JAMES, THE BROTHER OF

What would it have been like growing up in the same house as Jesus?! What would it have been like being His brother or sister? … It’s actually not a hypothetical question because Jesus did have brothers and sisters. His conception was different to anyone else’s but He was born into a family as any other child is born. He came as God in the flesh, and through the virgin Mary was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, but following His birth she had other children. … She had a normal relationship with her husband that led to at least six more children, and perhaps even more … which would have been common in those days.

Now, where do we discover Jesus had brothers and sisters? Well, Luke tells us 2:7 she [Mary] brought forth her firstborn son, which clearly implies there were more. Matthew tells us the names of his brothers … and also mentions His sisters, 13:55 James, and , and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Mark mentions them too, Mk. 6:3. Therefore, while Jesus is the only-begotten of God, He wasn’t the only-begotten son of Mary. So, including Jesus, Mary and Joseph had at least five sons and two daughters. … The house would have been full and busy!

We need to be absolutely correct though … Jesus was the true biological son of Mary, but not of Joseph. Therefore, His brothers and sisters were half- brothers and half-sisters, but they lived together from birth as a family and I doubt if they knew anything to the difference. His brothers were a part of His daily life, as were His sisters, and they lived together until either they moved out or He began His ministry.

So … imagine living with Jesus! Imagine getting up with Him every morning, and going to bed with Him every evening. As the eldest brother, James, Joseph (Jnr.), Simon, and Judas probably wore His ‘hand-me-downs’! He didn’t leave home until He was almost thirty … and His family would have been around and near Him until then.

In the of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, James is mentioned first, - James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas, - and that would indicate their order by age. Next to Jesus, James was the oldest. What would it have been like, especially for him, growing up in his older brother’s shadow?

2 Now, in what is known as the ‘apocryphal’ gospels there are stories about Jesus when He was a boy. In them, for example, we read in the Infancy of Thomas, … “Ch. 1:2 When the child Jesus was five years of age and there had been a shower of rain, which was now over, Jesus was playing with other Hebrew boys by a running stream; and the water running over the banks, stood in little lakes; 3 But the water instantly became clear and useful again; he having smote them only by his word, they readily obeyed him. 4 Then he took from the bank of the stream some soft clay, and formed out of it twelve sparrows; and there were other boys playing with him. 5 But a certain Jew seeing the things which he was doing, namely, his forming clay into the figures of sparrows on the sabbath day, went presently away, and told his father Joseph, and said, 6 Behold, thy boy is playing by the river side, and has taken clay, and formed it into twelve sparrows, and profaneth the sabbath. 7 Then Joseph came to the place where he was, and when he saw him, called to him, and said, Why doest thou that which it is not lawful to do on the sabbath day? 8 Then Jesus clapping together the palms of his hands, called to the sparrows, and said to them: Go, fly away; and while ye live remember me. 9 So the sparrows fled away, making a noise. 10 The Jews seeing this, were astonished, and went away, and told their chief persons what a strange miracle they had seen wrought by Jesus.”

Yet another of the many stories involves James, ch. 16:1 “And Joseph sent his son James to bind fuel and carry it into his house. And the young child Jesus also followed him. And as James was gathering of [sticks], a viper bit the hand of James. 2 And as he was sore afflicted and ready to perish, Jesus came near and breathed upon the bite, and straightway the pain ceased, and the serpent burst, and forthwith James continued whole.”

None of these stories, however, are given any credence for the gives no evidence Jesus appeared any different to any other child in His town of or throughout the region. Nevertheless, He, undoubtedly, was a beautiful young boy, obedient to His parents (Lk. 2:51), and as He grew up, He Lk. 2:52 increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. … And by the age of twelve, He had a full understanding of Who He was, for He explained to His parents, Lk. 2:49 How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Was He sheltered from the rigours and reality of daily life? No, he wasn’t for Heb. 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered [i.e. experienced] … and He Heb. 4:15 was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

As a baby, and as a child, He had to face the temptations common to all. He wasn’t cocooned away. It is not that temptation didn’t feature in His life, - for 3 it would most certainly have done, - but He never sinned … not ever! … He had at least six other brothers and sisters … and He never sinned … That is a miracle in itself!!

