Jude Brother of Jesus

Jude was Jesus’ fourth brother, born Wednesday evening, June 24, 5 CE. He was the seventh child born to Mary and Joseph and was eleven years younger than Jesus. There were complications that attended his birth that were so severe that Mary, his mother, was quite ill for several weeks.

Jude’s childhood and young adulthood were marked by trouble. Jude was a firebrand – a troublemaker – and he often caused problems for himself and for the rest of the family. He was often disciplined by Jesus and he ignored Jesus’ teachings about how to get along with his peers. Later in life, Jude became a political activist for the Zealots and expressed his views in a belligerent way.

One of the worst episodes of the trouble that he caused happened when Jesus took him to Jerusalem for Passover when Jude was 15 years old. Because of his rash actions and words, he ended up spending two nights in a military prison. Fortunately, Jesus was with him through the ordeal, but the judge warned Jesus to keep an eye on Jude, lest he make more trouble.

Jude had a great deal of difficulty settling into family life and contributing to the household. He did not want to go to work like his brothers and even ran away one time. But finally, Jude found his calling as a fisherman and he moved away from home in Nazareth to Magdala to pursue that calling. He excelled at fishing and finally began pulling his weight by sending funds home for the family and being more responsible. Jude finally settled down to married life, which was a good influence on him.

Eventually, Jude became very interested in Jesus and his mission and even joined some of the early meetings of Jesus and his first six apostles. In the end, Jesus did not allow any of his family members to join the apostolic party. This was a source of hurt feelings to Jude. But Jude kept up with Jesus in those years and Jude was baptized with Jesus and his brother James on the same day in the Jordan River. Nevertheless, along with the rest of Jesus’ earth family, Jude eventually drifted away from Jesus, although he did try once or twice to connect with him to no avail.

After Jesus was arrested, Jude came to Jerusalem with Mary and Ruth to see what he could do. When Jesus was crucified, Jude and Ruth were Jesus’ only siblings at the foot of the cross. And he was one of the family members who believed that Jesus had resurrected.

On Wednesday evening, June 24, 5 CE, Jude was born. Complications attended the birth of this; he was the seventh child of Mary and Joseph and Jesus’ fourth brother. Mary was so very ill for several weeks that Joseph remained at home to care for her.

Jude was a difficult boy. He had the highest of ideals, but he was unstable in temperament. He had all and more of his mother’s determination and aggressiveness, but he lacked much of her sense of proportion and discretion.

As a young schoolboy, Jude’s contentious disposition and quick temper caused troubles. On various occasions, Jesus found it necessary to impose penalties for Jude’s infractions of the rules of the home. On three occasions when it was deemed wise to punish Jude for self-confessed and deliberate violations of the family rules of conduct, his punishment was fixed by the unanimous decree of the older children and Jude himself agreed to the punishment before it was inflicted.

The children were taught to follow Jesus’ plan of placating their aggressive and sometimes irate playmates by persuasion and nonresistance, and they were fairly successful. But Jude, while assenting to such teachings at home, was quick to defend himself when bullied by his comrades; in particular was Jude guilty of violating the spirit of these teachings.

Jude was a patriot and he was belligerently anti-Roman. His patriotic outbursts were often embarrassing to his brothers and to Jesus. His older brothers came to the point of wanting to cast him out of the family, but Jesus would not consent. When their patience was severely tried, Jesus would only advise: “Be patient. Be wise in your counsel and eloquent in your lives, that your young brother may first know the better way and then be constrained to follow you in it.” This wise and loving counsel of Jesus prevented a break in the family.

In later years, Jude caused trouble with his brother James because he could not settle down to work and was not dependable in doing his fair share for the family. But Jude did ultimately grow more responsible and settled down after his marriage.

In 19 CE, when Jude was 15 years old and had just graduated from the synagogue school, Jesus decided to take him on his first visit to the temple in Jerusalem for Passover as he had done with the older boys.

Because Jesus was aware of Jude’s tendency for troublemaking, they went via the Jordan Valley instead of through Samaria, where there would be more opportunities for Jude’s patriotic sentiments to be inflamed. But there was trouble, nonetheless.

