Title: The Family of Jesus
What kind of family do you belong to? Which family do you belong to? Does this question seem silly? Who doesn't know which family they belong to? I belong to the Naju Na family. To those who know all this, such a question would seem silly.
But, gentlemen, this question is the question Jesus is asking in the text. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” is asking. In answering this question, Jesus tells us whose family we belong to. It shows who we are, where we belong, and what we are to do. Through this text, we hope that you will clearly know who our family is and what we should do.
1. We are the family of Jesus. You are Jesus' mother, Jesus' brothers and sisters.
Jesus was speaking to the crowd. Jesus' mother and brothers came and stood outside the door. The text clearly shows. Jesus had blood-related families that were inevitably formed when he was born into the world. Jesus had brothers. Mary was the mother of Jesus. Jesus would have lived in his mother's house until the age of 30. Father Joseph probably died prematurely if you don't see it in the story, and Jesus took care of the family as the eldest son. A man who saw Jesus' mother and brothers standing outside reported to Jesus. “Your mother and your brothers have stood outside to speak to you.”
Hearing this, Jesus suddenly asked a question. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” That's a weird question, isn't it? Jesus asks a question in front of his mother and brothers. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Why does Jesus ask such a strange question? Think about why? Because Jesus has something more precious than his own physical family. It is said that blood is thicker than water. We have something thicker than blood. What is that? This is the spiritual family of Jesus. Jesus has a family that is more important than a physical family. Through this question, Jesus wants us to know that today we have a relationship that is more precious than blood and blood.
Who is the true family of Jesus?
Jesus answers. Verse 49. “He stretched out his hand and pointed to the disciples, saying, Look at my mother and my brothers.” The disciples who follow Jesus are the true family of Jesus. For Jesus, his disciples are more important and precious than his own family.
Why? The family of the flesh is subject to the sinfulness of man. So someday it will end. It cannot be a true and eternal family. But in Jesus the spiritual family is different. A family reborn by the Holy Spirit is an eternal family. It is an eternal family that cannot be separated from each other and cannot be separated from each other. Therefore, Jesus valued the spiritual family more than the physical family.
Brothers and sisters, we also have two families like Jesus. It is a fleshly family and a spiritual family in Jesus. We must love our physical family. You must love your husband, your wife and your parents. Parents should love their children. In our society, parents love their children too much. They want to do the best for their children. We want to give our children the best education, the best things, and the best food. I want to give you everything you want. There is nothing wrong with this kind of heart and attitude of parents towards their children. Even Jesus does not criticize this. Jesus loved his brother in the flesh and loved his mother. Even at the last moment on the cross, even in the most painful moment, Jesus cared for his mother and entrusted him to John with deep love. The Bible says that a person who does not take care of his family is worse than an unbeliever. Therefore, we must care for and love our physical family.
But, folks, who is your true family? You must answer. We must make a decision. This is because we cannot live properly as the Jesus family if we do not cut off even the relationship of blood. Matthew 10:37 also declares this fact. “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Testimony of devotion as a missionary). Love your family. But I hope you value the eternal family in Jesus more than the physical family.
2. We are the family of Jesus who do the will of God. verse 50
Jesus said that his disciples were his mother and his brothers. Jesus is talking about who His true family is.
Verse 50. “Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Those who do the will of God are the family of Jesus. What Jesus centrally wants is to do the will of God. Jesus made doing the will of God the standard of judgment. Jesus made doing the will of God the measure of his family.
In order to understand Jesus' words, we have to look at the reason why Jesus' mother Mary and his brothers came to Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew simply records, “As Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers stood outside to speak to him.” But if you look at the Gospel of Mark, which deals with the same incident, you can see why they came to Jesus. Mark 3:20-21 says, “When he entered the house, the crowd had gathered again, and there was no time to eat. When Jesus’ relatives heard of it, they came out to arrest him, saying that he was crazy.” is recorded.
Jesus' mother and brothers were not with the Lord at that time. While they were probably in Nazareth, they heard rumors of Jesus' continuing ministry and the conflict they were having with the leaders of the people. When they heard the news, they were surprised and finally concluded that Jesus was crazy. His mother, Mary, and his brothers had come to Jesus from Nazareth to Capernaum. They loved Jesus very much and came to persuade him to save him from their folly.
Regarding the mother and brothers who came to him, Jesus said that those who do God's will are his true family. If even his own mother did not know God's will and did not do God's will, Jesus did not hesitate to deny the closest mother. If even his own brothers did not do the will of God, Jesus boldly rejected them. Jesus' greatest concern was to accomplish God's will. In John 4:34, Jesus spoke of his purpose. “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to complete his work.”
Jesus lived for the will of God. He denied himself in order to obey the will of God. He sacrificed himself on the cross to accomplish God's will. If it was God's will, he gave up on himself, his blood, and his family.
Dear saints, are you the family of Jesus who does the will of God? What is the purpose of our Adventist Church? It is doing the will of God. The standard of our judgment is also God's will. I don't mean it. It is not the wish of anyone close to me. The division between me and the other side is that God's will is still not playing an important role in our church. I hope you value God's will the most. Anyone who does the will of God believes in Jesus. Anyone who wants to do God's will is the true family of Jesus. I bless you in the name of the Lord that all of you will become the family of Jesus who do the will of God.