Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that, when Jesus spoke of His disciples as His brothers (in passages such as Matthew 12:46-50, or Matthew 28:10, for example), He was either emphasizing the common humanity that He shared with them, or the fact that both He and they were all seeking to serve God as their heavenly Father (although, of course, with respect to Jesus' nativity, God was His literal Father, as well).

When He addressed His disciples as children (as in John 13:33, for example), He was speaking to them from a higher plane in regard to an experience or attribute of which they could not partake (such as His forthcoming suffering and death for the sins of the world); or as individuals who had not yet reached their full spiritual maturity, and whom He would continue to instruct and train; or as individuals whom He (as God) loved and cared for in the way that a human father does for his children.

August 29 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Varghese Purakkat

Jesus has two aspects blended in one person: Jesus as the son of man and Jesus as the God aspect of the Trinity. When he addresses the disciples as brothers Jesus' son of man aspect is manifested. Likewise when He addresses his disciples as children it is Jesus the son of God who speaks there. The Lord Himself is Jesus and the idea has clearly been expressed by Jesus Himself elsewhere in the Bible. That He was there in God when the creation process was taken up. (John 8:56-58).

Jesus said He existed before Abraham: "Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad."

The people said, "You aren't even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!"

But since it was the will of God that He should send his son to the humanity to raise them from the sin committed by their forefather Adam the Word took flesh. Flesh represents a man. As we know God has no visible body; but is spirit. It is the spirit who came to be born as a man and hence there existed the godly aspect in man as the spirit and the human aspect as a man of flesh and blood. 

The Bible shows instances of the man being transformed into God as the disciples saw Him on the mount Tabor where three spritual manifestations were there in the form of Moses, Elija and Christ Himself. 

It is therefore my opinion that the contexts whereby Jesus called His disciples brothers and children are the show of His human and godly personalities.

August 29 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Garfield Spencer

In Matt 12:48, Jesus rhetorically asks, "Who is my...brother?" He was talking about his biological brothers, and not his disciples. From this, it can be supposed that then he used the same term in Matt 28:10, he was talking about them, and not necessarily the disciples as he had never used that term of them before. Two of his brothers, James and Jude became important people in the church with James described as a pillar by Paul in Galatians 2, and both James and Jude contributing a book to the canon of scriptures.

Bottom-line: Unless deduced, Jesus, at no time addressed his disciples as brothers.

May 25 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report