Did Jesus have brothers and sisters? Did he have siblings to play with while growing up?
At Least Four Brothers And Two Sisters
The Bible names four brothers of Jesus, and also let’s us know he had at least two sisters for siblings, although we are not given any names for his sisters.
(Mathew 13:55-56) “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? Where then did this man get all these things?”
Another verse from the Bible refers to the married brothers of Jesus (1 Corinthians 9:5).
First century historian Josephus also mentions James the brother of Jesus in his writings.
Younger Brothers And Sisters
The Bible says it was the virgin Mary who gave birth to Jesus. There were no relations between Joseph and Mary until after she gave birth to Jesus (Mathew 1:25). This means the half brothers and sisters of Jesus would have been younger than him. With at least six younger siblings, Jesus had plenty of opportunity for a little sibling rivalry.
Unbelieving Siblings Become Believers
In (John 7:4) the brothers of Jesus say to him, “No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” The next verse says even his own brothers did not believe in him (John 7:5). However, from there we move on to the Book of Acts. Here it says they all joined together in prayer, including the apostles, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers (Acts 1:14). At some point these unbelieving siblings apparently became believers in their older brother.
Most scholars believe the epistle of Jude was written by one of the brothers of Jesus. It is also thought that James, the brother of Jesus, was one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. (Acts 12:17) (Acts 15:13) (Galatians 1:19)
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