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
