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Biblical People

Biblical People: James (3), the Brother of Jesus

We know Jesus has several brothers and sisters—half-brothers and sisters, sharing Mary as their mother. Remember, Jesus is the son of Mary and the Holy Spirit—God is his father—while his siblings are the offspring of Mary and Joseph.

One of Jesus’s half-brothers is James. We don’t read much about James during Jesus’s lifetime, but a couple of accounts incriminate James.

First, John writes that even Jesus’s own brothers don’t believe him. That would include James.

Another time, the crowd keeps Jesus so busy that he can’t even eat. His family hears about it and comes to get him. They think he’s out of his mind, and they seek an intervention.

Though Jesus’s family, including James, is well-intended, they’re also misguided. They see things from a human perspective, while Jesus holds a spiritual understanding. 

So, James, as part of Jesus’s family, doesn’t believe him and tries to pull him away from his mission.

However, we later see Paul affirming Jesus’s brother James as an apostle. And in Acts we see James leading the discussion about Gentile believers and determining how the church should move forward. That’s quite a transformation.

James starts out doubting his brother Jesus and ends up leading his followers.

Do we accept that others can change, or do we view them according to their past?

[Discover more about James in Matthew 13:55, Mark 3:21, Mark 6:3, John 7:2–5, Acts 15:12–21, and Galatians 1:19.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: The Rich Young Ruler

A young man, a rich ruler, rushes up to Jesus. The man asks what he must do to get into heaven. He’s looking for the one step he’s missing. 

“Keep the commandments,” Jesus says.

“Which ones?”

Jesus starts reeling off the Ten Commandments.

“Yep, I’ve kept every one of them since I was little,” the man insists.

Then Jesus gets to the heart of the man’s issues. “Only one thing remains,” Jesus says. “Liquidate your assets and give away everything. Only then will heaven be what you value most. Then follow me.”

The man’s devastated. He expected Jesus would affirm him for his diligent obedience to the Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments. 

That’s not how Jesus sees it. Jesus sees a man who values his wealth, but his money is getting in the way of eternity. Jesus doesn’t want people who rely on their money to follow him. He wants people who will rely on him more than anything else.

What this man seeks is confirmation that he’s doing everything required. Instead Jesus offers correction. 

What corrections is Jesus giving us? Which of our priorities is wrong and getting in our way of following Jesus?

[Discover more about this young man in Matthew 19:16–22, Mark 10:17–31, and Luke 18:18–30.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus is a tax collector in Jericho. But he’s not just a tax collector. Luke says Zacchaeus is a chief tax collector. This likely means he’s the manager of tax collectors or their leader, possibly skimming off the taxes they take in.

Lest there be any doubt, Luke adds that he’s wealthy. Oh, there’s one more detail about Zacchaeus. He’s short.

Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus, but he can’t push his way through the crowd or see over all the taller people in front of him. Desperate to get a glimpse of Jesus, he has an idea. He runs down the road and scampers up a tree, a sycamore-fig tree.

Jesus approaches, and when he gets to the tree, he looks up. “Quick! Come down, Zacchaeus. I’m going to hang out with you at your house—today.”

Zacchaeus climbs down and meets Jesus, welcoming him with gladness.

Though Zacchaeus is happy, the people aren’t. Maybe they’re jealous. They complain about Jesus planning to visit the home of a notorious man, a “sinner.”

To prove that he’s a changed man, Zacchaeus makes a bold pledge. “I’m going to give away half of everything I own to help poor people. And if I cheated anyone on their taxes, I’ll reimburse them fourfold.”

Jesus responds with the most astonishing promise, that Zacchaeus and his whole family are now saved.

What are we willing to do to show Jesus how much we love him? Though this may involve money, it could involve our time, priorities, or future.

[Discover more about Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1–10.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Jairus

Jairus is a leader at the local synagogue. His twelve-year-old daughter is dying. He comes to Jesus and begs him to heal his little girl. Jesus agrees. However, he’s delayed along the way when he stops to heal a woman with chronic bleeding. 

Then word comes to Jairus that it’s too late. His daughter is dead.

Jesus ignores their words and tells Jairus to just believe. Apparently Jairus does.

When Jesus arrives at Jairus’s house, the mourning for his daughter’s passing is already under way. Dismissing the crowd, he leads her parents and three disciples to her body.

He takes the dead girl’s hand and tells her to get up. Much to everyone’s shock, she does. Then she walks around, very much alive.

We don’t know what this girl experienced in the spiritual realm when she was dead or what her life in the physical realm was like afterwards.

But she must certainly have lived with an appreciation for her father’s strong faith and the knowledge that her second chance at life is because of Jesus’s power over death.

