Jesus-James (Brother of Jesus) 

James - Jesus’ first sibling - was born in the early morning hours of April 2, 3 BCE. Jesus was thrilled by the thought of having a baby brother, and he would stand around by the hour just to observe the baby’s early activities. He greatly enjoyed his little brother and was a big help to Mary in his care.

As James got old enough to help around the house, Jesus would go with Joseph on his jobs in the surrounding towns. Jesus and James got along together and the brothers delighted to play together in the family carpenter shop. By the time James was about 4 years old, Jesus began teaching him the alphabet.

When Joseph was unexpectedly killed in a construction accident in September of 8 CE, James was just ten years old. He went with his mother to the accident site in Sepphoris to see what they could do, but Joseph passed away before they could get there. So they brought him home for burial and the next day he was laid to rest. From this time on, Jesus, then 14 years old, became father and brother to James.

When James was eleven years old, Mary turned over the sale of doves from her dovecote to James so that he could be of help with the family’s dwindling finances. By this time, Jesus was spending a lot of time working at home to keep the family afloat, so he began sending James up to the camel lot to gather information about world events, and thus he sought to keep in touch with the news of the day.

But it wasn’t all work. In that same year, after a walk up the Nazareth hill with James, he and Jesus wrote out the Ten Commandments in Greek on two smooth boards in charcoal. Subsequently Martha colored and decorated these boards, and for a long time they hung on the wall over James’s small workbench.

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.

This year, 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. Fortunately he had plenty of work; And at times he had so much to do that James would help him with that as well.

But Jesus was a real though youthful father to the family; he spent every possible hour with the youngsters, and they truly loved him.

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. Jesus’ position was made more difficult because his mother and uncle, and even James, all urged him to join the nationalist cause.

But Jesus could not agree, and he told all of them that his obligations to his family prevented him from joining such a cause, which would take him away from them. A stranger offered to support the family financially, but Jesus stated that even if that happened, his family still would need his watchcare and day-to-day guidance. Many agreed and thought that he was doing the right thing to choose his family first, but not all.

At a public meeting of all concerned, James was able to help.

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 at school this year (11 CE) 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 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 repair shop 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 Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Their father, Simon, had been laid to rest with his fathers, and Jesus presided over this household as the head of the Passover family, having brought the paschal lamb from the temple.

After the Passover supper Mary sat down to talk with James while Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus talked together far into the night. 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.”

On Saturday afternoon, December 3, 12 CE, little Amos, their baby brother, died after a week’s illness with a high fever.

James had not yet begun to earn much, and the expenses of a funeral on top of everything else staggered them. But Jesus would only say to his anxious and grieving mother: “Mother-Mary, sorrow will not help us; we are all doing our best, and mother’s smile, perchance, might even inspire us to do better. Day by day we are strengthened for these tasks by our hope of better days ahead.” His sturdy and practical optimism was truly contagious; all the children lived in an atmosphere of anticipation of better times and better things. And this hopeful courage contributed mightily to the development of strong and noble characters, in spite of the depressiveness of their poverty.

James and Simon grew up trying to follow Jesus’ plan of placating their bellicose and sometimes irate playmates by persuasion and nonresistance, and they were fairly successful.

James was growing up to be a well-balanced and even-tempered youth, but he was not as spiritually inclined as Jesus. He was a much better student than Joseph, who, while a faithful worker, was even less spiritually minded.

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 smith.

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 co-operation 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’s 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. He had begun the slow process of weaning his family. Each Sabbath Jesus returned to Nazareth, and sometimes during the week when occasion required, to observe the working of the new plan, to give advice and offer helpful suggestions.

The moral standards of this home city of Herod Antipas were so far below those of even the caravan city of Nazareth that after six months’ sojourn at Sepphoris Jesus wanted to find an excuse for returning to Nazareth. The group he worked for were to become engaged on public work in both Sepphoris and the new city of Tiberias, and Jesus didn’t want to have anything to do with any sort of employment under the supervision of Herod Antipas. And there were still other reasons that prompted Jesus to go back to Nazareth. When he returned to the repair shop he worked in association with James at the 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.

It was by just such wise and thoughtful planning that Jesus prepared the way for his eventual withdrawal from active participation in the affairs of his family. 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.

