Family Redefined Series

Redefining Family

Mark 3:31-35

Mark 3:31 (HSBC)

Then His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to Him and called Him.

The Call of Family

- Motivated by concern

- Was Jesus taking care of Himself?

- Was Jesus in His right mind?

- Past difficulties

- When His family heard this, they set out to restrain Him, because

they said, “He’s out of His mind.” – Mark 4:21 (HCSB)

- Jesus’ family had already tried to restrain Him

- Jesus’ family had already labeled Him

- Conflicting priorities

- Family concern vs. faithful obedience

Mark 3:32 (HCSB)

A crowd was sitting around Him and told Him, “Look, Your mother, Your brothers, and Your sisters are outside asking for You.”

The Call of the Crowd

- Mounting pressure

- The crowd directed Jesus’ attention to His family

- The crowd recognized the importance of family

- Encouraged to act

- The crowd was urging Jesus to respond

- How is the “crowd” influencing your decisions?

Mark 3:33 (HCSB)

He replied to them, “Who are my mother and My brothers?”

A Clarifying Question

- Who is…

- The crowd was defining relationships based on human understanding

- Genealogy

- Family roles

- Deeper meaning

- Jesus was revealing deeper truth

- The levels of relationship

- Friends

- Family

- Spiritual

Mark 3:34 (HCSB)

And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!...”

Extended Family

- The family of Jesus

- Beyond flesh and blood relation

- Spiritually connected

- Romans 8:16-17a

Romans 8:16-17a(HCSB)

The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…”

Extended Family

- The family of Jesus

- Beyond flesh and blood relation

- Spiritually connected

- Romans 8:16-17a

- A new perspective

- Those around us are “family”

- The bond of the “spiritual” family is everlasting

- Co-heirs with Jesus

Mark 3:35 (HCSB)

Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”

Family Defined

- DNA of Jesus’ family

- Faithful obedience

- To the will of God

- Common trait found in every family member

- Visible to others

- Family members

- Recognized by Jesus

- Acknowledged before God

- Without Jesus there is no family relationship

- Brings us into the fullness of God’s family

The Family of God

- Of greater importance to Jesus

- Made up of a diversity of people

- Joined together with an eternal bond

- Made possible by Jesus’ blood

**Powerpoint available on request