Seth Freeman Supporter

Personally, I try to avoid speculation and assumptions. Some people (even on here) make assumptions that this somehow proves that Jesus didn't have siblings, or that his siblings were jealous, or whatever. But that's not in the text, nor is it indicated to be the case. Thus, I recommend just going with what we know Scripture says. 

And what does Scripture say? It says that Jesus entrusted Mary to John. Well who was John? John was one of Jesus' closest friends. John is even referred to as the Disciple that Jesus loved. Scripture indicates that there is an even deeper relationship between John and Jesus than Jesus and the other disciples. That's all we know.

As for the why, it's not really important, and we could speculate a hundred different reasons. Maybe his siblings weren't there. Maybe they were there but Jesus didn't have faith in them. Maybe they were there, Jesus did have faith in them, but wanted to absolutely make sure and therefore asked his closest friend to just make sure. Maybe John struggled with having Mary around and Jesus was actually using this as a teaching opportunity for John. 

We can make all sorts of guesses, but we need to remember that they are just that - guesses. The wrong thing to do is use Jesus' choice of John as some evidence for a theological belief in regards to whether or not Jesus had siblings or what the nature of his relationship with them was.

March 18 2014 • 9 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

JD Abshire Supporter

In John 7:1-4 we read that Christ stayed in Galilee and would not go into Judea because the Jews wanted to kill him. The day of The Jews feast of tabernacles had come and his brethren encouraged him to go into Judea so his disciples could see his miracles. They suggested that if he wanted to be known by the world he needed to go public.

Would it not stand to reason his brethren/siblings were aware of the threat to Christ's life? Why encourage him into harms way?

v. 5 "For neither did his brethren believe in him."

Just imagine the sibling rivalry? They may have been trying to get rid of the "perfect" brother that never sinned, never did anything wrong, their mother's favorite son? 

v. 6 "Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready." Christ often referred to "my time" as the day of his crucifixion, his glorification. Consider, he knew his brethren's hearts.

The Lord stated in Matthew 10:34 "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."

v. 35 "For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

v. 36 "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."

The Lord's own brethren could have very well been his foes. If this be the case, Mary, the mother of Jesus may have been ostracized by her children.

The Lord entrusted his dear mother into the hands of John knowing that she would be respected and well cared for.

Luke 2:19 "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." 

Can you imagine the conversations Mary and John had together about the Lord! Although the Bible is inspired of the Holy Spirit, just think of the wealth of information Mary shared with John. The Lord certainly had a specific purpose in putting them together. 

We know that the these younger siblings who previously did not believe joined Christ's followers after the resurrection (Acts 1:14). 

James became a leader in the church at Jerusalem
(Acts 12:17;15:13;21:18; Galatians 1:19; 2:9,12 and the epistle of James)

March 17 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

jamie zavala Supporter

I believe that, yes Jesus had other brothers, it states that clearly in the Bible. But the reason Jesus entrusted his mom to John is because the brothers were not yet believers, and when Jesus was tolf your mother and brothers are out waiting for you, He said in matthew 12:50 kjv For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister and mother. So since his earthly brothers were not believing, John was.

March 19 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mike Dumais Supporter

Jesus' male siblings did not yet believe he was the messiah. As the eldest, he was responsible for his mother after Joseph died, but he could not leave her under the care of a non-Christian. His brother James didn't come to believe until after the resurrection.....so he asked the apostle present and probably his beloved friend to do it.

March 19 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Randolph Batcho Supporter Pastor(Part time)

It is very clear for the Scripture John 19:25-26 that it was only Mary the mother of Jesus, His mothers sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene and John His disciple who were standing by the cross. 
By this time everyone else had deserted Him, including His siblings. "Then they all forsook Him and fled." Mark 14:50. 

If you could also remember when the LORD was in the synagogue teaching, His mother, brothers and sisters were standing out, and when they brought word to Him of them, He said "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:46-50) 

He taught the people that we are not to treat anyone in Christ differently or give prominence to any individual or persons, but rather treat all who are in Christ the same as we are all of one family when we received Christ as our Savior. 

GOD uses those who are available, if we are available GOD will use us.
GOD Bless you all

March 20 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Vincent Mercado Supporter Skeptic turned believer, Catholic, father of 3

The obvious fact is that Mary had no other children. Otherwise, Jesus would have entrusted his mother to them. 

John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

If we inspect this carefully, we see John, the author, refers to himself as the "disciple whom he loved". Here John, in one of many examples, acting as representative of all Christ's followers, receives a new relationship with Mary. She becomes our mother and we become her children.

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As for Jesus's other siblings, the Eastern Orthodox belief is that Joseph had a first wife named Salome, holds that Joseph was a widower and merely betrothed, but never married, to Mary, and that references to Jesus' "brothers" are to children of Joseph and Salome.

March 17 2014 • 10 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Chris Eleam Supporter Chris Eleam

At that time Jesus Foster father, Joseph probably had died since there is no mention of him for that time onward, and Jesus siblings had not yet expressed faith in him, so were not following him. Therefore Jesus primary concern was for his mother's spiritual well being, so he intrusted her to his most intimate and closest Apostle John

March 21 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Martha Coleman Supporter

Seems to me this indicates that Mary was widowed and that her parents were also deceased and that she had no surviving brothers for these would have customarily be one to care for her as her other children may have been minors at the time.

June 03 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report