Did Jesus have brothers and sisters (siblings)?
Jesus’ brothers are mentioned in several Bible verses. Matthew 12:46, Luke 8:19, and Mark 3:31 say that Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him. The Bible tells us that Jesus had four brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55). The Bible also tells us that Jesus had sisters, but they are not named or numbered (Matthew 13:56). In John 7:1-10, His brothers go on to the festival while Jesus stays behind. In Acts 1:14, His brothers and mother are described as praying with the disciples. Galatians 1:19 mentions that James was Jesus’ brother. The most natural conclusion of these passages is to interpret that Jesus had actual blood half-siblings.Yes, according to the New Testament, Jesus had siblings. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention Jesus’ brothers and sisters.
In Matthew 13:55-56, the people of Nazareth refer to Jesus’ family: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us?”
Mark 6:3 similarly states: “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?”
These passages suggest that Jesus had at least four brothers and an unspecified number of sisters.
The exact nature of these relationships has been the subject of theological debate. Some interpretations, particularly within the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, hold that these “brothers” and “sisters” were either cousins or Joseph’s children from a previous marriage, maintaining the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary. Others, especially within Protestant traditions, accept the plain reading of the text that these were Jesus’ half-siblings, children of Mary and Joseph.