This incarnation was absolutely essential for the salvation sinners. We need a Saviour who could represent us – take our place – before the justice of God. We needed a human, vicarious sacrifice. But we needed one which was not tainted by sin. Our substitute could not die as a sacrifice for Himself and for others at the same time. In the incarnation of the Son of God, accomplished both purposes – inclusion and identification with humanity and also divine sinlessness.
This morning, I’d like us to consider the family of Christ. I’d like to do that from two very different angles. First, let’s think about the family of JESUS, and then the more important subject – the family of GOD.
What about THE FAMILY OF JESUS.
This is the first reference to the family of Jesus since chapter two when Joseph and Mary took Jesus, the baby, into Egypt and back again. “And … the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:” Then ten verses later, “And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.” Not another word is mentioned in Matthew about either Joseph or Mary until this morning’s scripture. There is however the reference which we read from John 2 – one of Christ’s earliest miracles.
Since there are no references to Joseph after the trip to Egypt, we can reasonably assume that he had died some time during the interim thirty years. It was probably not early in Jesus’ life, because people sometimes referred to Jesus as the son of Joseph. Perhaps Jesus lost his step-father during His late teens up or into His mid-twenties, but who can say for sure?
Jesus’ mother, Mary, of course was still living at the time of His crucifixion. John 19 tells us that “there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved (John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” Those few words open some doors into interesting conjecture, for which we have no definitive answers.. Why did Jesus pass the responsibility of His mother’s care on to John? Didn’t Jesus’ brothers have a natural responsibility in this case?
What about those brethren of Jesus? “While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.” When it comes to Jesus’ natural family and particularly to His mother, traditions and speculation abound. Since there are millions of people who adore, venerate and literally worship Mary, the Bible student has to be very careful not to be sucked into the religious lies and fraud that these people spread about her and whatever other family there might have been. Who are these “brethren?” There are three theories.
There are many Protestants and others who believe that Joseph was a widower when he married Mary. They say that he brought sons with him into that new marriage. They say that the men of this scripture were step-brothers of Jesus. And this may be the reason that Christ passed the care of His mother on to John. The most common Catholic opinion is that the word “brethren” refers to other male relatives – cousins. There is Biblical grounds to interpret “brethren” as relatives other than siblings, depending on the context. Catholics are convinced that Mary never had any other children after Jesus. But why do they think so? Because, they say, she was too holy to have marital relations with her husband after the birth of Christ.
The most obvious interpretation is that these “brethren” were younger siblings of Jesus. That is the most common meaning of the word “brother.” Following our first rule of interpretation – the obvious meaning is the true meaning unless circumstances require another meaning. These “brethren” were other children of Mary and Joseph. Then there is the fact that we also have reference to Jesus’ sisters – Matthew 13:54-55 – Questioning Jesus’ authoritative teaching people from Galilee and particularly Nazareth were saying, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” While “brethren” can have a broad meaning, “sisters” is usually used quite narrowly in the Bible. Something else to consider is the fact that Jesus was called Mary’s “first born son” which strongly suggests, but does not prove, that there were other children born into the family. Later, the Book of Acts, and even the Apostle Paul refer to James as the “brother of Jesus.” I agree with John Broadus and others who believe that Mary was there with some of the siblings of Jesus.
In the context of Matthew 12 two questions arise. First, were Mary, James and the others BELIEVERS? Were they Christians? Were they disciples? There isn’t the slightest evidence that any of them were among the disciples of Christ. They were not following Christ, seeking His wisdom and revelation. They were not soaking up Jesus’ every word in the way that Peter, John and Andrew were. Without a doubt Mary knew her first born son better than anyone else in the world, and the Bible says that she carefully pondered His life and words, but if she believed Him to be the Messiah, her faith was not as strong as it ought to have been. And yet, I personally think that she was a believer – a Christian. On the other hand, it doesn’t appear that James or any of the rest of the family trusted Christ until either late in Jesus’ ministry or even more likely after His resurrection.
The second question is – what were they trying to say or do on the occasion of this scripture? Whatever it was, judging from Christ’s reply, I’d say that they were trying to interfere with His ministry. Some say that his brethren considered Jesus to be mentally ill. They say that they were embarrassed by their elder brother. Others think that they recognized that the Pharisees intended to kill him, and they were only trying to protect their brother. Many lay the responsibility for this visit at the feet of the brothers, and that they only brought Mary along to give them a little more credibility and influence. It is impossible to say anything about their motives, but Jesus’ response indicates that He wasn’t pleased.
