Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Therefore, Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” (John 7:2–7, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Beyond this, as far as the early years are concerned, we do not know much about Jesus’ siblings. Perhaps they were jealous of Him, because of all the attention He was attracting, just like Joseph’s brothers were of him. “When his brothers saw that their father loved [Joseph] more than any of them…his brothers were jealous of him.” (Genesis 37:4, 11, NIV 1984). At any rate, up to this point, “even his own brothers did not believe in him.” This must have been a particular hard thing for Jesus to accept.
But after His resurrection, after appearing to His brother James, the Apostles “joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:14, NIV 1984). James became the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, and the Epistle of James has been attributed to Him. Another brother, Judas, may have been the author of the book of Jude. That must have been particularly satisfying for Him.
My Advice – It is not uncommon to be skeptical of Jesus’ claims. But if we “trust in God; [we can] trust also in [Him].” (John 14:1, NIV 1984). For they are one.
The Brew Is A Musing 