Even His Brothers Did Not Believe
Introduction
Today I’m going to share with you a message about the brothers of Jesus… we’re going to focus specifically on their lack of belief in their earthly brother, who they would have called Yeshua… and their eventual faith in Jesus Christ, The Son of the Living God.
The gospel of John is designed to create faith in Jesus, and yet John also tells us of those who did not have faith in Jesus… In John 1:11 we read of those who lacked faith from among His own people… “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”
In John 6:66 we read of those who lacked faith from among His disciples, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”
For a time, even Jesus own brothers (who are named in Mathew 13:55) did not believe... John 7:5 says, “For not even his brothers believed in Him.”
In Mark 3:21 the Bible says, “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
The unbelief of Jesus brothers was foretold in Psalms 69:8, “I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s sons.”
They eventually did come to believe in Jesus. Acts 1:14 says, “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
Why did Jesus’ brothers not believe in Him from the very beginning...? Had they not seen the miracles? Did they not know Him as well as anyone else?
I want to share with you some reasons why they did not believe at first, and the reason they came to believe at last.
I believe that this can provide some valuable lessons for us today...
Body
Perhaps the brothers of Jesus were blinded by familiarity. It is often said, “Familiarity breeds contempt” This hindered many who knew Jesus from childhood…
Matthew 13:54-57 says, “… 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?” And they took offense at him.”
It may be Important to note here that Judas was a common name in New Testament era Israel. The Judas that we are familiar with who betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is a different man than the brother of Jesus, who is also named Judas.
The problem of unbelief was also a problem common among prophets. The same passage in Mathew goes on to say, “But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” Mathew 13:57
Perhaps they were blinded by envy. Large crowds had been following Jesus everywhere making it difficult for His family to speak to Him at times.
Matthew 12:46 says “While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he 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.”
Jealousy can be a powerful hindrance to seeing things clearly. D. L. Moody told a story of two merchants between whom there was great rivalry and bitter feeling. One of them was a Christian. He went to his minister and said, “I’m still jealous of that man, and I don’t know how to overcome it.” “Well,” said the minister, “if a man comes into your store to buy goods, and you cannot supply him, just send him over to your neighbor.” He said he wouldn’t like to do that. “Well,” said the minister, “you do it and you will kill jealousy.” Sure enough, when he began sending customers over to his rival for goods he himself could not supply, the rival began to send customers over to this man’s store, and the breach was healed.
Perhaps the brothers of Jesus were blinded by preconceptions. Many Jews had wrong conceptions concerning the Kingdom of God. John chapter six gives the account of Jesus taking five loaves and two fishes from a boy and multiplying them miraculously to feed an immense crowd which had followed after him because of the signs and healings and wonders that He was performing…
John 6:15 says, “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”
Just as the crowd who had been fed misunderstood the message of the Kingdom of Heaven… mistaking it for yet another kingdom of this world… perhaps the brothers of Jesus also misunderstood message of Jesus because of their preconceptions misunderstanding of the message and ultimate purpose of Jesus.
His brothers had their ideas as to what He should do. It’s easy to reject someone if they don’t live up to your expectations. For one reason or another, Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him or have faith in Him during his earthly ministry.
The unbelief of Jesus brothers provides strong insight for us today...
Do we let familiarity blind us to the truth? Do we reject what a close friend or relative may tell us? Especially since they have their own faults of which we are all too well aware?
It is important for us to remember that truth can be communicated by imperfect messengers. The words of the Apostle Paul echo from an ancient Roman prison in Philippians 1:15-18 where it says, “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice…
Like the brothers of Jesus, do we let envy get in the way of truth? Are we jealous that we might be wrong and others may be right? Do we think that by admitting others are right, it somehow makes them better?
I am fully convinced that truth and salvation is far too precious to let envy or jealousy keep us from it. Let us never be kept from truth because of jealousy.
Do we let preconceived notions obstruct a clear evaluation of the truth? Refusing to reexamine our cherished beliefs? Do we reject a view or teaching simply because we have never heard it before?
The assimilation of truth requires a willingness to hear, and requires us to be free from the investigation. Acts 17:11 says, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
I encourage you to examine the scriptures daily. How tragic it is that in an age where one can purchase over 100 English translations of the Bible… in a country where getting a free Bible is as easy as asking for it… so many of us spend so little time hearing the voice of God ringing out from the holy scriptures…
I encourage you to Open the Bible and rediscover the joy of your salvation. Immerse yourself in God’s very word and find real power for your life and the passion that can only come from a personal post-resurrection encounter with Jesus.
Transition
Now that we have examined some of the reasons that the brothers of Jesus did not originally believe His message, let us observe how they eventually came to believe and what it means for us today.
As noted previously, Jesus brothers eventually became disciples. In Acts chapter we read that the brothers of Jesus were with the apostles after the Ascension. James, the Lord’s brother, became a key figure in the church at Jerusalem.
James and Judas wrote their respective epistles. According to secular history, James was even martyred for his faith.
What changed them? I’ll tell you what changed them… it is the very thing that changes us… It is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! The resurrection of Jesus is an unparalleled historical event! No other major religion has ever even made such a claim… much less had eye witnesses willing to die for its truth.
And yes, I did say a historical event. Few, if any, ancient historical events have as much manuscript or eye witness evidence to support them. Not the least of this evidence is the conversion of the brothers of Jesus.
The significance of Jesus’ resurrection can not be overlooked. It is the very foundation of our faith. The resurrection of Jesus is not something which has been invented purely for the sake of the pleasure of hunting Easter Eggs.
Please listen carefully to the words of the Apostle Paul in1 Corinthians 15:16-20, “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
The significance of the resurrection of Jesus was not lost on Jesus brothers, and we should not let it be lost on us. The resurrection shattered any blinders of familiarity, envy, or preconceptions.
Now, I appreciate that a person might find the gospel story incredible. I mean listen to the facts. A man born of a virgin… A man who was the Son of God…
A man who supposedly... Walked on water, calmed the seas, fed thousands with five loaves and two fish, healed the sick and lame, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead… A man who was himself dead for three days and then rose again from the dead?
Yet even if there is no other good reason to believe the incredible story, though there is… I would suggest that the conversion of those Jesus brothers, Who at first did not believe, Who were persuaded by overwhelming empirical evidence…
Acts 1:3 tells us that, “To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
The brothers of Jesus Who never recanted their testimony, despite hardship and brutal persecution. What else, other than the resurrection of Jesus can explain the transformation of his brothers?
The resurrection was the very same thing that transformed the disciples of Jesus! Pinchas Lapide, former Chairman of the Applied Linguistics Department at Israel’s Bar-Iland University was once quoted in Time magazine as saying, “If the disciples were totally disappointed and on the verge of desperate flight because of the very real reason of the crucifixion, it took another very real reason in order to transform them from a band of disheartened and dejected Jews into the most self-confident missionary society in world history.”
Conclusion
From the unbelief of Jesus we learn how easily one can be blinded by such things as familiarity, envy, and preconceptions. We learn how carefully we must give others a fair hearing.
And from the belief of Jesus brothers we also receive a great blessing... Their eventual conversion provides overwhelming evidence of the resurrection of Jesus. We receive a great heritage from the brothers of Jesus.
Since we believe in Jesus through the words of such men, the foundation of our faith is made even stronger.
With the help of their own example, we can heed the exhortation given by one of brothers of Jesus…
Jude 1:20-21 say, “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Amen.
