JESUS BEYOND CHRISTMAS

[A Monday / Wednesday / Friday Devotional Feature of the First Road Blog]

I would like to suggest that we may be able to piece together more of Jesus’ home life than we think we can. Did you realize, two New Testament letters were written by half-brothers who grew up with him?

Scripture gives us the names of at least four of his half-brothers: James, Joses (Joseph), Simon, and Judas (Jude). We know they went through a phase of unbelief as to his ministry. Like others from their hometown of Nazareth, they may have wanted to see more proof of his claims. But it may have been more an unbelief of doubt than the unbelief of rejection. It does not seem to have been rooted in any perceived moral flaws. What is most significant is that they were believers by the time of Pentecost, after Jesus’ resurrection. There we find them gathered with the other disciples in the upper room, awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit.

James and Jude would have grown up with Jesus. They would have seen him in all the contexts where sibling friendship and fury could show itself. Could it be that in their letters we might learn something about the character of their big brother as seen through their eyes? In Jude we may see a reflection of Jesus’ attitude toward false teaching. In James I think I catch glimpses of him with regard to his interpersonal relationships.

With regard to James, it is important to notice he was a no-nonsense man when it came to double-mindedness. Authenticity was important to him. If a man made a personal claim, he better back it up with his works. So, it seems highly unlikely that James would have come to faith in his older brother had there been anything smacking of duplicity. That being the case, his letter may afford some quick sketches of character qualities in Jesus which he admired.

  

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