The deep, unwavering faith of Jairus believes Jesus can heal his daughter. But Jesus does more. He provides the ultimate healing when he restores life into her lifeless body. 

Do we have the kind of faith that raises the dead?

[Discover more about Jairus in Mark 5:22–42 and Luke 8:40–56.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Four Friends of the Paralyzed Man

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all share a story about a paralyzed man whom Jesus heals. The man is the center of the story, but he plays a passive role. The only thing he does occurs after Jesus heals him, when he gets up and walks home.

The active participants in the story are the paralyzed man’s four friends. Here’s what happens.

When Jesus comes to town, the four friends believe that he can heal their paralyzed buddy. They act. They load him on a stretcher and carry him to the healer. But they can’t reach Jesus. There are too many people, both inside the house and blocking the door. The simple response is to simply wait for Jesus to leave and ask for his help then. But they don’t want to wait. They’re desperate to help their friend walk. They lug him to the rooftop, make an opening, and lower him inside, right in front of Jesus. He sees their faith—not the faith of the paralyzed man.

What does Jesus do? He forgives the man for his mistakes. Though everyone thinks the man’s greatest need is for his legs to work, Jesus knows better. He offers forgiveness instead. 

The religious leaders are aghast. “Who is this arrogant man who thinks he can forgive sins?” they think.

Reading their minds, Jesus asks, “What’s easier, to forgive someone or heal him?” To prove he can do both, he says, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”

The man does. The crowd buzzes in awe. They praise God.

The paralyzed man receives both forgiveness and healing through Jesus, not because of anything the man did, but because of his friends. They act. They bring him to Jesus, have faith, and persist in reaching him. What if they had encountered the crowds, given up, and gone home?

Do we take a passive role in life like the paralyzed man or take action like his four friends?

[Discover more about the paralyzed man and his friends in Matthew 9:2–8, Mark 2:1–12, and Luke 5:18–26.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Centurion (1)

A centurion, a leader of one hundred soldiers in the Roman army, comes to Jesus for help. “My servant can’t move,” he says, “and is in great agony.” The centurion doesn’t ask Jesus to heal his servant.

Jesus asks him pointedly, “Do you want me to come and heal him?”

We expect the Centurion to answer just as directly and say, “Yes!” But he doesn’t. Instead he says, “I’m not worthy for you to enter my house.”

Then he launches into an explanation about what he expects. “I’m a man under authority and who has authority. I tell my men what to do, and they do it.” By implication the Centurion sees Jesus as having spiritual authority, able to just say the word and to heal the servant.

The Centurion’s faith amazes Jesus, a faith greater than anyone he has met among his own people. Jesus then launches into a teaching about who’s in and who’s out in the kingdom of heaven. It’s not what anyone anticipates, but Jesus seldom says or does what people expect.

After teaching about authority, faith, and salvation, Jesus turns to the centurion. “Go home. What you believed for has happened.”

The servant is healed right then.

Later, after Jesus dies and rises from the dead, he gives his disciples all authority to overcome the power of the enemy—the same authority he used to heal the centurion’s servant.

When Jesus gives his disciples all authority, how do we understand that? Do we have that authority today?

[Discover more about the centurion in Matthew 8:5–13 and Luke 7:1–10. Read about Jesus giving his disciples his authority in Luke 10:19.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Nathanael

We’ve covered thirteen of Jesus’s twelve disciples. Though not listed as one of the twelve, there is another follower of Jesus and a disciple. His name is Nathanael. 

When Jesus invites Philip to “follow me,” Philip goes and finds his good buddy, Nathanael.

“We found the one the prophets wrote about,” Philip says. “His name is Jesus. He’s from Nazareth.”

“Nazareth!” Nathanael scoffs. “There’s nothing good there.”

“Come and check it out,” Philip says. And they head off to find Jesus.

As they approach, Jesus says, “Now here’s a true and honest Israelite.”

“How can you possibly know me?” Nathanael asks.

“I saw you standing under the fig tree, before Philip came to tell you about me,” Jesus says.

Nathanael’s in awe. “Rabbi,” he says, “surely you’re the son of God, our king.”

I imagine Jesus smiling as he replies. “You believe in me simply because I saw you under the fig tree? You’ll see much more than that. Later, you’ll see heaven open. Angels will descend and ascend from the Son of Man.”

Nathanael follows Jesus and believes in him. Jesus promises that Nathanael will see amazing things. For this to happen, Nathanael will need to stick around. Though Nathanael may not be one of the twelve disciples, as Philip is, Nathanael is a follower of Jesus and witness to what he does.