When we reach the end of the next chapter in Matthew I may have more to say about Jesus’ family, but we have here a bit of an introduction.
Christ now takes the subject of Jesus’ family and talks about THE FAMILY OF GOD.
Thus far, I have tried to be consistent in my use of the name “Jesus” in contrast with the title – “Christ.” To me – “Jesus” is the human name of the Son of God – it is the name of “the Son of Man.” “Christ,” which has the same meaning as “Messiah,” is the title which Jehovah has given to God the Son. I try to refer to “Christ” when speaking about His deity, His sacrifice and His salvation. After considering the family of Jesus, we move on to the family of God or the family of Christ. “He answered and said … Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Clearly, the people sitting close to the Lord were more important to Him than His brethren who were “without.” The family of God is more important than the human family of Jesus. The Lord has built into every mother and every father, a natural love for their families – for their children. It is not until something sucks that love out of them, that they don’t naturally put their families above all other things in this world. But it happens, and there are millions of dysfunctional families in our world today.
By the way, we often hear the word “dysfunctional” used in regard to “the family” but few have ever considered what the word entails. By definition, it might be said that Jesus’ family was a bit dysfunctional – and so might be yours. In addition to the really over-the-top, wicked things that affect the relationship between parents and children, several features are common to most dysfunctional families. First – A lack of empathy, understanding, and sensitivity towards certain family members, while expressing extreme empathy towards one or more members (or even pets) who have real or perceived “special needs.” In other words, one family member continuously receives more than he or she deserves, while another is left out. Second – Denial (refusal to acknowledge abusive or wicked behavior). Third – Inadequate or missing boundaries for various members of the family. Fourth – Disrespect of boundaries (e.g. physical contact that the other person dislikes; purposefully violating a boundary another person has expressed). Fifth – Extreme conflict (either too much fighting, especially over unimportant things). And sSixth – An unequal or unfair treatment of one family member due to their birth order, gender, age, family role. Do you suppose that some of these were found in Jesus’ family – at least in the eyes of the “brethren?”
The Lord Jesus taught that the family of God was more important than His human family. How is that true? The family of God has a different Father than any earthly family. My father was Antony Leslie Oldfield, and his father was Major George Sherman Oldfield. Although I don’t have names for many of them, George Oldfield had a father. He had a father, who had a father, who had a father, who had a father all the way back to Adam. I am a descendant of the man who first sinned against God. And you are either a son or daughter of that man as well. That, by the way, puts us all under the curse which Adam’s sin brought upon himself and all his family. But as Christ could speak of His heavenly Father, so can any member of the FAMILY of Christ. Not only has the saint of God been born again, regenerated and given a new heart, but the Bible also says that he has been adopted into the family of God. In two ways Christians are members of the Heavenly family. You men are my spiritual brethren, and you ladies are my Christian sisters. I say that assuming that you are Children of God. As far as age, maturity and respect might go, some of you could be spiritual fathers and mothers to others of us.
And right in the middle of that mix is the Lord Jesus Himself – our elder brother. All that belongs to God is His, but He has most nobly chosen to share it with us. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
It would have been extremely interesting to have been a younger brother of Jesus – what things we could have seen and learned. But it is infinitely more blessed to be in the family of God – a spiritual brother or sister to Christ..
How is it that some grandson of George S. Oldfield could become a member of the family of God? As the Lord Jesus Himself once said to the Pharisee Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” Nicodemus came to Christ with questions, and the Lord told him that the place to begin was with life itself. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” When Nicodemus continued to express his confusion the Lord Jesus began talking about faith. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” How does a person enter the family of God? It is a matter of God’s grace, accepted and understood by faith.
“And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” The last verse in this chapter has confused a great many people, and admittedly it isn’t simple. But the Lord is not saying that through strict obedience to Moses’ law a person enters God’s family. It is not logical to say that through obedience someone is born or made acceptable for adoption. Adoption is the choice of the parents – just as it is in birth – the child is just along for the ride. But what is the meaning of the words “whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven.”
What is the will of God when we are talking about the gospel? The answer is found in John 6 – please turn to John 6:35 – “Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The earthly brethren of the Lord Jesus had not yet obeyed God and put their faith in Christ. I can’t say for sure that they all did at some later time, but I know that at least one or two of them did. And you can as well. You can step from outside the circle of Jesus’ disciples, into the living presence of Christ the Saviour. You, too, can call Jesus Christ your brother. But like James and the others, you’ll have to swallow your pride, admit your sinfulness, agreeing with the Lord that you deserve eternal death. And then trust – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for your salvation.