Who Really Knows Jesus?

There are a lot of people who claim to know Jesus Christ. Most people say they do. Many of those people who say they know him, have not been saved by him. This passage shows us two groups of people who misidentify him - and then culminates with Jesus’ declaration about who really knows him.

Mark 3:20-21 “Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

His family - that is, Jesus’ family - hears about these massive crowds. They’re in Nazareth, po-dunk, rural community. They hear about Jesus’ huge immensely popular ministry, and they go up to seize him. If you peek down at vs. 31, it’s his mother and brothers. That is, Mary is the other sons she had with Joseph, who would have been half-brothers of Jesus. We’re not sure where Joseph is, although some speculate that he had died because by the time Jesus is on the cross, he tells John to take care of Mary.

NASB: “take custody of him.” KJV: “lay hold of him.” NET: “restrain him.” Our ESV Bible uses the word “seize him,” and I think it’s a good translation because the Greek word is used 15 times in Mark, and 8 of those times is referring to an actual arrest. In other words, the family is a bit embarrassed about all the attention that Jesus has. So embarrassed, in fact, that they say “He is out of his mind.”

He’s been accused of blasphemy, he’s accused of befriending sinners, he’s accused of not fasting like he’s supposed to, he’s accused of violating the Sabbath. All these accusations have been hurled by the Pharisees. Here, it’s his own family. Sweet Mary, now probably in her mid to late forties, as well as Jesus’ half brothers, are concerned that Jesus has lost his marbles. He’s off his rocker. The monkeys are out of the cage. And they head over to seize him - by force, the word indicates - to stop him from embarrassing himself. (Skip)

31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Who really knows Jesus? What’s the fundamental mark of a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ? What distinguishes a true Christian from a fraud; a genuinely saved believer from a faker?

“Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus is saying his true family is identified by obedience to God’s will.

Some application

# 1: Perfect sanity can look insane to the world

Let’s just throw in a quick application here: Jesus is the sanest person to have ever lived. Our world is so insane, that sanity is often called insanity. Don’t be deceived, church. What’s considered normal is not sane. What’s accepted is not necessarily good. What passes for wisdom in this world is utter folly. Follow Christ, and you’ll start on the path toward moral clarity and sanity - but the world will think you’re nuts. So be it. Bear it with your Savior.

# 2 Salvation isn’t transmitted through genetics.

You see, the family would have thought they knew Jesus better than anyone else. They were family, after all. And there are people today who think they know Jesus very well. This happens especially in Christian homes. Some children grow up thinking that because their parents are Christians and take them to church, then certainly they must be part of Jesus’ spiritual family. But Jesus makes it clear that salvation isn’t transmitted through genetics. “Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

To be clear: this text does not teach that obedience earns God’s salvation. In the context of Mark, what is God’s will? What did John the Baptist preach? What was Jesus’ message in Mark 1:14-15? The will of God is this: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” The true family of God humbles themselves, confesses their sin, turns from it, believes in the free gift of salvation, embraces Christ as savior and Lord, and then resolves to walk in obedience to God’s Word.

# 3 In salvation you are given a new family

Notice also how Jesus speaks of people who do God’s will. They are brothers, sisters, mothers. That is to say that they are family. Not only related to Christ, but to one another.

We live in a iPhone, iPad, iTunes world, but following Christ is a “we” life. We need each other. We live life together. We treat each other like family. This is why going to church is not some legalistic, forced habit. It’s why we go to church when it's 114 outside. It’s part of our identity. This is my family. These are my people.

And this is also why when a church member doesn’t appear at anything for some weeks, we are concerned. If one of my daughters didn’t show up to dinner three nights in a row, I’d be concerned. We are Christ’s family, you are my brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers. We may have nothing in common - except Christ - and that’s enough.

The point of this section is that you only truly know Christ when you submit to God. Anything other than submission is evidence that we do not know Christ. If we truly know Christ, we are hungry for God’s will. Obedience.

Is your life marked by obedience?