“JESUS HAD BROTHERS AND SISTERS?!”

Season: The Book of James
Episode 1: “Jesus Had Brothers and Sisters?!”
Today’s Bible Bite: Matthew 13:55-57

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s63yZxOXGZw (CQ Kids – Did Jesus Have Any Brothers or Sisters?)

“This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (James 1:1, NLT)

Many people forget the fact that after Jesus was born, his parents had more children. In fact, the Bible tells us that Mary and Joseph had four sons (James, Joseph, Simon and Jude) and at least two daughters (whose names we are not told). Growing up in the same house with Jesus, however, did not necessarily convince His brothers and sisters of His true identity—the Son of God. We know that at one point while Jesus was teaching, his brothers showed up determined to take him away; they believed He was acting crazy (Mark 3:20-21). At another time, they showed their unbelief by mocking him (John 7:1-5); they did not believe He was the Messiah. However, that all changed for at least two of His brothers—James and Jude, both authors of letters found in today’s Bible.

After Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, He showed Himself to a number of people to prove that He was alive again…one of whom was His brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7). Though James may have doubted that Jesus was the Messiah earlier, he became fully convinced and even became a leader in the early Church. He wrote the Book of James, which was really a letter to all the Jewish believers. He knew how hard it had been for him to accept Jesus as the Messiah, and he didn’t want anyone to miss out on the truth. The Messiah had come! All who believe in Him are required not just to have a knowledge of God and to strictly adhere to the Jewish laws; they are required to have a change of heart.

Think about it...
• Mary's first child was Jesus, who was God’s Son. How many children did she have with her husband Joseph?
• Jesus’ brothers and sisters didn’t automatically believe there was anything special about Him. Why did they think He was actually crazy or just wanting attention?
• Jesus wanted to convince His brother James of who He was. How did He do this?
• James came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. How do we know this?

Prayer: Thank you, God, that I can be part of your family, not because of sharing the same parents, but because of believing in Jesus. Anyone can be your child. Thank you, Jesus, for being obedient to God even when others didn’t believe you were truly God’s Son.