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Oh, how could Jesus be so mean to publicly disown His family that way!
These were the people who were in His human life long before He began
His ministry. They come to where He is teaching one day and call for
Him and what does He say? "Who is My mother and My brethren?" Ah, but
we forget that Jesus was God in the flesh -- I AM Salvation (the meaning
of His Hebrew name) -- that He was not tied to this earth in any way.
Indeed, when He was on the cross He cut His last human ties by telling
His mother as He looked at John the beloved disciple, "Woman, behold thy
son!" And then He told John, with whom I believe Jesus had a much
closer friendship than He had with any of the others, "Behold thy
mother!" The scripture tells us that, from that hour forward, John took
Mary into his home. And it was after Jesus cut this final tie to this
earth, according to John 19:28-30, that Jesus said, "It is finished" and
died.
It is what Jesus said in response to the question about who His family
was that is the important truth here. Notice what Jesus did and said:
he looked around at those who were sitting around Him there in that
place and said, "Behold My mother and My brethren!" His family was the
men and women who followed Him: "For whosoever shall do the will of God,
the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother." And that's the
message for us today: that if WE do the will of God, then WE are His
brother and sister and mother -- WE are His family. Brother Paul
confirms our membership in the Lord's family when he says in Galatians
3:26, "For ye are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." He
further confirms this in Romans 8:14-17: "For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so
be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."
Yes, dear saints of God, we are His family. That is, of course, IF we
are obedient to Him. That's the lesson for us today. As our text tells
us: "For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and
My sister, and mother."
1. What did Jesus say about His human family that seems to us a mean
thing to say?
Rev. Chancellor C. Roberts, II, is an ordained minister in the National Gay
Pentecostal Alliance, serving God and that denomination in the ministry of
New Testament prophet (Ephesians 4:11).
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Other Articles By Rev. Chancellor Carlyle Roberts, II:
Summer Snow
Of the Lord's Mercies:
Also In This Issue:
Religion Can Be a Dangerous Thing
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