The question of whether Jesus had children is an interesting one that many people have pondered. The Bible does not explicitly state whether Jesus was married or had children, but it does provide some clues that can help us think through this issue.
Jesus’ marital status
The Gospels never mention Jesus having a wife. There are no references to Him being married or having a romantic relationship with anyone. If Jesus had been married, it seems likely that this would have been recorded or mentioned somewhere in the Gospels. The lack of any reference to a wife indicates that Jesus was probably unmarried.
Some argue that Jesus could have been married before beginning His public ministry in his 30s. This is possible, but there is no evidence to support it. Jesus’ adult life prior to His public ministry is largely undocumented in the Bible. There are no biblical or historical records mentioning Jesus being married before age 30.
Some also claim Jesus must have been married because most Jewish men of His time did marry. However, while marriage was common, it was not universally required for Jewish men. The religious group Jesus was most closely associated with, the Essenes, actually valued celibacy. So remaining single was not unheard of, even if it was uncommon.
Overall, the lack of any mention of a wife, the practice of celibacy by the Essenes, and the silence of both Scripture and tradition on any marriage for Jesus make it very unlikely that He was married.
Teachings of Jesus and Paul
Jesus and the apostle Paul both spoke favorably of the single, celibate lifestyle. This makes it more plausible that Jesus Himself remained unmarried.
In Matthew 19:12, Jesus speaks positively of those who choose not to marry for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He says, “There are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Here Jesus describes some who do not marry for spiritual reasons, implying this can be a good choice.
The apostle Paul also promotes singleness over marriage in 1 Corinthians 7. He writes, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am” (1 Cor 7:8). Paul was not married and found his singleness allowed him to better serve God in ministry. If Jesus had been married, it is doubtful Paul would have spoken so favorably of remaining single.
The statements of Jesus and Paul support the idea that Jesus also remained single for spiritual purposes. If Jesus had made the radical choice to remain celibate, it would have set a powerful example consistent with His teachings.
No mention of children
There is absolutely no biblical evidence that Jesus had biological children. If Jesus did have children, it is inexplicable why they are never mentioned in the Gospels or in any of the New Testament writings. Surely something as significant as children of Jesus would have been preserved in early Christian tradition.
The Gospel of Mark mentions Jesus had four brothers – James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon (Mark 6:3). Catholic tradition argues these “brothers” were actually Jesus’ cousins. Most Protestant scholars believe they were sons of Joseph and Mary born after Jesus. In either case, they were not literal children of Jesus. He also had sisters, but their names are not provided (Mark 6:3).
Some have claimed the gnostic “gospels,” written in the 2nd century or later, indicate Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had children. The gnostic gospels were rejected from the biblical canon, so they do not have authority. But even these extrabiblical sources, as late as they are, do not state Jesus and Mary Magdalene had children.
So there is simply no credible biblical or historical evidence that Jesus ever fathered children, either biological or adopted.
Metaphorical spiritual children
While Jesus did not have literal, biological children, the Bible does present the idea of Jesus having spiritual children. Several New Testament verses speak of believers being adopted or born again as “sons of God” through faith in Christ (Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 3:26, 4:6-7).
There is a metaphorical sense in which those who follow Christ become part of God’s family, with Jesus as the “Son” and those redeemed by Him also gaining status as sons and daughters. Jesus prayed that believers would develop spiritual unity modeled after the unity between Himself and God the Father (John 17:20-23).
So while Jesus did not have literal children, all who are redeemed become His spiritual children. This comes through being spiritually reborn into God’s family.
The apostle Paul expands on this idea, writing, “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15). Paul led many Corinthians to faith in Christ, so figuratively he calls them his spiritual children.
In the same metaphorical sense, all Christians can be considered the spiritual children of Jesus Christ, who made our adoption into God’s family possible by His sacrificial death on our behalf.
Why Jesus did not marry or have children
If Jesus remained unmarried and without biological children, this raises the question – why? Why did the Messiah not marry or have a physical lineage, as would have been expected?
Jesus explained that His true family was spiritual, not physical. When told His mother and brothers were waiting for Him, Jesus replied, “‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother'” (Matthew 12:48-50).
Jesus also indicated His mission required complete devotion to God’s purposes. When a man asked to follow Jesus but wanted first to bury his father, Jesus replied, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22). The work of Christ’s kingdom had to take priority over earthly concerns.
