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How Many Biological Brothers Did Jesus Have

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Jude And The Crucifixion

“Did Jesus have Brothers and Sisters?” with Doug Batchelor (Amazing Facts)

It was shortly after daylight and just after Peter had been sent to join his brother, that Jude, Jesus’ brother in the flesh, arrived in the camp, almost breathless and in advance of the rest of Jesus’ family, only to learn that the Master had already been placed under arrest and he hastened back down the Jericho road to carry this information to his mother and to his brothers and sisters. David Zebedee sent word to Jesus’ family, by Jude, to forgather at the house of Martha and Mary in Bethany and there await news which his messengers would regularly bring them. ~ The Urantia Book,

Although it was early in the season for such a phenomenon, shortly after twelve o’clock the sky darkened by reason of the fine sand in the air. The people of Jerusalem knew that this meant the coming of one of those hot-wind sandstorms from the Arabian desert. Before one o’clock the sky was so dark the sun was hid, and the remainder of the crowd hastened back to the city. When the Master gave up his life shortly after this hour, less than thirty people were present, only the thirteen Roman soldiers and a group of about fifteen believers. These believers were all women except two, Jude, Jesus’ brother, and John Zebedee, who returned to the scene just before the Master expired. ~ The Urantia Book,

Who Were Jesus Brothers

Who were Jesus’ brothers? Even though we dont get to learn a whole lot about Jesus brothers and sisters in Scripture, we can glean a number of lessons from them.

For those of us who have siblings, we know how much they can wear on our patience. I remember thinking, as a child, that I wouldve sinned far less if I had not been given siblings. Of course, knowing myself, I wouldve sinned nonetheless, but I thoroughly believed in this sentiment for years. Most often, when we think of Jesus, we dont think of Jesus brothers or siblings. Since we often picture him, in his earlier years, in a stable and a manger, as an only child, we can forget that Mary and Joseph have many kids after Jesus comes along.

After all, Ancient Israel didnt have great contraception methods, and Mary had Jesus at a very young age. This would mean before Joseph died that they couldve had a handful of children, if not enough to pack a whole homeschool passenger van.

But who are Jesus brothers and sisters? Do we get a chance to meet with any of them in Scripture? And what unexpected lessons can we learn from siblings of Jesus?

Jesus And His Brothers And Sisters

From this time on he became more successful in getting along with his brothers and sisters. He was increasingly tactful, always compassionate and considerate of their welfare and happiness, and enjoyed good relations with them up to the beginning of his public ministry. To be more explicit: He got along with James, Miriam, and the two younger children, Amos and Ruth, most excellently. He always got along with Martha fairly well. What trouble he had at home largely arose out of friction with Joseph and Jude, particularly the latter. ~ The Urantia Book,

This year Simon started to school, and they were compelled to sell another house. James now took charge of the teaching of his three sisters, two of whom were old enough to begin serious study. As soon as Ruth grew up, she was taken in hand by Miriam and Martha. Ordinarily the girls of Jewish families received little education, but Jesus maintained that girls should go to school the same as boys, and since the synagogue school would not receive them, there was nothing to do but conduct a home school especially for them. ~ The Urantia Book,

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Other Women Named Mary

James and Joseph , who are called Jesus brothers are indeed the children of MaryJust not Mary, the mother of Jesus.

After St. Matthews account of the crucifixion and death of Jesus, he writes:

There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him among who were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. .

Consensus Of The Early Church

Did Jesus Have Brothers or Sisters? How Many Sibilings?

The earliest explanation of the brothers of the Lord is found in a document known as the Protoevangelium of James, which was written around A.D. 150. It speaks of Mary as a consecrated virgin since her youth, and of St. Joseph as an elderly widower with children who was chosen to be Marys spouse for the purposes of guarding and protecting her while respecting her vow of virginity. Though this document is not on the level of Sacred Scripture, it was written very early, and it may contain accurate historical traditions.

Allow me to limit myself to three quotes from the early Church:

Athanasius of Alexandria

Therefore let those who deny that the Son is from the Father by nature and proper to his essence deny also that he took true human flesh of Mary Ever-Virgin .

St. Jerome

You say that Mary did not continue a virgin: I claim still more that Joseph himself, on account of Mary was a virgin, so that from a virgin wedlock a virgin son was born .

Pope St. Leo I

The origin is different but the nature alike: not by intercourse with man but by the power of God was it brought about: for a Virgin conceived, a Virgin bore, and a Virgin she remained .

Thus the same Church today affirm:

Jesus is Marys only son, but her spiritual motherhood extends to all men whom indeed he came to save: The Son whom she brought forth is he whom God placed as the first-born among many brethren, that is, the faithful in whose generation and formation she co-operates with a mothers love .