Jesus and Jude arrived at Jerusalem in plenty of time and were on their way for a first visit to the temple. The very sight of the temple stirred and thrilled Jude to the depths of his soul. On their way, they happened to meet Lazarus of Bethany, Jesus' friend. Jesus and Lazarus were talking, making plans to get together for Passover dinner that night when Jude started up serious trouble for them all.

Jude got into trouble when a Roman guard made inappropriate remarks about a Jewish girl. Jude angrily confronted the soldier, resulting in his arrest. Despite Jesus' warning glance, Jude expressed his anti-Roman sentiments, worsening the situation. Jude, with Jesus by his side, was immediately taken to the military prison.

Jesus tried to secure an immediate hearing or release for Jude, but his attempts were unsuccessful due to the "holy convocation" in Jerusalem. Jude remained in confinement until the second day, with Jesus staying by his side. Jesus appeared before the military magistrate, offering apologies and explanations for Jude's actions. The magistrate understood the provocative nature of the incident and warned Jude to avoid such behavior in the future. They left the prison and went to Bethany for the night before heading to Nazareth. Jesus later had a talk with Jude about the episode, and Jude, impressed by Jesus' patience and forbearance, shared the story with the family.

Jude was not inclined to settle down to work nor was he to be depended upon for his share of the home expenses. While he would live at home, he was not conscientious about earning his share of the family's upkeep.

Before the harvest season, Jesus took Jude to stay with their farmer uncle. However, Jude didn't stay there for long and ran away. Jude’s brother, Simon, eventually found him with some fishermen by the lake. Jesus had a conversation with Jude and realized his desire to be a fisherman. He then accompanied Jude to Magdala, where he placed him under the care of a relative who was a fisherman. Jude worked diligently in fishing until he got married, and even after his marriage, he continued his career as a fisherman.

In the year that Jesus left home and started work with Zebedee in Capernaum (21 CE), Jude was sixteen. Jude’s fishing job was only a few miles from Capernaum and so he would come every other month to collect money from his elder brother for the family’s upkeep. But Jude would also frequently come over on the Sabbath to hear Jesus talk in the synagogue and would stay after to visit with him. And the more Jude saw of his eldest brother, the more he became convinced that Jesus was a truly great man.

Both Simon and Jude had for some time wanted to get married, but they didn’t want to do this without Jesus’ consent, so they had postponed these events, waiting and hoping for their eldest brother’s return from his travels. Though they all regarded James as the head of the family in most matters, but when it came to getting married, they wanted the blessing of Jesus. So Simon and Jude were married at a double wedding in early March of this year, 24 CE, a few months after Jesus returned from the Mediterranean tour. Jude was nineteen years old.

One year later, when Jesus once more returned from a long absence, Jude again began attending synagogue services when Jesus was the speaker.

Both James and Jude had talked about being baptized by John the Baptist, and they decided to talk it over with Jesus on Saturday night, January 12, 26 CE. Jesus requested that they postpone the discussion until the next day when he would give them his answer. He arranged to have lunch at noon with his brothers so he could let them know what he had decided. 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.

Just before the noon rest, Jesus went out to his brothers James and Jude, and said, “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.

John had just begun baptizing the candidates for the day. Scores of those wanting baptism were standing in line awaiting their turn when Jude, James, and Jesus took up their positions in the baptismal line.

At noon on Monday, January 14, 26 CE, John baptized Jesus and his two brothers James and Jude. As the people were departing, 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.”

Sometime later, James and Jude returned to Capernaum. Jude did not see Jesus again until February 25, 26 CE, the day after Jesus had returned from the forty-day sojourn in the wilderness. On that day, Jesus stopped at Magdala to see him.

On Tuesday, February 26, 26 CE, they all journeyed over to Cana for the wedding of Naomi, which was to take place on the following day. Since his experience at the baptism, Jude had become a firm believer in Jesus’ mission on earth. Although both James and Jude were much perplexed as to the nature of their brother’s mission, their mother encouraged her sons to have faith in their brother as the deliverer of Israel.

During the festivities, Mary was crushed when Jesus refused to agree to manifest himself as the “supernatural one,” or to give her any hope that he would perform some demonstration of his powers. Jude tried to comfort his mother, while Jesus went off by himself for a little while, returning to the wedding reception later on.

