Sermon Snippet – Jesus, Our Brother
INTRODUCTION – As we follow Jesus to the Cross, we have seen that He is the “Beloved” and the “Son of man.” Today, we will see from Mark 3:31-35 that Jesus, remarkably, is our Brother.
1. JESUS HAD A FAMILY
As we studied last week, Jesus as the “Son of man” was fully human (as well as, of course, fully divine). Part of that humanity was His place in a family. We should not take Jesus’ words here as being disdainful or dismissive of His family. For example, while Jesus was suffering and dying on the Cross, He made sure that His mother was cared for (John 19:26-27). At this point in His ministry, His family did not yet believe that He was the promised Savior. They did not believe, but they did love Him. Mark 3:21 tells us that they thought that Jesus was mentally ill (“friends” is better translated as “family”); instead of abandoning Him, they wanted to help Him (unlike, say, our President’s money-grabbing relatives). Even with their unfathomable lack of understanding of Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecy, the family of Jesus were trying their best – their decidedly limited best – to care for Him.
2. JESUS MADE HIS FAMILY MUCH BIGGER
Jesus extended an invitation to everyone to choose to join His eternal family. Mark 10:28-31 in no way disparages the concept of family. Rather, it uses that exalted imagery to speak of the extraordinary expansion of His family. If, like the disciples, we follow Jesus by receiving His full, free, and forever forgiveness, we become beloved members of His family. Romans 8:17 provides an unexpected outcome: we are “joint-heirs with Christ.” The enlargement of the family of God in no way diminishes our inheritance, for our Savior is infinite in all of His ways and in all of His possessions. The extension of His family does not overextend His resources.
3. WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO BOTH OF OUR FAMILIES
Jesus never rejected His family, and we know that at least some of them entered His heavenly family (for example, His faithful mother Mary, His half-brother James, and His half-brother Jude). Since Jesus is our Brother, then we have many brothers and sisters – and we thus have additional family obligations. One is highlighted in Mark 3:35: we are to “do the will of God.” Perhaps you remember the Sunday school song that says, “Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.” When we are in willing obedience to our Lord, we can begin to really enjoy our new family members, especially if they are obeying as well. Our relationships are enriched and are increasingly characterized by joy. Our times of worship together can be precious and memorable, much like family gatherings on Thanksgiving and birthdays. Jesus Himself was always obedient to God the Father: “My meat [food] is to do the will of Him [Who] sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Without this mutual obedience, we will never experience the fullness of family that Jesus dearly desires that we share with Him and with each other.
CONCLUSION – Beloved, Son of man, Brother – each one of these designations focuses us upon Jesus. We should remember that He is not one thing one day and something else on another day. He is our “all in all” (Ephesians 1:23); all of His attributes are perfectly joined, fully integrated instead of compartmentalized. We do not have a relationship with part of Jesus; no, we have a relationship with Jesus, a relationship that is multi-faceted – really, infinitely-faceted. There is one way to enter into this eternal relationship, and that is to choose to ask Jesus for His everlasting salvation. May each of us today be certain that our faith is solely in Jesus and His finished work of forgiveness, and may all of us together then join in His joy, even in this world which is so often joyless and joy-killing. Jesus has something better for us right now and something far better for ever and ever.