Great Unknown People of the Bible
The Story of Four Brothers
|
Matthew 13:53-57
_______ = James _______ = Joses _______ = Simon _______ = Judas Mark 3:20-21 |
John 7:1-7
John 19:25-27 Acts 1:12-14 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Galatians 1:13-19 Acts 12:1-2, 16-17 |
Acts 15
Acts 21:15-26 James 1:1 Jude 1 James 5:19-20 Jude 20-25 |
This morning we are taking a break from the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul to meet four brothers who have a most unique claim to fame. We are first introduced to them by name in...
MATTHEW 13
MATTHEW 13
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.
54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked.
55 "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
56 Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"
57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Yes, we are looking at the four younger brothers of our Lord Jesus, the sons of Mary and Joseph. Unfortunately our Lord's critics in this text didn't bother to also recite the names of His sisters, too.
Before we go further, we need to digress a bit and discuss the matter of the translation of these names in our English Bibles. Every language has its own rules of pronunciation which at time requires modification of any particular name. For example, Mary and Joseph did not call Jesus by that name, "Jesus." They named Him "Yeshua." That's the Aramaic form of what the Old Testament folks named "Yehoshua," (which we know as "Joshua" in English). In Greek, the language of the New Testament, neither of these pronunciations is even possible, so the name appears as "Iesous." Similarly, "Yohanan" of the Old Testament is "Ioannes" of the Greek New Testament, which is translated as "John" in English, "Juan" in Spanish, and "Johann" in German.
The names of Jesus' brothers translate as follows:
Before we go further, we need to digress a bit and discuss the matter of the translation of these names in our English Bibles. Every language has its own rules of pronunciation which at time requires modification of any particular name. For example, Mary and Joseph did not call Jesus by that name, "Jesus." They named Him "Yeshua." That's the Aramaic form of what the Old Testament folks named "Yehoshua," (which we know as "Joshua" in English). In Greek, the language of the New Testament, neither of these pronunciations is even possible, so the name appears as "Iesous." Similarly, "Yohanan" of the Old Testament is "Ioannes" of the Greek New Testament, which is translated as "John" in English, "Juan" in Spanish, and "Johann" in German.
The names of Jesus' brothers translate as follows:
OT HEBREW |
NT GREEK |
ENGLISH |
|
1 |
Yakob (Jacob) |
Iakobos |
James |
2 |
Yosef (Joseph) |
Iosef |
Joseph or Joses |
3 |
Shimeon (Simeon) |
Simon |
Simon |
4 |
Yehudah (Judah) |
Ioudas |
Judas or Jude |
The name Jacob does appear in the English translations of the New Testament. But when it does, it refers only to Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the patriarch of the nation of Israel. All other Jacobs are translated into James in our English Bibles.
What self respecting Hebrew mother would name her son Judas? In New Testament times, Judas was a perfectly respectable name. It was simply the Greek & Aramaic form of the Old Testament name Judah. It was just one bad person who had that name that ruined it for everyone else.
It is clear from this passage that the home town folk in Nazareth did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They were quite critical of him. "After all, we've known him since he was a little tike. He certainly has gotten big for his britches, hasn't he?"
If the towns folk did not believe in him, how about his own family? Did these brothers and sisters of Jesus recognize who He was? For the answer to that question, flip over to the next book of the Bible...
MARK 3
What self respecting Hebrew mother would name her son Judas? In New Testament times, Judas was a perfectly respectable name. It was simply the Greek & Aramaic form of the Old Testament name Judah. It was just one bad person who had that name that ruined it for everyone else.
It is clear from this passage that the home town folk in Nazareth did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They were quite critical of him. "After all, we've known him since he was a little tike. He certainly has gotten big for his britches, hasn't he?"
If the towns folk did not believe in him, how about his own family? Did these brothers and sisters of Jesus recognize who He was? For the answer to that question, flip over to the next book of the Bible...
MARK 3
20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.
21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
Well, what would you think if your big brother was out running around saying such things as, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by me"? or "Unless you believe in Me, you will all die in your sins"? The brothers of our Lord were no different.
JOHN 7
JOHN 7
1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.
2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near,
3 Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.
4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world."
5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6 Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil."
Now jump ahead to the scene at the cross, where Jesus was crucified, suspended half way between heaven and hell...
JOHN 19
JOHN 19
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother... [and the other women].
26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Jesus as the oldest son in the family was charged with the responsibility to care for his widowed mother. Since her husband Joseph disappears half way through the Gospels, we assume that he died. So why does Jesus as a friend, a disciple, who is not a relative care for his mother? Where are James, or Joseph Jr, or Simon, or Judas? Why doesn't he ask one of them?
