A show I was watching said Jesus had a brother named James?

Question

I'm confused with this big time, it was a show on the discovery channel, 'tomb raiders' and they talked about someone named james 'the brother of jesus' Could someone please explain this to me, because Jesus was obviously gods only son, that was one of the major points of sacrificing him for all of our sins.---BTW i'm not jewish.

Answer 1

Supposedly after the virgin birth marry had other children in the conventional manner. James was his brother. More interesting is he allegedly had a twin brother, now go figure that one out.

Answer 2

The jury is still out on the James ossuary -- however, most archeologists seem to think it's not authentic. Here's a story at Live Science:

http://www.livescience.com/history/reason_ossuary_050112.html

I do not believe Jesus had any half brothers or sisters. Many people refer to passages such as Luke 8:19 to support the notion that Mary and Joseph had children once Jesus was born. I disagree for several reasons:

1) The Greek word most often translated as "brothers," such as in Luke 8:19, is "adelphos." While this word could refer to a blood brother, it could also refer to a cousin, close friend, or fellow believer.

2) The extremely moving scene recorded at John 19:25-27 tells us it was Jesus' wish that the Apostle John (who we know for a fact was not related to Jesus or Mary) take care of Mary as if she were his mother and he, her son. In those times, a widow with no son or daughter was in an extremely precarious position. She had no means to make a living, couldn't purchase property, and had very limited legal rights. If Mary had another son, this scene wouldn't have been necessary; the fact that Jesus had to appoint an adoptive son to Mary is proof positive that she didn't have another son, nor did she have a married daughter with whom she could live.

By the way, I am a Protestant -- it's not true that all of us believe Jesus had siblings. Protestants DO know how to read! However, Catholics are wrong in their belief that Mary remained a "perpetual virgin." Matthew 1:24-25 reads: "Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and DID NOT KNOW HER TILL she had brought forth her firstborn Son." (emphasis added) In Biblical times, a man "knowing" a woman was a euphamism for sexual intercourse. This passage clearly explains that Joseph and Mary had normal sexual relations after she gave birth to Jesus; however, she never conceived another child.

Peace and love in Jesus.

Answer 3

If you are Catholic, like me, we were taught Mary remained a virgin until her death. Many other religions though, believe that Mary and Joseph had children together. Also, some have said that Joseph was a widow and had children from a previous marriage. Some also say that the trem "brothers" is a broad term just referring to his neighbors.

Either way Jesus is still the son of God, whether or not he had brothers. That's the most importnat message in The New Testament, don't get wrapped up in small details like this. It's interesting, but it doesn't change Jesus's message of love and forgiveness.

Answer 4

Mark 6:3
"Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?”

After Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph had other children (some of which are named in the above verse). The wisdom with which Jesus taught astonished some who thought he was just a man, the son of a carpenter (Joseph). This prompted them to ask this question.

Mary was the mother of Jesus, and Joseph was his earthly (adopted) father, therefore, their other children would have been his brothers and sisters (or at the very least half-brothers and half-sisters).

Some religious groups claim that Mary never had other children and that she remained a virgin all of her life, but this verse (and others) contradict this teaching.

Answer 5

True. Jesus did have a brother named James. He was half-brother by way of offspring between Joseph, His earthly (step) father, and Mary his wife. Jesus was firstborn. Joseph and Mary had other children that are listed in Matthew 13:55 and again in Luke. In Hebrews the writer quotes, "...offerings and sacrifice thou wouldst not, but a body thou hast prepared for me..." Mary was a chosen vessel through which the Second Person of the trinity (Jesus) could be born. Jesus was from above and "came down from the Father of Lights." This union of God and man is called hypostasis, or hypostatic union. Fully God and fully man. Not half and half. Biblical scholars and church historians names this James the author of the New Testament Book of James. "James" is the English rendering of the Hebrew "Judah", or "Jude." This James, the half-brother of Jesus (through Joseph) was the leader of the founding church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13ff). He saw Jesus after His resurrection and then became a believer. I hope this addresses your confusion

Answer 6

Protestants believe that Jesus had actual brothers and sisters, and that James was one of His brothers.

But my religion, Roman Catholicism, teaches that Jesus never had any actual brothers or sisters -- because His mother Mary was a perpetual virgin.

The Gospels speak of Jesus' "brothers" and "sisters," but those words have a very, very wide meaning in the Bible.

Throughout the Bible, "brothers" and "sisters" are used to describe cousins, uncles, othe relatives, close friends, members of the same tribe or clan, and so on.

Indeed, "brother" is used several dozen times in the Bible to describe relationships between people who are definitely not siblings.

In the Bible, nobody but Jesus is ever described as a "son of Mary" or a "son of Joseph."

This was a very common way to identify people in Biblical times -- "Simon, son of Jonah_ -- but the fact that none of Jesus' "brothers" are ever described this way is a key fact to consider.

Also, remember that in Luke's Gospel, after the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son, she asked, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

Remember that Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph at that time -- any other engaged woman would have assumed that she was to conceive and bear a child "the normal way" shortly after marriage, but Mary didn't respond that way.

This is proof, or at least very strong evidence, that Mary had taken a lifelong vow of virginity.

Such vows were not any more common in those days than they are today - but some people did take them, just as some people take them today.

Answer 7

Jesus did have a brother named James. They shared the same mother so that would make them brothers. Mary was able to give Joseph children after Jesus was born.

Answer 8

Jesus had several step brothers and sisters, His father was God of course, but Joseph and Mary had children, one of whom was indeed James. While Jesus was God's only son, Mary went on to have children with Joseph.

Catholics of course have a problem with this because they are into Mary worship and insist she somehow bore a son, but remained a virgin afterward, which is absurd.

Answer 9

According to the Bible Jesus had a few siblings but they were more like 'half' siblings.... Jesus is the only son of God and Mary, however after Jesus ... Joseph and Mary had children together and yes James was one of them

Answer 10

G--d, otherwise known as Elohim is the spirit and physical father of Jesus. Through the power of the holy ghost Mary conceived.

James would be considered the half brother of Jesus, same mother, different father.

James physical mother was Mary, his physical father Joseph.

Jesus was half mortal half God. That is why he could die a mortal death, he inherited his humanness from Mary. He could resurrect and perform miracles because he was the son of G--d.

Great question I hope this clears it up.

You have physical earthly parents known as Mom and Dad, and you also have spirit parents known as G--d and a spiritual mother so sacred a name will not even be expressed.

Answer 11

James was the HALF-brother of Jesus. Joseph and Mary did have other children, but they were all half-siblings of Jesus since Joseph did not father Jesus himself.