James The Brother of Jesus

James

The Brother of Jesus 

 

 

James the brother of Jesus

There is much more to learn about James

But being Jesus’ brother helps us to see Jesus as a brother, as James did

John 3:16 says we must be born again

  Hebrews 2:11says

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Jesus’ message is still the same, He is still testifying that the world is evil

Jesus’ message has brought out hate and love 

It is a message that divides households

So what type of sibling will you be?

How will you handle the message of your brother Jesus?

James’ epithets became “James the Just” or “James the Righteous”

What will our epithets be as brothers and sisters of Jesus?

 

 

The Brother of Jesus

 

I don’t think many of us think

of Jesus coming from a big family.

 

 But He did.

 

Jesus had at least four brothers plus sisters.

 

 "Isn't this the carpenter's son?

Isn't his mother's name Mary,

and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

Aren't all his sisters with us?

Matthew 13:54-56

 

Imagine growing up in Jesus’ home.

 

James is the first one listed

among the other brothers…

 

Which means he was more than likely

 the oldest and the closest age to Jesus.

 

Jesus being the oldest of his siblings

probably played a big role in helping

with the family responsibilities of

caring for His brothers and sisters.

 

Imagine being the second born

to Jesus that is what James was.

 

Jesus the first born would get most

of the attention as he was older.

 

Not to mention Jesus was the perfect child.

 

James would have always

been in the shadow of Jesus.

 

As other children came along James would

have seen his parent’s attention focusing

on the baby, the last one born in the family.

 

Second borns can struggle,

especially boys because of birth order.

 

Some studies show second born boys

 have more trouble with law and authority.

 

John lets us in on the family relationship…

 

For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

John 7: 5

 

The context here in John 7 is very interesting…

 

Jesus is staying in Galilee because He know

the Jews in Judea were wanting to kill Him.

 

Verse 5 says Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe in Him.

 

I know many scholars take this verse

as not believing in Jesus as a whole.

 

But what the brothers said in verses 3 and 4

may indicate they did not believe the Jews

in Judea were waiting to kill him.

 

Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world."

John 7:3-4

Maybe the brothers were encouraging Jesus

to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Judea

because they wanted Him to be more public.

 

 Either way you look at the brothers

of Jesus believing Him…

 

 You can see James and the other siblings

had an interesting and challenging life

growing up with Jesus as their brother.

 

James grew up with his oldest brother, Jesus,

 testifying that what the world does is evil.

John 7:7 

 

Jesus’ popularity was mixed…

 

He was loved by some and hated by others.

 

James and his brothers were

caught up in this controversy.

 

James would have known things about Jesus

 the 12 Apostles would have not known.

 

James had the experience of watching Jesus grow up.

 

They played in the same workshop

of their father, the carpenter.

 

James would have been there when Jesus

was 12 and stayed at the temple instead

of sticking with his siblings in the caravan.

 

Can you imagine James thinking Jesus is

surly going to get a whipping this time.

 

There is much more to learn about James…

 

 But being Jesus’ brother helps us to

see Jesus as a brother, as James did.

 

John 3:16 says we must be born again.

 

  Hebrews 2:11says…

 

Both the one who makes men holy and

those who are made holy are of the same family.

 So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

 

Jesus’ message is still the same…

 

 He is still testifying that the world is evil.

 

Jesus’ message has brought out hate and love.

  

It is a message that divides households.

 

So what type of sibling will you be?

 

How will you handle the

message of your brother Jesus?

 

James epithets became

“James the Just” or

“James the Righteous”.

 

What will our epithets be as

brothers and sisters of Jesus?

 

Scripture Reading

 

John 7:1-15 NIV

 

7:1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

 

6 Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. 8 You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come."  9 Having said this, he stayed in Galilee.

 

10 However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?"

 

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man."

 

Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.

 

14 Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews w ere amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"