James Brother of Jesus

James was born on April 2, 3 BCE. He was the second child born to Mary and Joseph and he was three and a half years younger than Jesus.

James grew up the way other average boys of his day and age grew up, participating in household chores and eventually attending school. When he was about twelve, James took charge of the homeschooling of his three sisters, two of whom were old enough to begin serious study.

At age 13, James was pivotal in defusing the political crisis that arose when Jesus was seventeen. He delivered a speech that disarmed all objections to Jesus' decision to remain solely devoted to family duties, rather than joining the Zealot cause. Shortly after, Jesus took James to Jerusalem to become a son of the commandment, and thereafter met the three close friends of Jesus at Bethany for Passover. At eighteen years old, James became head of the family when Jesus went off to work in Sepphoris, and he maintained that position as head for two years.

In November, 20 CE, James married Esta in a double wedding with his sister Miriam, who married Jesus' longtime boyhood friend, Jacob. They moved into a little home on the other side of the town, a gift from her father, while James continued to support his mother. At this time, he was also formally established as "head of his father's household" by Jesus. A few years later James moved to Capernaum and shared his home with his mother, Mary. For several months, (25 - 26 CE), James worked alongside Jesus in the Zebedee boatshop, and because of this close time together, no matter what doubts came up to becloud James’ understanding of the lifework of the Son of Man, he never again really and wholly gave up his faith in the mission of Jesus, even though he and Jesus had a long estrangement later on.

When Jesus declared that his hour had come, James, his brother Jude, and Jesus left the boat shop to meet John the Baptist at the Jordan. On January 14, 26 CE, both brothers were baptized with Jesus. They heard the voice that declared "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

During March, April, May, and June, 26 CE, James joined the first six apostles in Bethsaida while they were being trained by Jesus. And his brother did not lose faith in him. In late June of that same year, Jesus called the six apostles together to discuss his plans for visiting the cities around and about the Sea of Galilee. His brothers James and Jude were very much hurt because they were not called to this conference. Up to this time they had regarded themselves as belonging to Jesus’ inner circle of associates. But Jesus planned to have no close relatives as members of this corps of apostolic directors of the kingdom.

It was because of this perceived "slight" that James as well as the members of Jesus' family became estranged. Except for Ruth, they all effectively abandoned him. They thought that Jesus had abandoned them, but it was the other way around. James was not able to overcome his hurt feelings and the wounding of his pride. In later years James suffered as a result of the failure to enjoy earlier association with Jesus and his disciples. But James was favored by a personal visit by Jesus in his third resurrection appearance. It happened about noon on that resurrection Sunday in the garden of Lazarus’ house in Bethany. James and Jesus spent almost three minutes together in the garden speaking of experiences of former days.

After the organization of the Church in Jerusalem, James was installed as its titular head under the leadership of Peter. The Epistle of James is later included in the New Testament.

Ordinarily, the girls of Jewish families received little education, but Jesus believed that girls should go to school the same as boys, and since the synagogue school would not receive them, there was nothing to do but conduct a home school especially for them.

So, in 10 CE, when James was nearly thirteen, he took charge of the teaching of his three sisters, two of whom were old enough to begin serious study. Up until then, Jesus had been doing the homeschooling, but throughout this year Jesus was closely confined to the workbench. And at times he had so much to do that James would help him with that as well.

In 11 CE, When James was about 13 and a half, organizers from the Zealots, a nationalist political party, tried to recruit Jesus into their ranks. It was a sticky situation for Jesus, who felt that he could not align himself with the politics of the day for many reasons, but primarily because he felt he had a duty to devote all of his time to the raising of the family. Jesus’ position was made more difficult because his mother and uncle, and even James, all urged him to join the nationalist cause.

Some of those who still wanted Jesus to join the cause no matter what were finally convinced by a speech made by James, which, while not on the program, was delivered at this time. That very day the chazan had rehearsed James in his speech, but that was their secret.

James stated that he was sure Jesus would help to liberate his people if he (James) were only old enough to assume responsibility for the family, and that, if they would only consent to allow Jesus to remain “with us, to be our father and teacher, then you will have not just one leader from Joseph’s family, but presently you will have five loyal nationalists, for are there not five of us boys to grow up and come forth from our brother-father’s guidance to serve our nation?” And this speech by James brought this very tense and threatening situation to a fairly happy ending.

James graduated from school this year and began full-time work at home in the carpenter shop. He had become very skilled with tools and now took over the making of yokes and plows while Jesus began to do more house finishing and expert cabinet work.