He never had a bad attitude towards them. He never got fed up with them. He never argued with them. He never fought or squabbled with them. He never gossiped about them. He never wasted a moment of His life … What must it have been like having a brother like Jesus? It must have been awful! …

How often, - do you think, - those children would have been told by mum and dad, “Jesus would never do that. Jesus would never say that”. It must have been hard for them! … It would have been lovely, but hard at the same time. … And everything He did, - everything He made in his earthly ‘father’s’ workshop would have been absolutely perfect … He would never have had to go back and sand down rough edges on the wood. Every length of timber He would have cut was exactly the right measurement … He would have been impossible to keep up with.

And even as a parent, neither Mary nor Joseph would have had to scold Him, pick up after Him, or discipline Him. … It must have been hard, especially for His brothers and sisters … and maybe that is why they did not believe in Him at the start because they envied and resented Him, for John in his Gospel explains, Jn. 7:3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea ... 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

That’s amazing! … Living with Jesus, - His own family in His own home … and His neighbours in Nazareth … and they failed to recognise His true identity, the Messiah, the Son of God. Even in His early years, - in His home, among His brothers and sisters, - John’s comment is so applicable, Jn. 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. … They did not see Who He truly was! Even when He spoke with such authority, they didn’t notice it, Jn. 7:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith … What’s He talking about?! Who does He think He is!

His brothers, though, were really so set in their unbelief. They grew up in His perfect company everyday … and yet, they didn’t believe in Him. And I think it must have hurt Jesus for He said to them, Mk. 6:4 A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, 4 and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. … It must have hurt Him!

Despite the fact He lived a perfect life in front of His brothers and sisters, it did not convince them of His true identity. I do reckon there would have been times when they absolutely resented Him … because He was so different, so perfect. … Being an older brother, you are often ‘the apple of your mother’s eye’ … coupled with being like Jesus, I’m sure the seeds of resentment would have been sprinkled often with something like the usual question, “Why can’t you be more like your Brother!”

So that’s something of how James would have been brought up. … It would have been difficult living with someone as good, - always so good, - as Jesus. No other brothers and sisters would have had to put up with it!

Now when Jesus began His ministry, He ‘moved out’, Mt. 8:20 & Lk. 9:58 The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And that meant James took His place as head of the household … every commentator believes their father Joseph had died by this time. Since Jesus was about twenty-nine years old when He began His ministry, James would probably have been in or around 27-28 years old, - a mature man. … Imagine taking the headship of the family over from Jesus! Jesus would have led His mother, brothers and sisters with absolute perfection and harmony. … What a legacy for James to follow! … And I’m sure when Jesus moved out, James would have had his own ideas about how certain things in the family home would be different. … He would have had his own strongly-held opinions … as we shall notice in the second part of his life.

However, after living with Jesus for all those years in the family home, James and his brothers did not come to believe was the Messiah until after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. They weren’t with their mother as she wept at Calvary because Jesus instructed the John to look after her (Jn. 19:27). … And we don’t read about them believing in Christ until :14 when they were praying with the one hundred and twenty believers met in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost.

What caused the brothers and sisters to believe in Him? Previously, the brothers at least were sceptical, jealous, and critical … what brought about the change? Well, Paul informs us, I Cor. 15:3 I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that 5 he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. … The James in verse seven is not the James who belonged to the apostles, - it is the James who was the brother of Jesus. In other words, James the brother of Jesus, - and probably the other brothers too, - met with Jesus at some time during the period of fifty days between the resurrection and the ascension. And as a consequence, they heard about the meeting in the upper room … and they were there … by that time, - believing their brother Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah. It was quite a journey for them, but they got there!

James must have become quite quickly an impressive follower of Jesus. That means he arrived at the point where He believed His brother, - Jesus, - died on the cross for him, as his Substitute … and through His death on the cross, Jesus bore the penalty for his sin. That would have been a massive thing for one brother to believe about another! … But, James believed it and became eternally grateful to Jesus, his Saviour, the Messiah, the Son of God … His earthly brother.

So, James became the author of the letter and introduced himself like this … :1 James, a servant [dou/loj] of God and of Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. … He also would have followed his father’s trade and trained as a carpenter. He was a Galilean who spoke and Greek. He was married, for Paul asked, I Cor. 9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord [i.e. James, Joseph (Jnr.), Simon, and Judas], and Cephas? … Incidentally, that also indicates all the brothers of Jesus came to a saving faith, - household salvation!

It shows, too, the senior position among the Church leaders that James held. After the Day of Pentecost, all the twelve apostles scattered to preach … and it was James who remained in Jerusalem to oversee the fledgling church. … While the apostles were travelling through Judea and Samaria, James was guiding and shepherding the flock in Jerusalem. … About five years after Pentecost Paul went secretly to Jerusalem to meet with the leaders of the church, and he met with a number of them, Gal. 1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. … So, after Paul had been saved and spent those three years of learning in the wilderness, James was one 6 of the first people he met to be accepted into his position in the church. … And the way Paul wrote, he shows respect for James!

