| Did Mary the mother of Jesus the Christ |
Created Date: 12-Sep-2016 |
| have other Children? Yes |
Last updated: 2-Jun-2021 |
| A A A help |
Rhetorically, would God have told Mary and Joseph:
There is no place in the scriptures that state that Mary could no longer have sexual relations and no place in the scriptures that state Joseph and Mary could not have a normal marriage with all of the benefits that make marriage fruitful and happy.
The scriptures inform us that after Jesus Christ's birth, Joseph and Mary had four sons and at least two daughters.
In Mark 6, Jesus Christ is teaching on the Sabbath and people were astonished by His Wisdom along with Miracles before taking offense at him. In Mark 6:3:
| Mark 6:3 | Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. |
Therefore, we learn that Jesus had:
Note that the brothers and sisters were from the earthly father Joseph and not through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, preexisted all of humankind in the world, where the scriptures are simply stating that God allowed Joseph and Mary to have children.
The question is why is there a belief that Jesus Christ was supposedly an only child, when the scriptures point out that He did have what we would call step brothers and step sisters? Much of the misunderstanding is because of Matthew 1:25 discussing Joseph's relationship with Mary and also because of John 19:26-27 where Jesus consigns His mother to one of the Disciples.
| Matthew 1:25 | And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus. |
| John 19:26-27 | 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. |
Notice these points concerning both of these scriptures:
Notice also in Luke 2:7, it describes Jesus as the firstborn and it does not say her only child.
| Luke 2:7 | And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. |
One of constructive criticisms by Believers who have been leaving Denominational Christian Faiths for Non-Denominational Churches, is the roles of Traditions having doctrinal value. In several very well-known Christian Denominations, there have been:
This is not meant to sound like "Double Talk", but there have been centuries of beliefs based on something that is against the scriptures, which is the Word of God. Regarding point #2, a well-known Roman Catholic Tradition that at one-time was taught to have severe consequences, was if a person ate meat on Friday during Lent, then that person was in danger of going to hell, which has been removed as supposed consequence.
If God chose to give the gift of celibacy to both Mary and Joseph because of Jesus Christ then that is God's prerogative, but the Scriptures do not support this conclusion. A good friend of this author, said "if I were a betting man, then I would say God would not withhold the gift of sexual relations from a married couple such as Joseph and Mary". To add on to this, the desires of the Jewish Parent of that period time in the world history was to have as many children as possible as they felt it is a gift of the Lord.
| Psalm 127:3-5 | Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. |
There are many scriptures that state that Mary had other children:
| John 2:12 | After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and His mother, and His Brothers, and His disciples: and they continued there not many days. |
| Matthew 12:46-50 | 46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” |
| Mark 3:31-35 | 31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” 33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother. |
| Luke 8:19-21 | 19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.” 21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. |
| John 7:3-5 | 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him. |
| Acts 1:14 | They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. |
After Pentecost, Paul wrote:
| 1 Corinthians 9:5 | Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? |
| Acts 12:17 | But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place. |
| Acts 15:13 | And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: |
This is confirmed in Galatians:
| Galatians 1:18-19 | 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. |
There is many Biblical Commentators who believe that the Epistle of Jude, whom identifies himself a brother of James in Jude 1:1 "brother of James" in one of Jesus' brothers. Supposition is Jude identifies himself with his earthly brother in reverence to the Lord.
| Jude 1:1 | 1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: |
The Psalms have many references that point to the Messiah and we can learn about Jesus Christ through them. In Psalm 69, a messianic Psalm, it speaks about the childhood of the Messiah where He is treated as a stranger to His own brothers and sisters. The people in Bethlehem, make fun of Jesus Christ as boy, where they call Him illegitimate, even though He had the greatest Father who is God.
| Psalm 69:7-8 | 7 For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. 8 I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother’s children; |
| Psalm 69:10-12 | 10 When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn; 11 when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me. 12 Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards. |
What to read next?
1. Should Mary be Venerated? 2 Risen - 4 Gospels and is there a discrepancy on Easter? 3 Flood ends where the next day is the first day on the new earth and it is the same day as Christ's Resurrection 4. Day of the week Jesus is Crucified (It was not Friday)