By the end of 17 CE the Nazareth home was running fairly smoothly. The children were growing up, and Mary was becoming accustomed to Jesus’ being away from home. He continued to turn over his earnings to James for the support of the family, retaining only a small portion for his immediate personal expenses.

This was Jesus’ first year of comparative freedom from family responsibility. 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 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’s marriage two years later, provided he had, during the intervening time, properly trained Joseph to assume direction of the home.

This year Jesus enjoyed more than usual leisure, and he devoted much time to training James in the management of the repair shop and Joseph in the direction of home affairs.

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

For years, James had trouble with Jude, his youngest brother, who 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 upkeep.

Jesus was a man of peace, and he was often embarrassed by Jude’s belligerent exploits and numerous patriotic outbursts. James and Joseph were in favor of casting him out, but Jesus would not consent. When their patience would be severely tried, Jesus would only counsel: “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.” The wise and loving counsel of Jesus prevented a break in the family; they remained together. But Jude never was brought to his sober senses until after his marriage.

James and his bride, Esta, moved into a neat little home on the west side of town, the gift of her father. While James continued his support of his mother’s home, his quota was cut in half because of his marriage, and Joseph was formally installed by Jesus as head of the family. Jude was now very faithfully sending his share of funds home each month. The weddings of James and Miriam had a very beneficial influence on Jude, and when he left for the fishing grounds, the day after the double wedding, he assured Joseph that he could depend on him “to do my full duty, and more if it is needed.” And he kept his promise.

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. He returned to Nazareth in October to attend Martha’s wedding, and he was not again in Nazareth for over two years, when he returned shortly before the double wedding of Simon and Jude.

When the family at Nazareth heard that Jesus had departed from Capernaum, not knowing of this financial arrangement with John, they believed the time had come for them to get along without any further help from Jesus. James remembered his contract with Jesus and, with the help of his brothers, assumed full responsibility for the care of the family.

In December of CE 23, Jesus returned from his Mediterranean travels and he went to Nazareth, stopping only a few hours at Capernaum, where he paused to call on Zebedee’s family. There he met his brother James, who had previously come over to work in his place in Zebedee’s boatshop. After talking with James and Jude (who also chanced to be in Capernaum) and after turning over to his brother James the little house which John Zebedee had managed to buy, Jesus went on to Nazareth, where he visited for a few weeks.

About the time Jesus was preparing to leave Nazareth again, the conductor of a large caravan which was passing through the city was taken violently ill, and Jesus, being a linguist, volunteered to take his place. Since this trip would necessitate his absence for a year, and inasmuch as all his brothers were married and his mother was living at home with Ruth, 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.

On his return, Jesus journeyed on with the caravan train to Capernaum, arriving the first of April, CE 25. No longer did he regard Nazareth as his home. Capernaum had become the home of Jesus, James, Mary, and Ruth. But Jesus never again lived with his family; when in Capernaum he made his home with the Zebedees.

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 slept very little that night, being in close communion with the Father in heaven. 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.

John had just begun baptizing the candidates for the day. Scores of those wanting baptism were standing in line awaiting their turn when Jesus and his two brothers took up their positions in this line of earnest men and women who had become believers in John’s preaching of the coming kingdom. John was day by day expecting to see Jesus arrive on the scene, but he had not expected to greet him in the line of baptismal candidates.

Being engrossed with the details of rapidly baptizing such a large number of converts, John did not look up to see Jesus until the Son of Man stood in his immediate presence. When John recognized Jesus, the ceremonies were halted for a moment while he greeted his cousin in the flesh and asked, “But why do you come down into the water to greet me?” And Jesus answered, “To be subject to your baptism.” John replied: “But I have need to be baptized by you. Why do you come to me?” And Jesus whispered to John: “Bear with me now, for it becomes us to set this example for my brothers standing here with me, and that the people may know that my hour has come.”

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.

When Jesus returned from the forty days in February 26 CE, he immediately proceeded to choose his first six apostles. And they all planned to attend the wedding of Naomi in Cana. His mother and his brothers James and Jude were also to attend the wedding.

James had become a firm believer in Jesus’ mission on earth. Although both he and Jude were confused as to the nature of their brother’s mission, their mother had resurrected all her early hopes of Jesus as the Messiah, the son of David, and she encouraged her sons to have faith in their brother as the deliverer of Israel.

