"THE GOSPEL OF MARK"
The True Family Of Jesus (3:31-35)
INTRODUCTION
- A wonderful blessing in life is to have a loving, supportive
family...
- Where husband and wife truly love one another
- Where parents and children truly support one another
- Such families are becoming increasingly rare...
- Complicated by cohabitation before marriage, divorce after
marriage, eventually death
- Children suffering from parents who don't love each other, who
don't care for them
- But there is a Family...
- Where love and support is available to everyone
- Where the relationships need never end
[We are reminded of this wonderful Family in our text (Mk 3:31-35), in
which Jesus uses the occasion of His earthly family seeking to talk with
Him to make the point about His "true family"...]
- THE IDENTITY OF HIS FAMILY
- NOT HIS PHYSICAL FAMILY...
- Including His mother Mary, and step-father Joseph
- Including His brothers James, Joses, Judas, Simon, and His
sisters - Mk 6:3
- Even at age 12 Jesus knew His true Father - cf. Lk 2:48-49
-- Not that Jesus did not value His physical family (cf. Jn 19:
26-27)
- THOSE WHO DO HIS FATHER'S WILL...
- His disciples, as identified on the occasion of our text - Mk
3:34-35
- Whoever does the will of His Father are those recognized by
Him- cf. Mt 7:21-23
- They are the ones who are truly blessed - cf. Lk 11:27-28
-- The true family of Jesus is His spiritual family!
[Having identified the "true family" of Jesus, let's review some of the
many blessings of this family...]
- THE BLESSINGS OF HIS FAMILY
- DIVINE...
- God as our Father
- Who hears our prayers - Mt 6:6
- Who provides our basic needs - Mt 6:11,30-33; 7:11
- Who forgives our sins - Mt 6:12
- Who delivers us from the evil one - Mt 6:13
- Jesus as our Brother
- Who is proud to call us "brethren" - He 2:11-12
- Who made like His brethren, is our perfect High Priest - He
2:17-18; 4:14-16
- Who ever lives to make intercession for us - He 7:25; Ro 8:34
- The Holy Spirit as our Helper and Strength
- Who also makes intercession for us - Ro 8:26-27
- Who enables us to put to live the Christian life - Ro 8:12-13
- Who engenders a child-like love in our hearts for God - Ro
8:15; Ga 4:6
-- Just a few blessings made possible by the Divine members of
Jesus' family!
- IMMENSE...
- A hundredfold family members in this time - Mk 10:28-30
- The members of every congregation - 1Ti 5:1-2
- Indeed, the whole family in heaven and earth - Ep 3:14-15
-- Every Christian, living and dead, is a member of Jesus' family!
- ETERNAL...
- Physical family ties are severed at death - cf. Ro 7:2; 1Co
7:39; Mk 12:24-25
- Jesus' spiritual family looks forward to an eternal inheritance
- Ro 8:16-17; Re 21:1-7
-- Jesus' family is the only one that will endure through
eternity!
CONCLUSION
- "The True Family Of Jesus" is great indeed...
- A spiritual Family involving Deity and countless souls!
- An everlasting Family untainted by divorce and death!
- Becoming an accepted member of this Family...
- Is made possible by the wonderful love of God - 1Jn 3:1
- Is the result of God's wonderful plan of redemption in Jesus
Christ - Ep 1:3-14
- "The True Family Of Jesus" is available to all...
- Who are willing to receive Him through faith and baptism - Jn
1:12; Ga 3:26-27
- Who are thus born again of water and the Spirit - Jn 3:3-5
- Who become the family of Jesus through obedience to the will of
God - Mk 3:35
Don't you want to be a member of "The True Family Of Jesus"...?
Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' - Jn 3:7