We don't even know if any of them were even in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion. Even if they were, standing before the cross of the elder brother would be the last place they would want to be. If Jesus was an embarrassment to them before, how much worse was the embarrassment now.
The picture that the gospels paint of these four boys is not a pretty one. They are cynical, critical, and skeptical. Yet the story of their lives is not a story their individual particular virtues. It is a story of the grace of God - just as is your story, and mine.
ACTS 1
We don't even know if any of them were even in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion. Even if they were, standing before the cross of the elder brother would be the last place they would want to be. If Jesus was an embarrassment to them before, how much worse was the embarrassment now.
The picture that the gospels paint of these four boys is not a pretty one. They are cynical, critical, and skeptical. Yet the story of their lives is not a story their individual particular virtues. It is a story of the grace of God - just as is your story, and mine.
ACTS 1
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city.
13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
These are the 11 Disciples. Right after this they had an election by lot to select the 12th Disciple to replace Judas Iscariot.
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
What? Are those four cynical, unbelieving brothers of Jesus now suddenly believers? Why the change?
The Apostle Paul gives us a pretty strong hint...
1 CORINTHIANS 15
The Apostle Paul gives us a pretty strong hint...
1 CORINTHIANS 15
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also...
James who? ... yes, Jesus' younger brother James.
No wonder James, and Joseph Jr, and Simon, and Judas, sons of Joseph the Carpenter, became believers in Jesus as Lord and Messiah.
Now to be honest, if I had been Jesus, after the resurrection I would have made an appearance to Pontius Pilate, and to Caiaphas and Annas, the conspiring high priests... and maybe to every single member of the Jewish court who had ordered my execution, and maybe even to the soldiers who put had nailed my wrists to the cross beam, and maybe to every member of the mob who had shouted "crucify him!" and then had mocked me while I was suspended on the cross.
But in all cases except two, our Lord appeared only to those who loved Him. And the two notable excepts were: (1) Saul of Tarsus, a.k.a., the Apostle Paul, and (2) the four sons of Mary and Joseph. And in their cases, His appearance was not to scare them and teach them a lesson. Rather, He appeared to them to offer each of them His love, His forgiveness, and to call each of them into His service, and to entrust to each of them the message of forgiveness for all. And they responded in faith. Hence we see them in the upper room, with the other disciples, worshiping as Lord and Savior, the one whom they had mocked and criticized. As I said, this is not a story of their virtue, but a story of God's grace.
And God did use them in a powerful way. As we read on through the New Testament, we see that in very short order, the one who was recognized as the senior pastor, the bishop if you will, of the Christian church of Jerusalem was not Peter, not John, not John's brother James, but James the brother of our Lord.
When we did our study of Barnabas, we read how Barnabas welcomed Paul, before anyone else would trust him, and how Barnabas introduced Paul to the fellowship of Christians in Jerusalem, and eventually to Peter himself. When Paul himself described that meeting, he provides us with some added interesting information, that Luke omits:
GALATIANS 1
No wonder James, and Joseph Jr, and Simon, and Judas, sons of Joseph the Carpenter, became believers in Jesus as Lord and Messiah.
Now to be honest, if I had been Jesus, after the resurrection I would have made an appearance to Pontius Pilate, and to Caiaphas and Annas, the conspiring high priests... and maybe to every single member of the Jewish court who had ordered my execution, and maybe even to the soldiers who put had nailed my wrists to the cross beam, and maybe to every member of the mob who had shouted "crucify him!" and then had mocked me while I was suspended on the cross.
But in all cases except two, our Lord appeared only to those who loved Him. And the two notable excepts were: (1) Saul of Tarsus, a.k.a., the Apostle Paul, and (2) the four sons of Mary and Joseph. And in their cases, His appearance was not to scare them and teach them a lesson. Rather, He appeared to them to offer each of them His love, His forgiveness, and to call each of them into His service, and to entrust to each of them the message of forgiveness for all. And they responded in faith. Hence we see them in the upper room, with the other disciples, worshiping as Lord and Savior, the one whom they had mocked and criticized. As I said, this is not a story of their virtue, but a story of God's grace.
And God did use them in a powerful way. As we read on through the New Testament, we see that in very short order, the one who was recognized as the senior pastor, the bishop if you will, of the Christian church of Jerusalem was not Peter, not John, not John's brother James, but James the brother of our Lord.