In the year of 12 CE, through sales of some of the family’s last property holdings, there was some extra income generated that was used to pay taxes and to buy some new tools for James. Jesus also proposed to buy back the Nazareth repair shop near the caravan lot since James was old enough now to work in the shop while helping Mary around the house. And since the financial picture looked better Jesus decided to take James to Jerusalem for the Passover.

They went up to Jerusalem a day early, to be alone, going by way of Samaria. They walked, and Jesus told James about the historic places en route as his father had taught him on a similar journey five years before.

In passing through Samaria, they talked over many of their problems, personal, family, and national. James looked forward to the time when he would be able to assume responsibility for the family so that Jesus could begin his mission. He was not in complete agreement with his mother about what that mission might be, but he was religiously inclined and interested in what Jesus was all about. He was very appreciative of Jesus’ taking him up to the Passover, and they talked over the future more fully than ever before.

Jesus tried to prepare James for what he was about to witness at Jerusalem because of what he himself had experienced on his first visit to the temple. But James was not so sensitive to some of these sights as Jesus had been. He commented on the way in which some of the priests performed their duties but on the whole greatly enjoyed his sojourn at Jerusalem.

Jesus and James went to Bethany for the Passover supper at the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. The next day they attended the temple services, and James was received into the commonwealth of Israel. That morning, as they paused on the brow of Olivet to view the temple, while James exclaimed in wonder, Jesus gazed on Jerusalem in silence. James could not comprehend his brother’s attitude. James was insistent on their going back to visit the temple, explaining that he wanted to hear the teachers. But in his heart, he wanted to hear Jesus participate in the discussions, as he had heard his mother tell about. James was disappointed that Jesus said nothing. To his inquiries, Jesus only replied, “My hour has not yet come.”

By 16 CE, Jesus was still working at house finishing and cabinetwork but spent most of his time at the caravan repair shop. James, age 18, was beginning to alternate with him in attendance at the shop. The latter part of this year, when carpenter work was slack about Nazareth, Jesus left James in charge of the repair shop and Joseph at the home bench while he went over to Sepphoris to work with a metalsmith.

Before taking up his new employment at Sepphoris, Jesus held one of his periodic family conferences and solemnly installed James, then just past eighteen years old, as acting head of the family. He promised his brother hearty support and full cooperation and exacted formal promises of obedience to James from each member of the family. From this day James assumed full financial responsibility for the family, Jesus making his weekly payments to his brother. Never again did Jesus take the reins out of James’ hands. While working at Sepphoris he could have walked home every night if necessary, but he purposely remained away because his true motive was to train James and Joseph in the bearing of the family responsibility.

For a number of reasons, Jesus decided to quit his job in Sepphoris and go back to Nazareth. When he returned home, he worked in association with James at the repair shop and as far as possible permitted him to continue oversight of the home. James’s management of family expenditures and his administration of the home budget were undisturbed.

When James had had two years’ experience as acting head of the family — and two full years before he (James) was to be married — Joseph was placed in charge of the household funds and entrusted with the general management of the home. James was very successful in managing the home with Jesus’ help in counsel and finances.

In December, 18 CE James, age 20, had a private talk with Jesus, explaining that he was much in love with Esta, a young woman of Nazareth, and that they would sometime like to be married if it could be arranged. He called attention to the fact that Joseph ~ brother of Jesus would soon be eighteen years old, and that it would be a good experience for him to have a chance to serve as the acting head of the family. Jesus gave consent for James to marry two years later, provided he had, during the intervening time, properly trained Joseph to assume direction of the home.

And in November of 20 CE, a double wedding occurred. James and Esta, and Miriam and Jacob were married. It was truly a joyous occasion.

James and his bride, Esta, moved into a neat little home on the west side of town, the gift of her father. But in 23 CE, when Jesus returned from the Mediterranean tour, he turned over to his brother James the little house which John Zebedee had managed to buy with the funds that Jesus had provided. And just before he left for the caravan trip to the Caspian, Jesus called a family conference at which he proposed that his mother and Ruth go to Capernaum to live in the home which he had so recently given to James. Mary shared this home with James until the crucifixion of Jesus. After the crucifixion and Passover, Mary returned to Bethsaida, where she lived at John’s home for the rest of her natural life. Mary did not live quite one year after the death of Jesus.