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Siblings: Jesus’ Brothers And Sisters

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Prior to the revelation of The Urantia Book, little was known or understood about the purely human life of Jesus of Nazareth before his public life. – especially about his childhood and the family life that he enjoyed with and Joseph There has long been speculation regarding the existence of siblings in Jesus’ family, and in The Urantia Book, we learn that Jesus did indeed have younger siblings – eight of them, to be exact. They are, in birth order: James, Miriam, Joseph, Simon, Martha, Jude, Amos, and Ruth. Because of the death of Joseph, when Jesus was but a lad of 14, he naturally assumed his role as brother and father to his younger siblings, and there are many wonderful stories here regarding Jesus’ parenting style.

In the following passages from The Urantia Book, we learn about these important figures in Jesus’ life, and Jesus’ relationship to them. For the most complete understanding of Jesus and his family, click on the links to get the full story for each event cited.

Summary Question 15 Did Jesus Have Brothers And Sisters

The New Testament says that God the Son, Jesus Christ, was born to Mary, the virgin. Though she was married to Joseph, the New Testament makes it clear that Jesus was not the biological Son of Joseph. However, Joseph adopted Jesus and thus He was legally the Son of Joseph but not biologically. Thus, Jesus had the proper credentials to be the Promised Messiah.

The Scripture also says that Jesus had four brothers and at least two sisters. Exactly how they are related to Him has been a matter of controversy. There have been three popular views in the history of the church. They include the following.

The natural sense in which to take the references is they were His actual younger brothers and sisters, children of Joseph and Mary. This is the usual way in which they are understood.

There is something else that needs to be appreciated. Joseph was in royal the line of David. To have the proper credentials to be the promised Messiah Jesus would have had to have been the oldest Son of Joseph. If He was not, then He would not have been able to claim the title of Messiah. This is another reason to assume that the brothers and sisters of Jesus were born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus had been born.

Therefore, the best view to hold is that these were Jesus younger brothers and sisters born to Joseph and Mary after His birth. Consequently, Jesus would have had the proper credentials to be the promised Messiah.

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The Mystery Of Jesus Brother Gets Even Weirder

The controversy over whether Jesus had any siblings is reignited after an amazing new discovery of an ancient text.

Whether Jesus had any siblings is an old debate within Christianity. A number of passages in the New Testament have been stoking this speculation for almost two thousand years. The Gospel of Mark mentions Jesus having brothers and sisters, while the Gospel of Matthew talks about his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas. Are these references more figurative than literal, meaning these are just spiritual brothers? An incredible recent find of an ancient text just put James back in the spotlight of this controversial mystery.

For Catholics, the perpetual virginity of Mary means she did not give birth to other children after Jesus. So theres no question of there being biological brothers to Jesus, although some Catholic scholars can see Jesus having cousins a position supported by St. Jerome in the fourth century.

Another saint who lived around the same time, Epiphanius, the bishop of Salamis, argued that Joseph had children from a previous marriage, which would make them Jesuss step-siblings.

Many Protestant churches, on the other hand, are open to Mary having other children, with Jesus being the oldest. Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, thinks that James and Jesus were full brothers.

A page of Coptic writing from the Nag Hammadi codex. Credit: Oxford University.

James the Just.

Did Jesus Have A Twin

Did Mary & Joseph have children, & did Jesus have brothers & sisters?

In short, no. The Bible makes it clear that Joseph and Mary did not have sex until after the birth of Jesus . And yet this misconception that Jesus has a twin still permeates churches today. The idea that Jesus had a twin named Didymus Judas Thomas is absolutely preposterous, considering Joseph and Mary refrained from sexual relations until after Jesus birth.

Nevertheless, Jesus did not grow up without brothers and sisters. Scripture mentions the half-brothers and sisters of Jesus multiple times, and, in fact, we have a few books in the New Testament from some of them. Lets explore some of the names of Jesus brothers and sisters found in Scripture.

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James Becomes A Leader In The Church

James became an active leader in the church. In fact, he was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He presided over a council that was held in Jerusalem. We read about this in the Book of Acts:

There was no further discussion, and everyone listened as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. When they had finished, James stood and said, Brothers, listen to me.

Paul mentioned James in one of his letters:

Three years later I went to visit Peter in Jerusalem and stayed with him for fifteen days. The only other apostle I saw was James, the Lords brother.

Paul called James a pillar of the church and compared his authority to that of Peter and John. He wrote to the Galatians,

James, Peter, and John realized that God had given me the message about his undeserved kindness. And these men are supposed to be the backbone of the church. They even gave Barnabas and me a friendly handshake. This was to show that we would work with Gentiles and that they would work with Jews.

