Jesus was born in Bethlehem. We all know that. His family ran to Egypt for safety when he was young. When they came back they settled in the town of Nazareth.
But when Herodus the king died, the angel of the Lord Yahweh appeared in a dream to Yoseph in Egypt. 20 And he said to him, “Arise, take the boy and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the Boy’s life have died.” 21 And Yoseph arose, took the boy and his mother, and came to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Arkilaus was The King in Judaea, in the place of Herodus his father, he was afraid to go there, and it appeared to him in a dream that he should go to the region of Galilee. 23 And he came to dwell in a city that is called Nazareth, so that the thing would be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, “He shall be called the Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:19-23)
Jesus grew from boy to man in Nazareth and it was considered his hometown, though he had been born in Bethlehem. We also know that. But many people don't realize that, when Jesus started his ministry, he and his family moved again, this time to Capernaum.
But when Yeshua heard that Yohannan had been delivered up, he departed to Galilee. 13 And he left Nazareth, and came to dwell in Kapernahum, by the side of the sea, in the borders of Zebulon and of Naphtali. 14 That the thing which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet would be fulfilled which says: 15 “The land of Zebulon, the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, the crossings of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 16 The people who sat in the darkness have seen the great light, and those who were sitting in the region and in the shadow of death, to them the light has dawned.” 17 From then on, Yeshua began to preach and to say, “Return to God, for The Kingdom of Heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:12-17)
Bethlehem is very close to Jerusalem. However, Nazareth, Cana (where the wedding was), and Capernaum are all in the area that is called the Galilee which was quite a distance north, as they counted distances then. The cities in this area were all within about 10 miles of the Sea of Galilee, but Capernaum is (or was) right on the edge of the Sea of Galilee.
As Jesus began to preach, one of the things he encountered was rejection by his own family. As his ministry began he took on a new role that they had never seen him in before. As a result they weren't prepared to accept him or what he was saying.
And the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near. 3 And his brothers said to Yeshua: “Remove yourself from here and go to Judea, that your disciples may see the works that you do. 4 For no man does anything in secret and wants it done openly. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For his brothers also did not believe in Yeshua. (John 7:2-5)
Here we see Jesus brothers mocking him. They are saying that he has been working in a very small area of Israel and that he is afraid to take his message to a larger audience because he knows they will find out he is a fraud. That's the brother's viewpoint. They have obviously heard about the things he has done. They probably think Jesus' miracles are magic tricks or just false stories. They think he has fooled the simple rural people in the small towns of Galilee, but if he tries it in the major population centers of Judea, he will be shown for the fraud they think he is.
This attitude by his brothers helps us understand better what we see in the verses below
But while he was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers came standing outside and desired to speak with him. 47 And a man said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to speak with you.” 48 But he answered and said to him who told him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 49 And he stretched his hands toward his disciples and said, “Behold my mother and behold my brothers!” 50 “For everyone who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven, the same is my brother and my sister and my mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50)
Jesus' family are not there to listen to his message. If they were they would sit down with the others and listen. Instead they want to pull him out from the listeners so they can "reason" with him. They don't want to listen but to talk - to tell him how crazy he is behaving, how he is affecting the family, how he is hurting the family name. Understand this:
They also want to assert their authority over him, to get him back under control. By their presence they are saying, "you are in trouble now - your mother is here". Who hears his mother call and doesn't feel he should respond. To do less would be disrespectful. But Jesus knows his place. He is to serve God above all others, including family. To answer their call would be to turn away from God's call.
Think not that I have come to bring peace in the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I have come to divide a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36 And a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:34-37)
These words were as true for Jesus as for anyone else. His message and work had caused divisions within his own family.
In the end though, Mary would come to believe in him as would at least some of his brothers. The Bible books of James and Jude were written by his brothers. It isn't clear when they came to believe in him.
We all have the special calling to be Christians. Some are also called to be ministers, missionaries, or other positions. Because of this:
If someone in your family has a special calling:
Which of these is a city that Jesus called home |
Bethany Jerusalem Capernaum Damascus |
Where was Joseph at the time? |
In Nazareth working as a carpenter Divorced from Mary Dead We don't know |
As a young man, Jesus likely: |
Studied to become a rabbi Worked as a carpenter Worked as a fisherman |