The Family of Christ

Introduction

The Apostle Matthew’s Gospel (We can get into why we credit this to the apostle Matthew another time)

At this point in the narrative, our Lord is growing in fame and notoriety. Through this chapter the pharisees and others are beginning to push back and Jesus is condemning their teachings and practices.

This passage does not seem to fit with the preceding text or with the upcoming chapter. It stands alone in a transition and is worthy of consideration for many lessons it provides us.

God’s Perfect Word

Matthew 12:46–50 ESV

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Six observations of this text, three minor notes, and three notes about the unity of the family of Christ

Three Minor Observations

Mary is not a perpetual virgin

Further supported by

Matt 1:25 “25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

Matt 13:55-56 “55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?””

Gal 1:19 “19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.”

This is an interesting instance.

Paul uses “adelphos/adelphai” to mean brother in a Christian brotherhood sense more than a hundred times.

Believers in the perpetual virgin would state “Why would a literal brother be meant by Paul in this one and only time?”

Simply stated, because this is the only time he is referring to a sibling relationship.

Why would Paul refer to Peter as just “Peter” in verse 18, and in verse 19, need to place special emphasis on James?

Perhaps it is best to let the plain reading of scripture speak for itself.

Jude 1:1 “1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:”

We started this study last Sunday night, I encourage you to join us tonight at 6 PM to continue this study of the book of Jude and then to pray with us at 7.

We do not deify Mary, nor anyone born of flesh and blood alone.

We do not detract from the glory and honor of God by magnifying one of His creations.

Jesus’s (half-)brothers did not believe in Him

John 7:5 “5 For not even his brothers believed in him.”

Here is a stark reminder that one can grow up in the church and not be converted.

Spurgeon said in a sermon out of Joel chapter 2: “We believe in the perseverance of the saints, but many are not saints, and therefore do not persevere. Nominal saints exhibit no final perseverance.”

We must be diligent to preach Gospel truth among our families and the church membership.

Even when He is opposed, there is prestige in being associated with Jesus.

Why were Jesus’s mother and brothers asking for him?

They were seeking a special privilege, that they be catered to by simple association with Jesus.

Jesus undermines some of that intent by identifying His family as those who do God’s will

Belonging to the family of Christ supersedes belonging to a family of flesh.

Matthew 12:48–49 ESV

48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

It is a high calling to be a called son or daughter in God’s own family.

What about your old family? Obviously your biological mother and father are still your mother and father according to the flesh.

Mark 10:21-27 “21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.””

Mark 10:28–30 ESV

28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Family Discipleship

We all have family who are lost. While it is not up to us to effect salvation in our children and among our family, we do see a pattern within scripture that godliness in the parents results is an indicator that there will be godliness within the children raised in that home.

(Having said a prayer, or walked down an aisle, or even baptism are not indicators of salvation, it is obedience to Christ and love for His church that is our visual indicator of salvation.)

This is why family discipleship is so important. (And we want to discuss a method for studying the scriptures as a family in today’s business meeting.)

Family Allegiance

Typically speaking, which a child is adopted, they are no longer connected to their former parents. All parental rights are surrendered and transferred.

Do you not see it is the same among the family of Christ?

Ephesians 1:5 ESV

5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

As the things of the flesh and the things of the Spirit diverge further and further, there will be times and places where you have to hold up a hand and say, “STOP!”

We want to smooth over relationships with unbelieving family members, either to

Pretend they are saved when they are not,

Or, justify not directly preaching the message that your sin condemns you to an eternity in hell and the only escape is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

This is what He means when he says,

Luke 12:51–53 ESV

51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Be sure to put your allegiance in the right place! Set your face toward the eternal, not the perishing!

Belonging to the family of Christ supersedes belonging to a family of flesh.

Belonging to the family of Christ requires exercising God’s will.

Matthew 12:50 ESV

50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel

Matthew 7:21 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Continued in Matt 7:21-23 “21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

In John’s Gospel

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

and

John 14:23–24 ESV

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

I was away this past week and while visiting a booth, I recognized some phrasings a vendor used and we moved from discussing IT service needs to discussing the scriptures. He shared a brief bit of his testimony and the darkness he was in. We discussed the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and he stated, “when I memorized it, I had to start with verse 19, the works of the flesh, to remind myself not to go back.”

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

If works of the flesh permeate and dominate your life, I urge you to find your knees in prayer and seek out a brother or a sister for confession and support. That is our encouragement in James 5:16 “16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Belonging to the family of Christ supersedes belonging to a family of flesh.

Belonging to the family of Christ requires exercising God’s will.

Belonging to the family of Christ demands unity within the church.

Major theme in the book of Ephesians: Christ has united people from all nations to Himself and to one another in His church.

Ephesians 2:13 ESV

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

We should be united on our understanding of fundamental truths in:

Scriptures

1 Tim 6:3-5 “3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.”

Method of salvation (Grace, Faith, Christ, Scriptures, God’s Glory)

Gal 1:8-9 “8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

Conclusion

Have you joined the family of Christ? Salvation/Baptism/Membership within the church

Do you love God and keep His commandments? Replace every disobedient action with actions and works that give Glory to God and celebrate your forgiveness.

Are you unified with the church body? Too many churches suffer greatly when divisions and dissension, gossip and slander, are allowed to roam free. Matt 18:15 “15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”