Not much is said about Jesus and His family, but what we do know stands as a strong testimony to who He is as the Son of God. Every time I read about His family’s conversion to Him as Lord, God and Savior, my faith is strengthened. If you follow with me for the next few minutes, I am convinced that your faith will be strengthened too.
So, here is what we know about our Lord’s physical family on earth. The person we know the most about, His mother Mary, is mentioned from the beginning of His story through to the crucifixion and resurrection of her Son. As a young teen, she was told by an angel who her Son was and she remained steadfast in her devotion to Him, treasuring up moments about Him in her heart as He grew (Luke 2:19).
We also read about Joseph, the earthy father who helped raise Jesus. He was a good and just man (Matthew 1:19) and when told by the angel who the Child was that his betrothed was carrying, he chose to stand by her and Jesus, even if it meant people would always associate him with having a child before marriage. He was willing to endure this shame with Mary and Jesus. The last we see of Joseph is when Jesus was 12, in the temple, being about His Father’s business. Nothing is said about what happened to Joseph, but by the time Jesus is 30 years old, Joseph is no longer in the picture. Perhaps, Jesus suffered the pain of having to bury His earthly father and take up the role as head of the house as the eldest son of Mary.
Yes, the eldest in the family. After His birth, Mary and Joseph had other children and Jesus grew up with younger brothers and sisters:
“Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56 ESV).
Put a pin in the name of two of His brothers: James and Judas. We will mention them a little later. But for now, imagine how it must have been to be the sibling to a perfect brother? I’m sure that they had a different view of His perfection, as any of us would have with our siblings. Regardless, they didn’t know quite what to think when Jesus took up a nomadic lifestyle and went around the country preaching, attracting followers and insulting the religious leaders.
“Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” (Mark 3:20-21 ESV).
So, we get the idea that they were embarrassed of their eccentric brother. And this seemed to be the case until an extraordinary event happened that changed everything for them. They saw Jesus die on the cross, but then they saw Him live again. What would they do with this fundamental truth about their brother? Look who was waiting in Jerusalem with the apostles:
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” (Acts 1:14 ESV).
Yes, something had changed in these siblings who once thought that their Brother was out of His mind. Now they were listening to His instructions right along with the rest of the believers. And do you remember the two names I mentioned- James and Judas? You know them. James became one of the pillars in the church at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9; Acts 15) and wrote a letter in the Bible that bore his name. And Judas, perhaps Jesus’ youngest brother? He wrote a short letter named after himself as well. We know it as Jude. And in both letters, they never glory in their relationship as the brothers of Jesus, but these brothers simply refer to themselves as the servants of Christ.
My faith is strengthened when I see siblings who were once embarrassed of their Brother become people who knelt in submission to Him as Lord and King.
Pride is such an enticing thing that calls to us in so many ways. It seems to know what the weakness of one is, and what the weaknesses of another is. And it's ready to serve its self-will on us however it can.
For one, it may manifest in calling to ourselves glory that belongs to God alone. To another, it may cause us to condemn our neighbor, looking for the speck in his eye while ignoring the beam in ours. And to still another, it may cause us to be puffed up with a haughty and inflated assessment of our own worth and value.
If the Archangel Michael, who defeated Satan's army and cast him out of heaven was careful not to speak in pride, but said, “The Lord rebuke you”, then how much more should we be careful not to let pride, in its myriad ways, manifest in us?
When you look at someone, do you assess and ascribe the best in them, or do you look for the faults and weaknesses in them? I have learned that I will usually find what I am looking for.
“Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14a ESV).
Do I love if I don't do the things that demonstrate my love?
Do I respect if I don't do the things that show respect?
Do I sacrifice if I don't do the things that exhibit sacrifice?
Do I have faith if I don't do the things that faith produces?
“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18 ESV).
It is better to go to the house of mourning than the house of feasting. Why? Because when all is stripped away, naked we return to God. Then, we all are equal. No riches or power mark their distinction upon us. We kneel alike, either as servants or the conquered. How are you preparing for that day?
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV).