Sibling to Jesus is one of the most important confessions one can make. Leaders in the world of spiritual values and global interests a lot is leaders are so high on the pedestals they have created for themselves there is no chance of being a sibling with any benefits approaching equality. Women are especially at risk. Jesus had brothers and sisters, and we do not know how many sisters or what the sisters’ names were. Jesus’ brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judah. When Jude opens his letter with “I am Jude, servant to Jesus and James’ brother” he causes our eyes to look in two different directions. Cockeyed is good, because a great sigh of relief comes with the revelation that being brother to Jesus is either a millstone or a necklace of the most precious pearls.

Brothers compared

We have the written contribution of two of Jesus’ brothers and there are no clues to Jesus’ life before his public ministry. So let’s put that interest to rest. The gospel of John however puts the spotlight on the equality of all the siblings. It is strange that siblings would have a death wish for their big brother. Mary, on the other hand, is reported have kept diligently the wonders about her firstborn.

While Yeshua was concerned about being assassinated in Judea, his siblings were urging him to go on and show himself publicly to everybody.

“After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.”

John 7:1, NASB

“Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.”

This was a 7-Day feast with lots of people in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16).

John 7:2, NASB

Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” (John 7:3-4, NASB)

Let’s see who these brothers were.

“Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

Matthew 13:55-56, NASB

Two directions strain the eye and corrupt the conscience

Jude is eager and diligent to talk about the common salvation, the dangers of satanic infiltration and the once-for-all-time delivered to the saints most holy faith. You will not find these themes in James’ letter. It is no wonder that the reformer Martin Luther regarding the book of James as a book of straw, and we have to assume that it is because of its neglect of the passion and glory of Christ as revealed to the eyewitnesses. James, even with the evidence of the missions of both Peter and Paul being wildly successful (Acts 15:7-11, and verse 23 respectively), tried to put the church in reverse gear (verses 14-21). In his letter also we see James pushing royal law and law of liberty with unambiguous reference to the Sinai Covenant.

The Roman Catholic idea of a holy household must admit a sobering review with a look at James and Jude. When the Lord Jesus was 30 something years old his brothers did not believe, and then we see James sitting in the chair in Jerusalem, and finally, two letters, one by James, and one by Jude which set them apart in very distinct ways. What kind of brother might your contribution to the family show you to be?