It is generally believed that the New Testament books, James and Jude, were written by two of Jesus brothers, though neither of them calls themselves Jesus brother in their introduction. James wrote,

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

Jude called himself James brother:

For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.

The Brothers Of Jesus Wrote Bible Books

The New Testament letters of James and Jude are attributed to brothers of Jesus. James names himself in the salutation of the letter , but he does not identify himself as Jesus brother. Jude identifies himself as the brother of James . The only direct references to Jesus two other brothers Joseph and Simon are in Matthew 13:53-55 and Mark 6:3. Jesus brothers and sisters are not mentioned until after the Lord began His ministry and are first mentioned as going with His mother and Himself to Capernaum .

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Did Jesus Have Siblings

Yes, Jesus had at least six siblings. These included his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas as well as at least two sisters. Those siblings were natural children of Jesus mother, Mary, and her husband, Joseph. The Bible calls Jesus the firstborn of Mary, which implies that she had other children.Luke 2:7.

What Happened To Jesus Brothers And Sisters

Did You Know Jesus Had Brothers and Sisters?

In the Matthew 12 verse, although Mary supports Jesus ministry at first, when tough times hit, she asks him to knock it off and come back home to take care of his family. We dont really get to hear much about what happened to Jesus family until later in the New Testament.

But we do know that two of Jesus brothers, James and Jude, play a bigger part in the New Testament narrative. We know that James and Jude had to have doubted Jesus at first because they come with Mary to dissuade Jesus from continuing his teaching. But these two later become Christians.

James ends up leading a church in Jerusalem after he converts, and he goes on to write the Book of James. He remains a leader of that church for 10+ years until his martyrdom in AD 62. He dies by either stoning or being thrown from the Temple tower.

Debates from Judes actual belonging within Jesus family aside, Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, also goes on to write a book in the New Testament. You guessed it, The Book of Jude. Jude identifies himself as the brother of James . We dont know a whole lot else about the life of Jude other than the fact he converted after Jesus ascended back into heaven. In other words, during Jesus lifetime here on earth, he didnt believe.

As far as the rest of Jesus siblings, we know that many convert and go on to complete missionary journeys . We have no way of knowing if all of them chose to have a saving relationship with him, but many did.

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Do Catholics Pray To Jesus

A number of prayers to Jesus Christ exist within the Roman Catholic tradition. … but they are usually not associated with a specific Catholic devotion with a feast day. They are therefore grouped separately from the prayers that accompany Roman Catholic devotions to Christ such as Holy Face of Jesus or Divine Mercy.

Did Jesus Have Brothers

Ask a Question!NewsletterQuestion:

Answer: We can begin to find our answer about whether Jesus had literal brothers by looking at the accounts of his family trying to talk to him. The scene in question begins with self-righteous religious leaders demanding that he give them a sign to prove he was the Messiah . Jesus rightfully labels this request as evil and rejects it. He then states that the only sign that will be given to reveal his true identity will be his resurrection from the dead after three days.

After Jesus further chides the request for a sign from a “wicked and adulterous generation” , his mother Mary and his brothers desire to speak with him. Three of the four Gospel accounts record their attempt to get someone near Jesus to get his attention and let him know what they want.

But while He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with Him .

In a response the multitude could hear, Jesus rhetorically asks who is his mother and brothers . He then answers his own question by stating he does not consider his most close relationships to be limited to only those who have some physical tie to him. In contrast, he states he is willing to have a close spiritual relationship, like a family, with ANYONE who does the will of God the Father .

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What Happened To Jesus’ ‘brothers’

According to the Gospels, Jesus had several “brothers and sisters” , but James and Jude are the only ones mentioned elsewhere in the New TestamentJames as a leader of the early church in Jerusalem, and Jude in the short letter bearing his name. Originally, Jesus’ family was skeptical of his ministry: “Even his brothers did not believe in him,” says John’s Gospel. Apparently the Resurrection changed their minds, because they joined Mary and the disciples in the Upper Room to wait for the Holy Spirit.

James, probably the oldest of Jesus’ brothers, made the decision at the Jerusalem Council that Gentile Christians did not have to obey ancient Jewish laws. He may have lived an ascetic life and was reported to have spent so much time in prayer that his knees “were like those of a camel.” Jewish historian Josephus reported that Jewish leaders stoned James to death. Eusebius said he was thrown from the top of the temple and beaten to death with a club. It is unclear whether this James or another wrote the epistle bearing his name.

Jude’s letter of warning about impostors who had infiltrated the church suggests that he, too, became a respected church leader and perhaps a traveling missionary who saw such problems firsthand.

The other disciples

After the Gospels, the New Testament rarely mentions the disciples. For further details, we have only legendssome dubious.

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