The True Family Of God

Mark • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Who belongs to the family of God? Our belonging has nothing to do with our background, history, family life, or moralism. Those who believe and follow Jesus are His true family.

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Introduction

Let’s try and picture the scene here as we come to a close on chapter 3. Jesus is in Capernaum. He had been there since midway through chapter 1, he departed for a short time to other towns and villages but returns at the beginning of chapter 2 and will be hanging around this city for a couple more chapters.

Capernaum was a city on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. This really was Jesus’ home base of operations for a season. As we’ll see in the coming chapters, he’ll cross over the Sea of Galilee a couple times to continue ministry in other villages and to probably get a break from the crowds, but it was in Capernaum where Jesus lived, it’s where he gathered many of his disciples, taught extensively, it’s where he performed many miracles.

So, here’s the scene, picture it with me. He’s here in Capernaum, most likely he’s at Peter’s mother-in-law’s home where he had healed her back in chapter 1. He probably did a lot of his teaching here with people and crowds packing in to be near him, to be healed, to listen to what he was teaching.

Another crowd is gathering near Jesus. Peter’s mother-in-law is probably hoping nobody’s going to tear another hole in her roof. We have crammed in this home a mixture of desperate people. Sitting closest to Jesus were his disciples. Surrounding them is most likely people who are curious about what Jesus will say next. He just got done lambasting the Scribes in the preceding verses for accusing him of being controlled by the Devil.

There’s going to certainly be many in that room who are hurting, whether it be physically or emotionally and they’ve come to Jesus to find relief.

Mixed among the crowd as well would have been those Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus had just gone after. They were always around looking for ways to try and trip him up and accuse him of being a false teacher. Accusing him of blasphemy. At this point in Jesus’ ministry the Pharisees were looking for ways to destroy him. They wanted him dead.

But what we also see from the text is Jesus’ family was there. Mary, and several of his brothers. However, they weren’t in the home with him. They weren’t mixed up with the crowd. They weren’t sitting at his feet with his disciples. There were at the periphery, on the outskirts, standing nervously and anxiously as this crowd kept getting bigger and bigger.

Well, why weren’t they there with him? Well, if you remember to last week we read in verse 21 that Jesus’ family thought he was “out of his mind.” The things he was saying, the things he was doing, how he was stirring up the religious leaders of that day who controlled everything. They were worried and fearful. The religious leaders of that day controlled everything and whether or not you were a part of the Jewish community. They could have you thrown out, exiled for blasphemy. And to be thrown out of the community would have been the worst thing that could have happened.

And so, here they are in verse 31 getting word to Jesus that they’d like to talk to him, most likely to try and get him home and away from the crowds. Again, they think he’s lost it.

And so, a message would have been passed from person to person until it got to Jesus. It’s in verse 32 that people in the crowd begin to tell Jesus, “Hey, your mom and brothers are outside and they want to talk to you.”

Now, this was a very family-centered culture. The crowd would have no doubt expected Jesus to excuse himself to immediately go to his family. That would have been expected and seen as the proper and honorable thing to do. They certainly weren’t expecting Jesus’ response as seen in verse 33.

Mark 3:33, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

In verse 34 he begins to look around the room. In the gospel of Matthew, it records Jesus as extending his hand and then looking to his disciples, those sitting at his feet learning from him. And so, he looks at the mixture of the crowd, all those who have gathered near him for a myriad of reasons, and then gestures to his disciples and says, to the shock of all. Verse 34 and 35.

Mark 3:34 -35, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Now, this is a shocking statement regardless of what culture you live in. But within the Jewish culture, this was earth-shattering. I mean, an absolute hush would have come across the crowd in that moment. “What did he just say?!”

For some, that may have been the last straw. “I’m not following this guy!” The pharisees would have been delighted, rubbing their hands together and thinking, “We’ve got him!”

At some point the word would have gotten back to Jesus’ mother and brothers. Right? Can you imagine being that messenger? “He’s not coming, and, oh by the way, he called his disciples his true mother and brothers and sisters.” This would have no doubt shocked them, perhaps angered them as well.

This really is another hard saying of Jesus. Skeptics of the Christian faith have actually used this statement as a reason to disavow the person of Jesus.

Ernest Renan, a well-known French scholar of the 19th century wrote in his work, “The Life of Jesus” that this statement of Jesus was “trampling under foot everything that is human - love and blood and country.”

And so, why did Jesus say this knowing how scandalous it would be?

We know from the Scriptures that Jesus was not severing ties with his family. He loved his family and even on the cross, Jesus thought of his mother and made sure that she would be cared for and take care of.

We know that James, one of Jesus’ brothers, who was here in this moment trying to get Jesus away from the crowds because he thought he was out of his mind would later become a follower of Jesus and end up not only writing the book of James that we have in our Scriptures but would also lead the church in Jerusalem and be killed for following his half-brother Jesus.

What Jesus is doing is making a clear distinction of who truly belongs to the family of God.

What he’s saying is that there is something that runs deeper and is actually more meaningful and significant than just flesh and blood. He’s saying, there’s a new family, a spiritual family that surpasses the human or earthly family. And he’s saying, not everyone is a part of this new family of God.

Problem

This here is a problem that we must come face to face with. Who is a part of the family of God? And what evidence is there that I belong to this family?

It’s that the question Jesus is ultimately asking in verse 33? “Who are my mother and my brothers?” “Who belongs to me?”

In saying this he is making clear that not everyone does belong to him.

In our culture, this kind of clear division is a problem for us. Our culture preaches a message of inclusivity. Everyone belongs. Everyone has equal access. Everyone, regardless of who they are, what they believe, how they live, belongs.

And so, you look at the message of Jesus, and he doesn’t preach a message of inclusivity. In fact, his message is often one that divides. We’re seeing that here in the text.

