James James and the Family

James

James and the Family

Imagine being one of Mary, the mother of Jesus’, children

Your mother and father have this extraordinary story

Of God visiting them before Jesus was born

Imagine the effects of being one of at least six siblings to Jesus

Imagine being Mary and Joseph

Sharing their supernatural experiences with their children 

How do you raise a family with stories of visions and angels?

What about the virgin birth story?

I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be James, the brother of Jesus

Growing up in this very different family

James saw what we can only wonder

And he chose to give his life as a servant of Jesus Christ 

We discover much more about James, the brother of Jesus, after the resurrection

 But I think it is important to recognize James’ view of life

Before he became a great Church leader

It is also important to note James does not play the brother card for recognition

In the book of James he describes himself as

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ James 1:1

 

 

James and the Family

 

Imagine being one of Mary,

 the mother of Jesus’, children.

 

Your mother and father have this extraordinary

story of God visiting them before Jesus was born.

 

Imagine the effects of being

one of at least six siblings.

 

Imagine being Mary and Joseph sharing their

supernatural experiences with their children.

  

How do you raise a family with

stories of visions and angels?

 

What about the virgin birth story?

 

I cannot imagine what it must have been

like to be James, the brother of Jesus.

 

Growing up in this very different family.

 

In John 2, we see the start of Jesus’,

 miraculous signs ministry.

 

Jesus, His disciples, and mother were

invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee.

 

Jesus’ mother shares with Jesus

that they have run out of wine.

 

Jesus tells the servants to fill the

ceremonial washing jars with water.

 

When the Master of the wedding tastes

 from the jars, he calls for the bridegroom.

 

Then he called the bridegroom aside and said,

"Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper

wine after the guests have had too much to drink;

 but you have saved the best till now."

John 2:9-10

 

The next two verses show

us a couple of amazing things.

 

Verse 11, His disciples put their faith in Him…

 

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee.

 He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

 

And in verse 12, we see it was not only the

disciples and Mary with Jesus, but Jesus’ brothers…

 

After this he went down to Capernaum with

his mother and brothers and his disciples. 

 

There they stayed for a few days.

 

Jesus was now an adult, 30 years of age

and the family of Mary, the mother of Jesus,

were still together.

 

After this Mary, His brother and His disciples

see Jesus turn over the tables of

the money changers in the temple.

 

We don’t hear of Joseph at this time

and we assume he had died.

 

James had an advantage point

as Mary’s son, Jesus’ half brother.

 

James saw what we can only wonder

and he chose to give his life

as a servant of Jesus Christ.

 

We discover much more about James, the

brother of Jesus, after the resurrection of Jesus.

 

But I think it is important to recognize

James’ view of life before he

became a great Church leader.

 

It is also important to note James does

not play the brother card for recognition.

 

In the book of James, he describes himself as…

 

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

James 1:1

 

James had to put his trust and faith

in what was very familiar to him.

 

He was a member of a very unusual family.

 

The disciples put their faith and trust in Jesus

because of the teachings and miraculous signs…

 

Much like you and I.

 

But James had to put together the stories

of Mom and Dad and the observations

of growing up with Jesus.

 

 James saw the consistency of Jesus Christ

 as the Son of God and the virgin birth of

Mary up close.

 

 And dedicated His life to being a servant

of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

As we will see in John 7:5..

 

 James did not always see things as Jesus did.

 

James process of following Jesus was

not because he followed his brother…

 

But because he followed the Son of God.

 

  James with a view of Jesus, closer than
any of us saw Jesus, as more than a man.

 

James saw Jesus as Lord of his family.

 

How do you see Jesus?

 

 Scripture Reading

 

John 2:1-12 NIV

2:1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

 

4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." 

 

5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

 

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.  

 

7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

 

8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

 

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

 

11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

 

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.