The next day, after the so-called miracle of turning the water to wine, Jesus departed very early for Capernaum with his six apostles, going away without taking leave of anyone. Jesus’ family and all his friends in Cana were very upset because he so suddenly left them, and Jude set out in search of him.

On Wednesday evening, February 27, 26 CE, Jesus and his six apostles had an important conference in the home of Zebedee and Salome in Bethsaida. Jude arrived just as they were about to separate and missed the conference. But then Jesus walked and talked with Jude, and Jude said to Jesus with much feeling: “My father-brother, I never have understood you. I do not know for certain whether you are what my mother has taught us, and I do not fully comprehend the coming kingdom, but I do know you are a mighty man of God. I heard the voice at the Jordan, and I am a believer in you, no matter who you are.” And when he had spoken, he departed, going to his own home at Magdala.

Jude and his brother James were seated with the six apostles in the Capernaum synagogue on Sabbath, March 2, 26 CE, when Jesus made his first post-baptismal public appearance. There was a lot of expectation that Jesus would do something extraordinary, but those expectations were not met. Jesus simply read from the Scriptures and then said: “Be patient and you shall see the glory of God; even so shall it be with all those who tarry with me and thus learn to do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

But later that afternoon, Jesus and his six 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. He told them to take up their regular duties and spend three hours every evening in study and preparation for further work. And he spoke at length about how they were to become his personal associates.

Jude felt that he was to be included in Jesus’ inner circle after being included for this stirring speech – but Jesus had other plans.

After preaching the sermon on “The Kingdom” on June, 22, 26 CE, 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 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.

Six months later, in January 27 CE, when Jesus and the apostles began their public work/Event/Beginning the Public Work], Jude’s hurt feelings kept him from even saying goodbye.

This failure to include James and Jude among the chosen few, together with his apparent aloofness from his mother ever since the experience at [Cana/Location], was the starting point of an ever-widening gulf between Jesus and his 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.

A year later, on the Sunday afternoon following the [healing at sundown/Event/The Healing at Sundown], in January 28 CE, Jude sought out his brother James and insisted that they go to see Jesus. But by the time James consented to go with Jude, Jesus had already departed with his apostles, and they did not see him.

There were two more meetings with Jesus that were doomed for failure. One was supposed to happen on May 22, 29 CE at the home of Zebedee in Bethsaida. Jude had expected to meet Jesus, take him aside, and urge him to go home with him and the rest of the family. They had thought to assure him that they would forget his neglect of them – they would forgive and forget – if he would only give up the foolishness of trying to preach a new religion that could bring only trouble to himself and dishonor upon his family.

By this time, Jude still retained much of his faith in Jesus, but he had permitted the pride of his hurt feelings to interfere with his better judgment. In any event, the meeting never happened because of unforeseen circumstances.

Later that year, Jesus arranged through the messengers of David to go over to Capernaum on Sunday, August 7, for the express purpose of meeting his family at Zebedee’s boatshop. David Zebedee had arranged with Jude for the presence of the entire Nazareth family but the authorities got wind of the meeting and camped out on Mary’s doorstep in case Jesus might be visiting. Jude and Ruth tried to divert their attention, but it was to no avail. And so again, through no one’s fault, Jesus and his earth family failed to make contact.

And by the time Jude finally got to see Jesus again, he had been nailed to the cross.

Through David Zebedee's messenger service, Jude and the rest of Jesus’ family learned that Jesus was in trouble. Shortly after daylight, April 7, 30 CE Jude arrived in the Gethsemane camp, almost breathless and ahead of the rest of Jesus’ family, only to learn that the Master had already been placed under arrest. He hurried back down the Jericho road to carry this information to his mother and to his brothers and sisters. David Zebedee sent word to Jesus’ family, by Jude, to gather at the house of Martha and Mary in Bethany and there await news which his messengers would regularly bring them.

When Mary, mother of Jesus, started out from Bethany with John to go to her son, his sister Ruth refused to remain behind with the rest of the family. Since she was determined to accompany her mother, Jude went with her. These four arrived at Golgotha just after Jesus had been hoisted to his position on the cross, and just as the captain was nailing the title above the Master’s head.

When the Master finally breathed his last breath, Jude was present at the foot of his cross along with John Zebedee, his sister Ruth, Mary Magdalene, and Rebecca of Sepphoris.