If Jesus had a wife and children, it would have distracted from His ministry. Providing and caring for a biological family would have made it difficult for Jesus to fulfill His demanding role of preaching, teaching, and mentoring the apostles.
Jesus’ mission was unique. He was fully God incarnate, but also the sinless representative of mankind, the perfectly obedient “second Adam.” He came to redeem a people for Himself by perfectly obeying the divine law and offering Himself as an atoning sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:1-18). This required absolute, undivided devotion to God’s will.
For these reasons, Jesus prioritized spiritual family over physical family. He sacrificed the natural human experience of marriage and children because of His supreme, sacred calling. Any earthly distractions that could have potentially interfered with His mission had to be set aside.
Did Mary have other children?
As already mentioned, the Gospels refer to Jesus having brothers and sisters (Matthew 13:55-56, Mark 6:3). There are three main views on the identity of these siblings:
- Catholic tradition believes they were Jesus’ cousins.
- Some Protestants argue they were Joseph’s children from a prior marriage.
- Most evangelicals hold they were subsequent children of Joseph and Mary.
Let’s consider the evidence for each view:
1. Cousins of Jesus
Roman Catholics teach Mary remained a perpetual virgin, so she could not have had other natural children besides Jesus. The “brothers” must have been cousins or step-brothers from Joseph’s side, according to this view.
However, the Greek word used to describe Jesus’ brothers is adelphos. This word always refers to literal brothers or sisters in the New Testament, never more distant relatives like cousins (Galatians 1:19).
Also, if these brothers were not Mary’s children, it seems odd that the Gospels record them asking about Jesus’ identity. Mark 6:3 says, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” If they were Jesus’ cousins, it seems they would know Him already and not have to inquire.
The only Mary mentioned in connection with these brothers is Mary the mother of Jesus. There is no biblical evidence to equate Jesus’ “brothers” with any sort of cousins.
2. Sons of Joseph from previous marriage
A less common view held by some Protestants is that Joseph was previously married before wedding Mary. In this scenario, the “brothers” were Joseph’s children from his first marriage.
One problem with this view is that the Bible never mentions Joseph having any previous wife. This is an argument from silence, but it still seems strange that neither Scripture nor Christian tradition record anything about a prior marriage for Joseph.
Also, Joseph seems to have been relatively poor (Matthew 13:55). It was uncommon for poorer Jewish men to support two wives, especially if the second wife was much younger.
3. Younger children of Joseph and Mary
The most straightforward reading of the biblical evidence is that Joseph and Mary had children together after the birth of Jesus. These were Jesus’ literal younger half-siblings.
This explains why the “brothers” are called the children of Mary (Mark 6:3), why they did not know Jesus’ identity already, and why Joseph and Mary are described together as the parents of Jesus (Luke 2:41, John 6:42). Nowhere is any wedge driven between Joseph and Mary as parents together.
Some object that the theology of Mary’s perpetual virginity demands she had no other children. But the Bible does not teach this doctrine. The Book of Acts describes Mary and Joseph having marital relations (Acts 1:14). Mary’s virginity was affirmed only up to the time of Jesus’ birth.
So the traditional Protestant view that Joseph and Mary had children together after Jesus matches the scriptural evidence most closely. These physical half-siblings of Jesus likely included James, Joses, Judas, Simon, and at least two unnamed sisters.
Recap
The Bible does not explicitly tell us whether Jesus was ever married or had children. However, the cumulative biblical evidence strongly suggests the following:
- Jesus was very likely unmarried, based on the silence of Scripture and His lifestyle.
- Jesus had no biological children, as none are ever mentioned in the Bible or early Christian tradition.
- Through faith, believers become Jesus’ spiritual children, born again into God’s family.
- Mary likely had children biologically with Joseph after the birth of Jesus. These younger children were Jesus’ half-siblings.
In the end, while Jesus did not physically reproduce, all who trust in Him become His spiritual children. This metaphorical, adoptive sonship granted by grace is a key theme of the New Testament.
The unmarried, celibate life Jesus modeled cohered with His uniquely sacred calling as incarnate deity. His supremely holy mission required undivided dedication to fulfilling the will of God. Any earthly distractions or demands, like those that come with marriage and family, had to be laid aside for the sake of accomplishing the work of redemption.