Natural family of Christ was divided between believing and unbelieving siblings

Jude 1:1-2

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“Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.” Jude 1:1-2

Jude, also known as Judas, was the earthly brother of Jesus Christ, and James was also. Jesus Christ had four brothers and at least two sisters, as revealed, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” Matthew 13:55-56

There were a lot of rifts in the earthly family of Jesus Christ, despite their parents being Joseph and Mary. After Jude and James, the other two brothers, and some of Jesus’ sisters, did not believe that Jesus was the Christ and Son of God. They held to the unbelieving Jewish culture that wanted Jesus to be held accountable for blaspheme and even justified His crucifixion.

Although Joseph and Mary were the parents of their deeply divided and contentious family, there was nothing they could do to bring their rebellious children to accept Jesus as the Christ, their Lord and Savior. However, Jude did recognize Jesus as the Son of God and does not focus on the natural brother relationship with Jesus. Jude considers himself to be a bondservant of Jesus and calls Him Christ. James felt the same way and calls himself a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, James 1:1.

Every parent and sibling of contentious and unbelieving family members should never feel any type of blame, guilt, or failure for the rifts in the family. Only by a miracle can rifts be healed, and sometimes are never healed, as in the earthly family of our Lord Jesus Christ. While we do not feel loved by those in this world, and within our own family, we are loved y God and kept in Jesus Christ. God multiplies mercy, peace, and love towards us by giving us the Holy Spirit and eternal life.

God loved the world this way: He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. John 3:16-17

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1