John 7:3-5; Matt. 12:48-50, The Family of Jesus

    The record of Jesus’ ministry during Sukkot continues from John 7:1 to 10:21. As we travel along with Him we will have a few more bits of background information to share about how Sukkot was celebrated in His day.  For now, however, we have this little story about Jesus and His brothers.

First, these were Jesus’ real brothers.  Okay, half-brothers, since Joseph was the actual father of his brothers but only a “step-dad” to Jesus.  Our Catholic friends have a doctrine called the “perpetual virginity” of Mary.  They believe Mary never had relations with a man, including Joseph.  So, what do they do with a passage like this?  Or Matt. 13:55-56, where Jesus’ brothers are named (James, Joses, Simon and Judas) and reference is made to His sisters?  Well, here’s what they say:

·       “Brothers” in Greek refers to people besides biological brothers.  That’s true.  But really, the only people called brothers by Jesus other than His literal brothers were those who do the will of God (Matt. 12:48-50.)  That has nothing to do with the “brothers” in today’s passage who “did not believe in Him.”

·       His “brothers” were never called the “sons of Mary.”  They were Joseph’s by a previous marriage.  That is pretty weak.  I can never, in 76 years, remember my brother referred to as “the son of Edith.”  Furthermore, Matt. 1:25 indicates Joseph did not have relations with Mary until Jesus was born. 

·       Matt. 12:48-50 refers to brothers (not biological, just friends) of Jesus by a different woman also named Mary.  There were other “Maries” to be sure.  But really, why would the crowd have said “your mother and brothers are here” if they were just friends? 

These were biological brothers of Jesus, sons of Mary.  Why did we take time to talk about this?  It is not because we want to pick on our Catholic friends.  There are two important issues.  First, the Incarnation (Jesus’ coming to earth) is set in genuine history.  Jesus was born into a particular time and culture; He was raised in a real family, all of them needing a Savior.  Doctrines like the “perpetual virginity” and “immaculate conception” of Mary take away from the true Humanity of Jesus. 

Second, we emphasized this issue because Jesus’ earthly family is clearly presented in the Bible.  Catholics base their case mostly in one “apocryphal” book (The Protoevangelium of James) and a few “church fathers” (Athanasias, Jerome and Leo I).  To deny a clear picture in the Bible in favor of various men is to fall prey to a problem Jesus (quoting Isaiah) addressed among the Jews: And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men (Matt. 15:9).  I am not judging others.  If you think I am basing my teaching on the words of men, you should love me enough to bring it to my attention.

As we begin to move our way through John 7-12, these two principles need to remain front and center in our minds.  The humanity of the Son of God was real; and the Bible’s description of Jesus is accurate.