Also, several years later, when Peter was released from prison in the region of Antioch in Syria and made his way Acts 12:12 to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named . 14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. … It wasn’t James the apostle, - the son of , the brother of John, the fishermen, - for he was martyred in Acts 12:2 by Herod … It was James, the brother of Jesus!

His leadership was demonstrated at the in 49 AD over the issue of the . The Judaizers were members of the new church who pushed for all Christians to come under obedience to the Law in order for their faith to be substantiated and affirmed. Paul and at that Council, and they met with the twelve apostles, the various leaders of the churches … and James was the moderator. … He was one of the “pillars” of the church, along with Peter and John (Gal. 2:9).

And, after everyone else had their say, it was James who had the final word and who made the decision as to the direction the Church would follow in its mission policy, Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of , which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. … At the very centre of the church’s proceedings was James, the one 7 who had come to believe, realise, and acknowledge that his brother Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament by the God of the !

Almost a decade later (57/58 AD), Paul returned to Jerusalem. The elders of Ephesus (Acts 20) and the daughters of in Caesarea () had told him he was going to face harrowing times at the hands of the Jewish leaders and the Romans … but he went anyway. About a week before he was arrested, Luke, - who was with him, - recorded, Acts 21:17 when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. … Consistently, after realising his brother Jesus was the Messiah, James never ceased to serve Him.

According to tradition, five years later in 62 AD, James was martyred, - that works out about thirty years after he came to faith in Christ, he died upholding the Gospel of His Saviour. It wasn’t the Romans who killed James though. When the Roman governor, , died there was a brief interlude before the next governor arrived … and in that intervening period James was arrested, brought before the , and sentenced to die. He was taken to one of the highest points in the temple, and thrown off the edge and when he was found to be still living, they stoned him, and then he was finally beaten to death by a mob.

Drawing it all together … It was him who God used to lead the infant church in Jerusalem. The man, - with a small ‘m’, - from Galilee devoted the remainder of his days to presenting the Man, - with a capital ‘m’, - from Galilee. On realising the Godhood of Jesus, James believed faithfully and completely … and he was the instrument God used at home in Jerusalem while others went further afield to spread the Gospel. This was a time of transition from Judaism to over which God gave James the responsibility.

He was wise, respected, and committed. He was privileged in setting the foundations for the church. It could be said of him that he was the first model pastor. He stood for doctrinal purity, - we see that in his dealings with the Judaizers at the Council of Jerusalem, and also in his epistle. He had compassion for his people, - the Jews who were saved, and those who were not yet. He went from being an unbelieving brother to a believing brother to a serving brother, and a pillar of the church. … He was a spiritual giant, - a man who even Paul looked up to and respected. And he was also a prayer warrior for he ended his letter, James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 8 availeth much. … He was a man of action, - he did not simply ‘talk the talk’, but he ‘walked the walk’, - he called for believers to show the true evidence of their faith, as he wrote in his epistle, James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? … Yes, he was practical in his faith and it meant he was humble for he had no hesitation at serving his Brother.

Being a brother of Jesus, - being brought up in the same family, - was almost a hindrance to James for throughout nearly thirty years of his life he resented the Saviour. Actually, being a brother of Jesus was an obstacle to his salvation … but an obstacle God gave him the grace to overcome. Yes, originally he was sceptical, incredulous, having contempt for Jesus … but the Lord did a work of grace and changed him … the same way the Lord changes anyone else.

You see, James was a sinner … yes, he was the brother of Jesus … but he was just like any other sinner until the grace of God brought about that conversion in his life. The Lord had plans for James, and the Lord brought those plans into being because after the resurrection Jesus appeared to him and cast away his doubts and derision, and from that day he followed the Saviour.

God can change anyone, - that is how He works. He changes everyone who comes to Him. He takes away the old and He replaces it with the new. We are made into a brand new person through His grace. He continues to shape and mould us … and will continue to do so until He calls us unto Himself … but, - when He saved us, - He changed us into a new creation in Christ.

There is never a perfect man or a perfect woman … there is none that slips into following Him naturally. Every servant of God is born again of the Holy Spirit, wrapped within the love of God, and given a purpose to serve Him. … He can do great things through the most unlikely. He has a plan and a purpose for each one of us here, and I trust we are being obedient to His calling. Amen.