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“Jesus' Mother And Brethren”
Categories: Daily Living, Family, Jesus ChristJesus’ Mother And His Brethren
Jarrod Jacobs
In Matthew 12, our Lord stood before the people and taught great things to them. As He was teaching, one said, “Behold, your mother and your brethren stand outside, desiring to speak with you. But he replied to the man that told him, ‘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’” (Matt. 12:47-50). In this passage, Jesus was making a point that would be indelibly marked on the peoples’ hearts from this time forward.
Christ was saying that he considered spiritual relationships more important than physical relationships. Though Christ loved His earthly family, He knew their acceptance was not as important as the acceptance of God (Matt. 10:35-37). Though Christ’s family wished to speak with Him, the people needed to know that earthly relationships paled in comparison with being in the right relationship with God!
Paul understood this and said that his family lineage and ancestry could give him reasons for boasting. However, he counted those as “loss” and “dung” so that he might win Christ (Phil. 3:7-8). Paul was a “Hebrew of the Hebrews,” but earthly ties and relationships meant nothing to him if it meant losing his eternal home (Phil. 3:13-14). Do we consider our eternal home more important than anything else?
Christ’s statement in Matthew 12 shows that man’s obedience to Christ means he can enjoy God’s blessings. Paul taught this to the Romans in Romans 8:16-17. How do we become children of God? By being born again (Jn. 3:3, 5)! This spiritual birth takes place after one has believed in Christ, repented of his sins, confessed Christ, and been baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:36-38). Jesus describes it as being “born of water and the spirit” (Jn. 3:5). Paul compares it to our Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4, 16-18). The book of Acts records several who followed this plan (Jews, Acts 2; Eunuch, Acts 8; Paul, Acts 22:16; Corinthians, Acts 18). When we do as the Lord says, we become spiritual heirs of the promise (I Pet. 1:4). How can we place anything before the Lord and His blessings? Christ taught on this occasion (Matt. 12:48-50) that nothing should come before the Lord!
Finally, Matthew 12:47-50 shows us that not everyone is in God’s family. Notice that when Jesus said certain ones were His “brother, and sister, and mother,” it was those who do “the will of my Father.” What of those who do not do the will of the Father? They have no relationship with Him! Jesus made it clear that “not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Therefore, doing the will of the Father is required for going to Heaven, as well as being a brother or sister of Christ. This is why we do not call just anyone “brother” or “sister” in that spiritual sense. Not everyone is Christ’s brother and sister (II Jn. 9-11). Christ’s “brother” and “sister,” those that will see Heaven, are those who live faithfully according to the will of the Father!
Are you in the family of God? Can Christ call you “brother” or “sister”? If not, do not delay from becoming a Christian while you still have the time to do so.
