Jesus’ family members later converted. This can be encouraging for those of us with family members who haven’t yet dedicated their lives to Christ. Not only do James and Jude convert, but one of them becomes a church leader in Jerusalem. Both of them write books of the New Testament. At least one of them is martyred. That’s real commitment.
Love them or tolerate them, siblings can be one of the hardest groups of people to convince to follow Christ. After all, many of us are set in our ways, and arguments can hinder having a good relationship with them. Nevertheless, through Jesus’ example, we can find ways to continually pray and be a model for our siblings. Perhaps, like Jesus’ half-siblings, they can learn about the glorious kindness of our Lord. Maybe through our transformed lives, they’ll want to know more about our hope and ask us to explain what brought about such a change in us.
Ask God for patience and prayer for our siblings. Ask him to show you ways you can love them.
