Did Jesus Christ Have Brothers and Sisters?

Question: Did Jesus have brothers and sisters like other people?

Answer: Yes! Our Lord Jesus Christ had biological brothers and sisters, born to Mary, His mother. This is confirmed clearly in Scripture, for example in Matthew 13:54-56 and Mark 6:3.

Matthew 13:54-56

“And coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’”

The passage mentions Jesus’ family in a straightforward way, identifying Mary as His mother and naming His brothers and sisters as distinct individuals. This strongly supports the understanding that Jesus had siblings in the normal biological sense.

The Perpetual Virginity of Mary

Some traditions, especially within Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, teach the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, meaning Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. According to this view, the “brothers and sisters” mentioned are interpreted as either cousins or children from a previous marriage of Joseph.

However, the plain reading of the text challenges this view:

The Greek words used for “brothers” (adelphoi) and “sisters” (adelphai) typically refer to siblings born of the same parents unless otherwise specified.
The text distinguishes Mary as the mother, not the aunt or other relative, and explicitly names these individuals as Jesus’ brothers and sisters.
There is no biblical mention of Joseph having a previous marriage, making the “step-siblings” theory weak.
Luke 2:7 confirms Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son,” which implies more children followed.

God’s Plan and Human Reality

God’s plan involved Mary and Joseph as husband and wife, and it was normal for them to have children after Jesus. This is seen in:

Matthew 1:18-25: Joseph accepts Mary as his wife after the angel’s message, implying their marriage relationship was intact.
The angel’s message does not command Joseph to divorce or leave Mary but to take her as his wife (Matthew 1:20-21).
Luke 8:19-21 : Jesus defines His true family not by biological ties but by obedience to God’s will:

“Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they were not able to reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking for you.’ And he answered them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.’”

This statement emphasizes spiritual kinship as primary but does not deny his biological family.

Biblical Authors Who Were Jesus’ Brothers

Among Jesus’ brothers were James and Judas (Jude), who became prominent leaders in the early church and authored the epistles named after them. This connection is significant because it shows that Jesus’ siblings played important roles in the growth of Christianity.

Have you accepted Jesus? Are you part of His family by faith—by hearing and obeying God’s Word? If so, you are truly His brother or sister.

Jesus is coming back.

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