He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. [John 1:10-11 (NLT)]
Scripture tells us that Jesus had at least six siblings: James, Joses, Simon, Jude, and two unnamed sisters. Can you imagine what it was like being a brother or sister to Jesus? Both his conception and birth were proclaimed by angels, a star announced His birth, and magi from the East presented Him with expensive gifts. It’s tough to top that sort of entrance into the world.
Having the Son of God as a half-brother couldn’t have been easy for any of them. Without sin, He probably never threw a temper tantrum or tossed a rock through a window. With no sassing, fighting, biting, or naughtiness, Jesus probably seemed the perfect child. While His brothers may have struggled with their religious studies, we know Jesus astounded the rabbis with his knowledge when He was twelve. Did His siblings think Jesus was Mary’s favorite? Such a blameless, intense, and devout elder brother was a tough act for anyone to follow and I suspect there may have been some resentment and jealousy on the part of his half-siblings.
Expecting a Messianic warrior king who would free the Jews from their bondage to Rome and restore Israel as an independent nation, Jews were expecting a very different Messiah from Jesus—one who would be a victorious political leader. No matter how pious and righteous Jesus was, His brothers had seen Him stub a toe, skin a knee, relieve himself, blow his nose, get a splinter, and break a sweat—hardly what one would expect of the promised Messiah. Jesus may have managed to turn water into wine but, to them, He was just a carpenter’s son from Nazareth.
When Jesus left home to become an itinerant rabbi, it appears that his family didn’t support His call. John tells us that, “even his brothers didn’t believe in him.” [7:5] Family honor was of utmost importance at the time. Considering His run-ins with the religious leaders, Jesus’ preaching may have been an embarrassment to the family, especially when he added tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners to His entourage.
Mark tells us Jesus’ family, thinking Him “out of his mind,” tried to take Him home. [3:21] Not understanding Jesus’ mission and divine authority, they probably saw His behavior as irrational. Their brother’s claims of divinity and messianic identity could be seen as blasphemous or delusional by the authorities and possibly dangerous to Him. Concerned both for their brother’s reputation and His well-being, Jesus’ family may have wanted a 1st century version of an intervention to protect Jesus from Himself and the Sanhedrin! It’s unlikely that Jesus’ brothers were even at the crucifixion. As He looked down from the cross, rather than entrusting Mary’s care to them, Jesus asked His beloved disciple John to care for her.
In spite of their absence from His ministry, in the first chapter of Acts, we find Jesus’ brothers meeting with the disciples and joining them in prayer after the crucifixion. [1:14] If they didn’t believe their brother before his death, why would they believe the words of His disciples after it? We can safely assume the reason for their change of heart from skeptics and doubters to believers was that they actually saw the resurrected Christ. The Apostle Paul specifically mentions that the risen Jesus appeared to James. [1 Cor 15:7] It was only after seeing their resurrected brother that His family finally believed in the truth of Jesus’ message. Accepting Jesus as the Messiah, they finally understood that He didn’t come to save the Jews from bondage to Rome but to save the world from bondage to sin—that He didn’t come to restore the old kingdom but to establish a new one. Instead of scoffers, His half-brothers became believers! James became a leader in the Jerusalem church and authored the book of James. History tells us that he died a martyr’s death in AD 62.
Jesus’ brothers had lived and worked with Him and yet they failed to see what was right in front of them. Like Thomas, they had to see the resurrected Christ before they could believe in Him. Seeing, however, is no guarantee of belief. Plenty of others saw Jesus and his miracles and never believed. As for us, unless we have a vision similar to Paul’s on the road to Damascus, we’re not likely to see the risen Christ in person. Nevertheless, if we believe in Him in this world, we will see Him in the next.
The only two miracles recorded in all four gospels are the resurrection of Jesus and His feeding of the 5,000. Since the gospel writers only told us the number of men at that al fresco meal, Biblical scholars estimate the actual number eating those loaves and fish to be more than double that figure. Perhaps it’s because of the magnitude of that miracle that people often want a logical (meaning earthly) explanation of how Jesus did it and skeptics love to offer their own version of the events.
A firm with whom we do business sends us a newsletter every month. After asking their associates what accomplishment in the last year made them most proud, January’s newsletter shared some of the answers. One man was proud that, after reading up on motors, he managed to repair the family boat by changing the starter motor, another was proud that he expanded his horizons by hiking and rock climbing in various national parks during the year, and a third man was proud that a case he pled had been cited in several law review articles.
When the nation of Israel was established, God said He’d be their king. But the people wanted an earthy king like the nations surrounding them so Saul became king. Samuel told Israel that, as long as they and their king walked with God, all would go well for the nation. Reminding the people to remember all the wonderful things God did for them, Samuel cautioned Israel. If they persisted in rebellion and disobedience, there would be serious trouble: they and their king would be banished (a prophecy of their eventual exile).
We were discussing when and how we came to believe in the existence of God. Those who’d been brought up in families of faith said there never was a time they weren’t aware of God’s presence. Others spoke of believing in God because He is visible in His creation—in flowers, majestic mountains, birds, sunrises and sunsets, the vastness of space, or the miracle of birth. One came to believe in God while attending Vacation Bible School with a neighbor and another met God through a campus ministry. After apologizing in advance for “grossing” us out, one woman shared her experience while in medical school.
Devotions of the Heart 