HALF BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Jesus was Mary’s “firstborn” son, but he was not an only son in the family of Joseph and Mary. (Luke 2:7) The Scriptures quote those who knew Jesus as saying: “Where did this man get this wisdom and these powerful works? Is this not 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?”​—Matt. 13:54-56.

The fact that Jesus was a son in a large family explains an event that took place when he was about twelve years of age. The family was returning to Nazareth from the Passover celebration at Jerusalem. Though Jesus was missing, Joseph and Mary did not discover this until after having traveled for a day. They assumed that he was in the company of relatives or acquaintances. If there had been only one child for them to look after, it would be hard to imagine how such a thing could have happened.​—Luke 2:42-45.

During the first three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry, his half brothers did not exercise faith in him. (John 7:5) But by the time of Pentecost of the year 33 C.E. this had changed. After his resurrection, Jesus had “appeared to James,” evidently his half brother. This doubtless contributed to building up the conviction, not only of James, but also of Jesus’ other half brothers, that Jesus was the Messiah. Thereafter Jesus’ half brothers met with the eleven faithful apostles and others in an upper room at Jerusalem and were evidently among those who received the holy spirit.​—1 Cor. 15:7; Acts 1:14-26; 2:1-4.

Jesus’ half brother apparently was the James who served as an elder in the Jerusalem congregation and he evidently wrote the inspired “Letter of James.” (Acts 12:17; Jas. 1:1) The Jude who wrote a letter that became part of the Bible canon was likely James’ brother. Neither of these writers capitalized on their fleshly relationship to Jesus but humbly acknowledged themselves to be ‘slaves of Jesus Christ.’​—Jas. 1:1; Jude 1.

[Chart on page 221]

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RELATIVES OF JESUS

TRIBE OF LEVI TRIBE OF JUDAH

Zechariah Elizabeth Zebedee Salome Mary Joseph

John the James John JESUS James Joseph Simon

Baptist Judas (Jude)

[sisters]

(Listed are only those for which there is at least some [though not always conclusive] Scriptural support.)