While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his
mother and
brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you." He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to 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." (Mat 12:46-50)
1. The
Family of Jesus
Jesus had younger brothers and
sisters. After God spoke to Joseph in a dream, Joseph married Mary, “But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.” (Matthew 1:25) Then they did have the normal sexual relationship of a husband and wife – and so a family.
We are told just a little about Jesus’ brothers and sisters. His brothers are named in Mark 6:1-3 …Isn''t this Mary''s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren''t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
Later, the apostle Paul tells the Galatians, “I saw …only James, the Lord''s brother.” (Galatians 1:19) This brother had been given a special privilege: When the Lord appeared to people after his resurrection, one of them was James. (I Corinthians 15:7) Later God used James to write the book of James and Jude the book of Jude.
2. What did they want?
Mark tells us that, “When his family heard about (what he was doing), they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." (Mark 3:21) They were concerned enough that they walked 30 miles to get him. John tells us that at this point, “even his own brothers did not believe in him.” (John 7:5) It may be that it wasn’t until Jesus appeared to James after the resurrection, that His family finally became believers.
Jesus used the coming of His family to teach about His relationship to His disciples. As dear and tender as the ties were which bound him to his mother, brothers and sisters, those which bound him to his disciples were more tender and sacred.
3. The relationship Jesus has with those who do the will of His Father.
Pointing to 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." (Matt. 12:49-50) Even more simply put in Luke 8:21 He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God''s word and put it into practice." That is what a disciple is.
The very first obedience Jesus calls us to is simply to believe. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) These ones are “born again” into His spiritual family.
For those who are trying to be disciples without putting the Bible into practice, James the brother of Jesus leaves these words “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)
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