Jesus had siblings!

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Mark 3:31-4:25. In it, Jesus makes a startling statement.

Jesus's mother and his relatives come to where He's teaching, and want to talk to Him. When His disciples tell Him this, He replies, "Anyone who does the will of God is my mother and sister and brother."

I won't get into the argument about whether Jesus had literal brothers and sisters. The Catholic church teaches that He didn't, since Mary was a virgin for life. Those who follow a Sola Scriptura viewpoint usually believe that He DID have brothers and sisters since the Bible talks about Jesus's "brothers."

But what we DO know is that you and I are His brothers and sisters. When we do His will, we become His brothers and sisters. And His Father is God the Father, so we have Jesus for our brother (in His own words!) and God for our Father.

It's important to realize how revolutionary this was during Jesus's time. Almost no one prayed calling God their Father, but Jesus told us to over and over again. No other religious leader said that doing God's will made people their brother. But Jesus did. When we do God's will (that is, when we do the thing we were made for - the thing that He gave us talent to do, and which brings us the most fulfillment in life), we join the family of God.

And it's good to remember that our big brother looks after us. He hears our cries for help. He has mercy on us in our sin. And He wants to spend eternity with us.

God, thanks for welcoming us to Your family.