Mary was thrilled with expectations about the wedding. She anticipated that the promise of Gabriel was nearing fulfillment. She expected all Palestine soon to be startled and stunned by the miraculous revelation of her son as the supernatural king of the Jews. But to all of the many questions which his mother, James, Jude, and Zebedee asked, Jesus only smilingly replied: “It is better that I tarry here for a while; I must do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Early in the afternoon, Mary summoned James and together they made bold to approach Jesus to inquire if he would admit them to his confidence to the extent of informing them at what hour and at what point in connection with the wedding ceremonies he had planned to manifest himself as the “supernatural one.” No sooner had they spoken of these matters to Jesus than they saw they had said the wrong thing. He was somewhat indignant when he replied: “If you love me, then be willing to tarry with me while I wait upon the will of my Father who is in heaven.” But the eloquence of his rebuke lay in the expression of his face.

For several hours, Mary was very depressed. She said to James: “I cannot understand him; what can it all mean? Is there no end to his strange conduct?” James and Jude tried to comfort their mother, while Jesus withdrew for an hour’s solitude. But he returned to the gathering and was once more lighthearted and joyous.

The following day—after the so-called miracle of the water to wine—Jesus and his six apostles left for Capernaum without telling anyone or saying goodbye. This caused his family to be very upset.

Jesus’ first public appearance following his baptism was in the Capernaum synagogue on Sabbath, March 2, CE 26. The synagogue was crowded to overflowing. The story of the baptism in the Jordan along with the news from Cana about the water and the wine had made everyone very interested in Jesus. Jesus gave seats of honor to his six apostles, and seated with them were his brothers in the flesh James and Jude. The entire audience was on edge; they expected to behold some extraordinary manifestation of supernatural power which would be a fitting testimony to the nature and authority of him who was that day to speak to them. But they were destined to disappointment. Jesus merely read from the Scripture and said to the congregation: “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.”

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. And they understood more than they had on Thursday night.

Jesus instructed them to take up their regular duties until “the hour of the kingdom comes.” And to encourage them, he set an example by going back regularly to work in the boatshop. In explaining that they should spend three hours every evening in study and preparation for their future work, Jesus further said: “We will all remain hereabout until the Father bids me call you. Each of you must now return to his accustomed work just as if nothing had happened. Tell no man about me and remember that my kingdom is not to come with noise and glamor, but rather must it come through the great change which my Father will have wrought in your hearts and in the hearts of those who shall be called to join you in the councils of the kingdom. You are now my friends; I trust you and I love you; you are soon to become my personal associates. Be patient, be gentle. Be ever obedient to the Father’s will. Make yourselves ready for the call of the kingdom. While you will experience great joy in the service of my Father, you should also be prepared for trouble, for I warn you that it will be only through much tribulation that many will enter the kingdom. But those who have found the kingdom, their joy will be full, and they shall be called the blest of all the earth. But do not entertain false hope; the world will stumble at my words. Even you, my friends, do not fully perceive what I am unfolding to your confused minds. Make no mistake; we go forth to labor for a generation of sign seekers. They will demand wonder-working as the proof that I am sent by my Father, and they will be slow to recognize in the revelation of my Father’s love the credentials of my mission.”

That evening, when they had returned to the land, before they went their way, Jesus, standing by the water’s edge, prayed: “My Father, I thank you for these little ones who, in spite of their doubts, even now believe. And for their sakes have I set myself apart to do your will. And now may they learn to be one, even as we are one.”

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.

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 failure to include James and Jude among the chosen few, together with his apparent distance from his mother ever since the experience at Cana, 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.

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.

May 22, 29 CE was an eventful day in the life of Jesus. On this Sunday morning, before daybreak, one of David’s messengers arrived in great haste from Tiberias, bringing the word that Herod had authorized, or was about to authorize, the arrest of Jesus by the officers of the Sanhedrin. When the sister-in-law of Jude (Jesus’ brother) heard this alarming report, she quickly sent word to all of Jesus’ family who were living nearby, summoning them to assemble at Zebedee’s house. And in response to this hasty call, presently there were assembled Mary, James, Joseph, Jude, and Ruth.

It was about eight o’clock on this Sunday morning when these five members of Jesus’ earth family arrived on the scene.

