Ask a person if they are a Christian. Some will say, "my mother was a godly woman," or, "My grandpa was a preacher," or, "My dad was a deacon in the church."

 
How about this statement? "My brother was the Lord Jesus Christ." James, Joses, Simon, and Judas, the physical half-brothers of Jesus, could say this. Imagine having a perfect brother who never did anything wrong. Do you suppose some jealousies and resentments arose?

 
They saw and heard Jesus preach, teach, and do miracles; they saw the crowds that followed Jesus. Yet John 7:5 (KJV) says, "neither did his brethren believe in him." But Jesus said in John 3:18, "he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

 
Jesus did not choose any brothers as apostles. None followed Him. When Jesus died on the cross, he asked John to take care of his mother, not any of his brothers.

Finally, after Jesus' resurrection, his brothers and sisters believed in him. James believed when he met with the resurrected Jesus personally in I Corinthians 15:7. The others trusted Christ around that time. After Jesus ascended, the church assembled for prayer. In Acts 1:13-15, about 120 met, and included in the number is Mary with Jesus’ brethren. Later, James became a leader in the Jerusalem church and also wrote the book of James.

 
Being a physical relative of Jesus did not save them. They became born-again Christians when they saw the resurrected Jesus and believed. It was a one-time personal decision that changed the rest of their lives.

Have you decided to turn from your sin to receive Jesus as your personal Savior?