The day after James’ wedding, Jesus held an important conference with him. He told James, confidentially, that he was preparing to leave home. He presented full title to the repair shop to James, formally and solemnly abdicated as head of Joseph’s house, and established his brother James as “head and protector of my father’s house.” He drew up, and they both signed, a secret compact in which it was stipulated that, in return for the gift of the repair shop, James would henceforth assume full financial responsibility for the family, thus releasing Jesus from all further obligations in these matters. After the contract was signed, after the budget was so arranged that the actual expenses of the family would be met without any contribution from Jesus, Jesus said to James: “But, my son, I will continue to send you something each month until my hour shall have come, but what I send shall be used by you as the occasion demands. Apply my funds to the family necessities or pleasures as you see fit. Use them in case of sickness or apply them to meet the unexpected emergencies which may befall any individual member of the family.”

When Jesus left the Nazareth home for good in January, 21 CE, Jesus continued to send money each month to James.

On his return from the Caspian, Jesus journeyed on with the caravan train to Capernaum, arriving the first of April, CE 25.

The next morning, Jesus presented himself for work at Zebedee’s boatshop, saying, “It behooves me to keep busy while I wait for my hour to come.” And he worked several months, until January of the following year by the side of his brother James. After this period of working with Jesus, no matter what doubts came up to confuse James’s understanding of the lifework of the Son of Man, he never again really and wholly gave up his faith in the mission of Jesus.

Jesus’ brothers James and Jude had talked about going down to John for baptism; and now that Jude had come over to Capernaum for the Sabbath services, both he and James, after listening to Jesus’ discourse in the synagogue, decided to take counsel with him concerning their plans. This was on Saturday night, January 12, CE 26. Jesus requested that they postpone the discussion until the following day, when he would give them his answer. He had arranged to have noontime lunch with his brothers and to advise them concerning baptism by John.

That Sunday morning, Jesus was working as usual in the boatshop. James and Jude had arrived with the lunch and were waiting in the lumber room for him, as it was not yet time for the midday recess, and they knew that Jesus was very regular about such matters.

Just before the noon rest, Jesus laid down his tools, removed his work apron, and merely announced to the three workmen in the room with him, "My hour has come." He went out to his brothers James and Jude, repeating, "My hour has come — let us go to John." And they started immediately for Pella, eating their lunch as they journeyed. This was on Sunday, January 13. They stayed the night in the Jordan Valley and arrived on the scene of John baptizing about noon of the next day.

On Monday, January 14, CE 26, John baptized Jesus and his two brothers James and Jude. But shortly after, the four men still standing in the water heard a strange sound, and presently there appeared for a moment an apparition immediately over the head of Jesus, and they heard a voice saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." A great change came over Jesus’ face, and coming up out of the water in silence he took leave of them, going toward the hills to the east. And no man saw Jesus again for forty days.

Before Jesus returned from the wilderness, James had returned to Capernaum.

Jesus’ first public appearance following his baptism was in the Capernaum synagogue on Sabbath, March 2, CE 26. The synagogue was crowded to overflowing. Jesus gave seats of honor to his six apostles, and seated with them were his brothers in the flesh James and Jude.

That afternoon, Jesus and his apostles, with James and Jude, entered a boat and pulled down the shore a little way, where they anchored while he talked to them about the coming kingdom.

For four long months — March, April, May, and June — this tarrying and teaching time continued; Jesus held over one hundred long and earnest, though cheerful and joyous, sessions with these six new apostles and his own brother James. And James did not lose faith in his father-brother. He was happy to be included in these four months of teaching by Jesus.

Jesus did his last work at the carpenter bench on this Tuesday, June 18, CE 26. The next day he sent his brother James to ask for the privilege of speaking in the synagogue the coming Sabbath day. And the ruler of the synagogue was very pleased that Jesus was again willing to conduct the service.

After preaching the sermon on "The Kingdom," Jesus called the six apostles together that afternoon and began to disclose his plans for visiting the cities around and about the Sea of Galilee. His brothers James and Jude were very hurt because they were not called to this conference. Up to this time they had regarded themselves as belonging to Jesus’ inner circle of associates. But Jesus planned to have no close relatives as members of this corps of apostolic directors of the kingdom. This was a great disappointment to James.

This failure to include James and Jude among the chosen few was the starting point of an ever-widening gulf between Jesus and his earth family. This situation continued throughout his public ministry — they very nearly rejected him — and these differences were not fully removed until after his death and resurrection.