Jude and James, and even Joseph, still retained much of their faith in Jesus, but they had permitted pride to interfere with their better judgment and real spiritual inclinations. Mary was likewise torn between love and fear, between mother love and family pride. Though she was harassed by doubts, she could never quite forget the visit of Gabriel before Jesus was born. The Pharisees had been talking to her, trying to persuade Mary that Jesus was losing his mind. They urged her to go with her sons and seek to talk him out of any further efforts at public teaching. They assured Mary that soon Jesus’ health would break, and that only dishonor and disgrace could come upon the entire family as a result of allowing him to go on. And so, when the word came from Jude’s sister-in-law, all five of them started at once for Zebedee’s house, having been together at Mary’s home, where they had met with the Pharisees the evening before. They had talked with the Jerusalem leaders long into the night, and all were more or less convinced that Jesus was acting strangely, that he had acted strangely for some time.

On the way to Zebedee’s house they talked these things over and agreed among themselves to try to persuade Jesus to come home with them, for, said Mary: “I know I could influence my son if he would only come home and listen to me.” James and Jude had heard rumors concerning the plans to arrest Jesus and take him to Jerusalem for trial. They also feared for their own safety. As long as Jesus was a popular figure in the public eye, his family allowed matters to drift along, but now that the people of Capernaum and the leaders at Jerusalem had suddenly turned against him, they began keenly to feel the pressure of the supposed disgrace of their embarrassing position.

The meeting never took place that day, due to the fact that Jesus had to make a quick exit when the apostles feared that the authorities were coming through the back door. But he did say to David Zebedee as he entered the boat: “Tell my mother and my brothers that I appreciate their coming, and that I intended to see them. Admonish them to find no offense in me but rather to seek for a knowledge of the will of God and for grace and courage to do that will.”

It is forever true that all who may think they are misunderstood or not appreciated have in Jesus a sympathizing friend and an understanding counselor. He had warned his apostles that a man’s foes may be they of his own household, but he had hardly realized how near this prediction would come to apply to his own experience. Jesus did not forsake his earth family to do his Father’s work — they forsook him. Later on, after the Master’s death and resurrection, when James became connected with the early Christian movement, he suffered immeasurably as a result of his failure to enjoy this earlier association with Jesus and his disciples.

When Mary the mother of Jesus started out with John to go to see her son, his sister Ruth refused to remain behind with the rest of the family. Since she was determined to accompany her mother, her brother Jude went with her. The rest of the Master’s family remained in Bethany under the direction of James, and almost every hour the messengers of David Zebedee brought them reports concerning the progress of that terrible business of putting to death their eldest brother, Jesus of Nazareth.

The third appearance occurred about noon on this Sunday at Bethany. Shortly after noon, Jesus’ oldest brother, James, was standing in the garden of Lazarus before the empty tomb of the resurrected brother of Martha and Mary, 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. James now announced that he would not return to Galilee, and David exclaimed: “He is seen not only by excited women; even stronghearted men have begun to see him. I expect to see him myself.”

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.

The fourth appearance of Jesus to mortal recognition occurred shortly before two o'clock in this very home of Martha and Mary, when he appeared visibly before his earthly family and their friends, twenty in all. The Master appeared in the open back door, saying: "Peace be upon you. Greetings to those once near me in the flesh and fellowship for my brothers and sisters in the kingdom of heaven. How could you doubt? Why have you lingered so long before choosing to follow the light of truth with a whole heart? Come, therefore, all of you into the fellowship of the Spirit of Truth in the Father's kingdom." As they began to recover from the first shock of their amazement and to move toward him as if to embrace him, he vanished from their sight.

In about one week from this time John Zebedee took Mary the mother of Jesus to his home in Bethsaida. And James, Jesus’ eldest brother, remained with his family in Jerusalem.

Acting upon the instruction of Peter, John Mark and others, on Pentecost, May 18, 30 CE, went forth to call the leading disciples together at the home of Mary Mark. By ten thirty, one hundred and twenty of the foremost disciples of Jesus living in Jerusalem had gathered to hear the report of the farewell message of the Master and to learn of his ascension. James, the brother of Jesus, was also present at this meeting, the first conference of the Master’s disciples to be called after the termination of his planetary career.