How often do we wish we had a higher standing in church or ministry? Do we let that disappointment discourage us? Or do we push it aside and press on?

[Discover more about Nathanael in John 1:43–51.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Judas (1) Iscariot

Last on our list of twelve disciples is the notorious one. His name is Judas, often called Judas Iscariot. His father is Simon (7) Iscariot. 

We know Judas for his betrayal of Jesus. Some passages in the Bible call him a traitor. That’s a more fitting term. He agrees to turn on Jesus and help the religious authorities arrest him. He does this for thirty pieces of silver. Money matters more to him than loyalty.

Judas also serves as treasurer for Team Jesus. And he is a dishonest one, often skimming funds from the community purse for his personal use. Though he sometimes pretends to care about the needs of the poor, his motives are selfish.

This is because each time they give money to the poor, the balance in their fund drops, making it harder for Judas to steal from what is left.

Later, when Jesus eats the Passover meal with his disciples, he says that one of them will turn him in. When they wonder who, Jesus says it’s the one he’ll give the bread to. He dips the bread into something and hands it to Judas.

Then Jesus tells Judas to “go do it quickly.” The disciples miss this and assume Jesus is telling Judas to give money to the poor. Instead Judas leaves to lead the mob to arrest Jesus.

After Jesus is executed, grief overcomes Judas from the results of his actions. He hangs himself in remorse.

Had Judas not killed himself, might Jesus have offered mercy and restored him into right relationship with the group just like he did for Peter?

We serve a God who offers second chances, but do we forget that? Do we ever take God’s second chances for granted?

[Discover more about Judas in Matthew 10:2–4, Matthew 27:1–10, John 12:4–6, and John 13:18–30.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Thaddaeus and Judas (3) the Son of James (4)

Next we’ll consider two more disciples in tandem. They’re Thaddaeus and Judas, the son of James. What makes them unique is that they didn’t make all four of the lists of disciples. Instead, they’re each referred to twice—not four times like Bartholomew, James, Simon, and the rest of the group.

Matthew and Mark both mention Thaddaeus as one of the twelve disciples. However, Luke omits Thaddaeus in both his books (Luke and Acts). Instead he includes Judas, the son of James, who Matthew and Mark both omit.

Why the difference?

We’re left to wonder why the Bible has this discrepancy. It could be that Mark got it wrong and Matthew copied him. (Some Bible scholars believe the book of Mark was written first, and Matthew based his on it.)

Or it could be that Luke got the names wrong when he researched and wrote about Jesus and the early church.

Another possibility is that Thaddaeus starts out as a disciple but then leaves, with Judas, son of James, taking over. 

A third explanation is that twelve isn’t a literal number but figurative. It could be there are twelve disciples, perhaps thirteen, or maybe even more.

A fourth option is that Jesus’s band of twelve is a dynamic group with people coming and going. Therefore, the roster changes over time.

Regardless, the Bible says that both Thaddaeus and Judas, son of James, are disciples. Let’s celebrate them as such.

How do we react when our name is omitted from a list of people serving Jesus or someone else’s name is inserted for the work we did?

[Discover more about Thaddaeus in Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18. Read about Judas the Son of James in Luke 6:16, and Acts 1:13.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Bartholomew, James (2), and Simon (2)

For the next three disciples, we’ll cover them together. You’ll see why in a bit. They are Bartholomew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot. 

These three disciples only appear four times in the Bible. Each time they’re in a roster of the twelve disciples. Aside from being listed as one of the Twelve, they do nothing noteworthy that Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John feel they need to share—at least not explicitly.

However, right after Matthew shares the names of the twelve disciples, Jesus sends all twelve out on mission trips. He instructs them to tell other Jews that the kingdom of heaven is near.

As they do this, they are to heal sick people, resurrect the dead, remove people’s leprosy, and cast out demons. Whether we understand demon possession as a spiritual condition or as first century man’s understanding of mental illness doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that the disciples deal with it.

It’s one thing to tell other people about Jesus, but to also heal them is even more mind-boggling. Yet Jesus has prepared them to do both or he wouldn’t have sent them. They know his message. And through his power they supernaturally heal people.

This applies to all twelve disciples, including Bartholomew, James, and Simon. 

They preach, and they heal.

Though the things this trio does—either good or bad—aren’t detailed in the Bible, they do help advance Jesus’s kingdom.

Will we be faithful to God’s call even if we don’t receive recognition for the work we do?

[Discover more about Bartholomew, James Son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot in Matthew 10:2–4, Mark 3:16–20, Luke 6:14–16, and Acts 1:13.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.