Three years later, James and Jude attempted to connect with Jesus - at Jude’s insistence - sometime after the healing at sundown; James and Jude came to see him, calling at Zebedee’s house. But by the time James consented to go with Jude, Jesus had already departed. This attempt to reconnect with Jesus failed.

Shortly after noon, James was standing in the garden of Lazarus before the empty tomb turning over in his mind the news brought to them about one hour previously by the messenger of David - news of Jesus’ resurrection. James had always been inclined to believe in his eldest brother’s mission on earth, but he had long since lost contact with Jesus’ work and had drifted into serious doubt regarding the later claims of the apostles that Jesus was the Messiah. The whole family was startled and confused by the news brought by the messenger.

While he stood there in the garden near the tomb, James became aware of a near-by presence, as if someone had touched him on the shoulder; and when he turned to look, he beheld the gradual appearance of a strange form by his side. He was too amazed to speak and too frightened to flee. And then the strange form spoke, saying: “James, I come to call you to the service of the kingdom. Join earnest hands with your brethren and follow after me.” When James heard his name spoken, he knew that it was Jesus, who had addressed him. They all had more or less difficulty in recognizing the risen form of the Master, but few of them had any trouble recognizing his voice or otherwise identifying his charming personality when he once began to communicate with them.

When James perceived that Jesus was addressing him, he started to fall to his knees, exclaiming, “My father and my brother,” but Jesus told him to stand up while he spoke with him. And they walked through the garden and talked for almost three minutes; talked over experiences of former days and forecast the events of the near future. As they neared the house, Jesus said, “Farewell, James, until I greet you all together.”

James rushed into the house exclaiming: “I have just seen Jesus and talked with him, visited with him. He is not dead; he has risen! He vanished before me, saying, ‘Farewell until I greet you all together.’” He had scarcely finished speaking when Jude returned, and he retold the experience of meeting Jesus in the garden for the benefit of Jude. And they all began to believe in the resurrection of Jesus.

They all wanted to rush off to the city to tell the doubting apostles about what had happened, but James discouraged them from doing that because of certain things which Jesus had said to him as they conversed in the garden. But James never revealed more of his visit with the risen Master on this day at the Lazarus home in Bethany.

Stephen, the leader of the Greek colony of Jesus’ believers in Jerusalem, became the first martyr to the new faith and the specific cause for the formal organization of the early Christian church. There was a recognition that believers could no longer go on as a sect within the Jewish faith. It was agreed that believers must separate themselves from unbelievers; and within one month from the death of Stephen, the church at Jerusalem had been organized under the leadership of Peter and James, the brother of Jesus, had been installed as its titular head.

As the years passed, John Zebedee, together with James, learned to practice wise conciliation when they appeared before the civil magistrates. They found that a “soft answer turns away wrath.” They also learned to represent the church as a “spiritual brotherhood devoted to the social service of mankind” rather than as “the kingdom of heaven.” They taught loving service rather than ruling power — kingdom and king.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus the Jerusalem church, of which James was head, began to have serious difficulties with the Philadelphia congregation of believers. Abner became the head of the Philadelphia church, continuing as such until his death. And this estrangement with Jerusalem explains why nothing is heard of Abner and his work in the Gospel records of the New Testament. This feud between Jerusalem and Philadelphia lasted throughout the lifetimes of James and Abner and continued for some time after the destruction of Jerusalem. Philadelphia was really the headquarters of the early church in the south and east as Antioch was in the north and west.

It was the apparent misfortune of Abner to be at variance with all of the leaders of the early Christian church. He fell out with Peter and James (Jesus’ brother) over questions of administration and the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem church; he parted company with Paul over differences of philosophy and theology. Abner was more Babylonian than Hellenic in his philosophy, and he stubbornly resisted all attempts of Paul to remake the teachings of Jesus so as to present less that was objectionable, first to the Jews, then to the Greco-Roman believers in the mysteries.

Thus was Abner compelled to live a life of isolation. He was head of a church which was without standing at Jerusalem. He had dared to defy James, the Lord’s brother, who was subsequently supported by Peter. Such conduct effectively separated him from all his former associates.

James had a long association with Matadormus, “the rich young man” who aspired to be one of the seventy messengers but could not pay the price of admission by “selling all he had and giving the proceeds to the poor.” If had parted with his wealth, it probably would have been put right back into his hands for administration as treasurer of the seventy. Even so, he later did so and became treasurer of the Jerusalem church while James, the Lord’s brother in the flesh, was its titular head.