When we did our study of Barnabas, we read how Barnabas welcomed Paul, before anyone else would trust him, and how Barnabas introduced Paul to the fellowship of Christians in Jerusalem, and eventually to Peter himself. When Paul himself described that meeting, he provides us with some added interesting information, that Luke omits:
GALATIANS 1
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.
19 I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother.
Now back to Luke's account in Acts. Paul's conversion is reported in Acts chapter 9. Three chapters later, in Acts 12, we read...
ACTS 12
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
This was the James, the brother of John, Jesus' Disciple, as in "Peter, James, and John," not Jesus' half-brother.
When Herod saw this was a hit with the Jewish leaders, he had Peter arrested with the intent of executing him. But God sent an angel to release him from prison. When he realized he was free, Peter went to the home where the Disciples were gathered for prayer on his behalf. Luke tells us that the house that just happened to belong to John Mark's mother.
When Herod saw this was a hit with the Jewish leaders, he had Peter arrested with the intent of executing him. But God sent an angel to release him from prison. When he realized he was free, Peter went to the home where the Disciples were gathered for prayer on his behalf. Luke tells us that the house that just happened to belong to John Mark's mother.
16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James [the brother of Jesus] and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place.
The most significant episode in the book of acts involving James was an event known in church history as "The Jerusalem Council."
ACTS 15
1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
2 Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.
4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.
5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.
7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 "So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,
9 "and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they."
12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.
13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me:
14 "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.
15 "And with this the words of the prophets agree...
19 "Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
20 "but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
21 "For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
23 They wrote this letter by them...
James gave his verdict, and that settled the problem of how the Christian Church ought accommodate non-Jews. This was the church hashing out that great eternal issue: Law and Gospel, and trying to realize, as difficult as it was to believe, that it is purely by God's grace and forgiveness that we are saved, and it is only by faith, not by works, that His grace is appropriated in our lives.
While Paul continued his ministry among Gentiles in other lands, James continued to minister as the senior pastor of the predominantly Jewish Christian Church of Jerusalem.
The last reference made to James in the book of Acts occurs when Paul comes to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary Journey.
ACTS 21
While Paul continued his ministry among Gentiles in other lands, James continued to minister as the senior pastor of the predominantly Jewish Christian Church of Jerusalem.
The last reference made to James in the book of Acts occurs when Paul comes to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary Journey.
ACTS 21
15 And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem.
16 Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.
17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;
21 "but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.
22 "What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.
23 "Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.
24 "Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.
25 "But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality."
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.
So you see, that while Paul was sensitive to winning the Gentiles to Christ, James the brother of our Lord, remained sensitive to winning the his fellow Jews to Christ, and both Paul and James sought to remove all stumbling blocks to anyone receiving the Gospel, without ever compromising the heart of the Gospel.
Of course we can learn more about the heart of James, the brother of our Lord, in the letter that he wrote to the Jewish Christians where were scattered by the persecution which Paul himself helped to start in his pre-Christian days:
JAMES 1
Of course we can learn more about the heart of James, the brother of our Lord, in the letter that he wrote to the Jewish Christians where were scattered by the persecution which Paul himself helped to start in his pre-Christian days:
JAMES 1
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Notice how James does not regard himself as our Lord's biological brother, but merely his "bond servant." James does not presume on his common kinship for either his salvation or for his position of leadership. To do so would bring him under the same condemnation Jesus issued to those who presumed to be children of God merely because they were biological descendants of Abraham. James, of all people, understood what a sinner he was. He could not forget how he had mocked, ridiculed, and rejected Jesus for claiming to be the Messiah. So James understood that he could only come to God through faith in Jesus as his Savior, no differently than we.
James concluded his letter with these words:
JAMES 5
James concluded his letter with these words:
JAMES 5
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
And what about the other brothers of Jesus. Obviously James received most recognition. But what about Joseph Jr, Simon, and Judas? We know very little about them after Pentecost. Yet that name of one those three other brothers does appear in a significant way Scripture. He is the author of another book of the Bible, one which we in our English Bible refer to as the book of Jude.
Please note that the name of the author of this letter is not Jude. In the original Greek text, the name written here is Judas. However, early English translators of the Bible felt obliged to help ill-informed readers from mistakenly associating this letter with Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus.
JUDE 1
1 Jude [or Judas], a servant of Jesus Christ...
Which is exactly how James began his letter.
...and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Judas, the youngest son of Mary and Joseph, also understood the precious Gospel of God's grace. He, too, who had once openly rejected Jesus as the Messiah, experienced Jesus' love and forgiveness in a very personal way. Notice how he also refers to his elder brother in his closing words:
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction;
23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.