Not all will be a part of the family of God. Jesus will judge us according to who we followed and believed, how we lived, and where our hope rested. And so, what gives evidence that we truly do belong to God’s family? What are often the wrong things we look to that we think gives us acceptance before God?

Big Idea

Not all are part of the family of God but evidence of our belonging to Christ is seen through gospel-driven, Spirit-empowered obedience to the will of God.

Main Aim

The goal this morning is to look from Scripture itself to see who are those who truly belong to Christ.

Body

And so, first, let’s look at what doesn’t connect us to God’s family and then we’ll look at what does connect us. I have two misconceptions to look at and then we’ll look at two truths.

Misconception number one:

Relational proximity makes you part of the family of God.

This is a misconception. In verses 31-33, Mary and Jesus’ brothers believe they have first dibs at Jesus’ time anytime they want because they are his physical family. But notice also where they are.

They’re on the outskirts. While everyone else is cramming into the home to be near Jesus, while his disciples are sitting at the feet of Jesus learning from him, his own family at this point in their lives are distant. And yet, they call to him expecting him to come to them right away and again, what’s Jesus’ response? “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Now, what do we take from this? We’re obviously not related to Jesus in any physical way but there is something that Jesus is showing us in his response.

Firstly, we see that belonging to the family of God has nothing to do with any physical connection. Though we understand that we’re not related to Jesus like Mary and his half-brothers were, we still struggle with the thought that because we maybe grew up in a Christian home, with Christian parents, that that somehow means we are automatically part of God’s family.

I come across this quite often when I sit down with people to hear their story, to hear their testimony. There are many people today within the church even that believe that they are a Christian, that they’re part of the family of God solely because they grew up in a Christian home. They think their family history, their family connection automatically applies to them regardless of what they believe, or how they live. So, they really want nothing to do with Jesus, they’re not following him, they’re not trusting in him, they’re not living obediently to how Christ calls us to live but still live with this misconception that they belong to God’s family because mom and dad were Christ followers. That’s wrong. Family connection has nothing to do with regeneration of your heart and mind.

Secondly, we see that your racial or cultural background has nothing to do with being a part of the family of God. Again, here is where this misconception is seen. People may think that because they attended a church growing up, or maybe attended a Christian school, or had Christian friends or grew up in a quote on quote, “Christian country” somehow makes you a part of the family of God.

Years ago when I was a youth pastor I remember meeting an international student who transferred to the States from Taiwan. So, he and I would grab lunch quite often to talk about faith, and what we believe and early in to our discussions his biggest struggle was thinking that he wasn’t a Christian because he didn’t grow up in the United States. He believed that if he grew up here that he would be a Christian because in his mind the God of Christianity was seen only here in the States and that there were different gods in other parts of the world.

Now, praise God, we were able to deconstruct that misconception and he did ultimately end up turning to Christ and I had the awesome opportunity to baptize him. In fact, he was the first person I ever baptized. But that took time to tear down that faulty view that being part of God’s family is merely cultural.

What Jesus is revealing is something that goes far deeper than even family ties and bonds. He’s showing us that the family of God is a spiritual reality that lasts for eternity, it’s not a physical one that’s temporary. And that being a part of God’s family joins you with brothers and sisters from every language, every tribe, every nation. We are a large family of redeemed sinners from every corner of the earth.

Misconception number two:

Physical proximity makes you part of the family of God.

Right after Jesus asks the question, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” look then at what he does in verse 34.

Mark 3:34, And looking about at those who sat around him.

What’s he do? He begins to look around the room at everyone who has gathered around him. And so, who’s in that room? The room’s filled with people who are drawn to Jesus for a number of reasons. We’ve seen over the last couple of chapters that Jesus is drawing massive crowds from all over the region who love his miracles, who love his exorcisms, who love the show and the wow factor.

The crowds throughout the gospel of Mark are really never seen favorably. Oftentimes what we see is Jesus escaping the crowds to go somewhere else to minister or to just be alone in solitude. And the reason for that is the crowds are never pursuing Jesus for Jesus himself but just what Jesus can give them. So, they’re all good being near him as long as he’s healing and casting out demons, but the moment Jesus calls them to repentance, they really want nothing to do with it. They don’t want to change, they just want to be close enough that they can sense Jesus but not too close where it becomes uncomfortable.

And so, Jesus asks this question, “Who really is a part of my family” and looks around the room and according to the gospel of Matthew’s account of this moment, we see specifically who he pointed to.

Matthew 12:49, “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!”

You know, just as many of the people did here, many today follow Jesus for different reasons and with all sorts of different agendas. Most people like the idea of Jesus but they want a Jesus they can control. A Jesus that fits within what they want out of life.

And so people will claim to live good, moral lives, they’ll typically attend a church (usually) sporadically but apart from that there’s nothing that reveals that they are submitting to the Lordship of Christ. They’re not serving the body of Christ, they’re not actively engaged in the lives of others. They’re not living lives of repentance and faith. They’re not seeking to make disciples, they’re not really discipling their families. But, they’ll point to the fact that they attend church and so they then live with this misconception that their physical proximity to Jesus makes them part of the God’s family.

We can take it even a step further. There are people within the church that are active, and doing and saying lots of good things but still aren’t a part of God’s family. Why? Because in their doing, they are thinking their actions for Jesus will somehow make them part of God’s family. And so, there’s still no submission to Jesus, just lots of action and busyness and they’ll point to their works and say, “Look at all I’ve done for Jesus. Of course I’m part of his family.”

But listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7:21-23, “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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Can we just acknowledge that that’s a terrifying passage? There are people within Christ’s church who are doing and saying a lot of good and right things and Jesus says, “I don’t know you.” Why? Because they actually aren’t following Jesus they’re actually trying to manipulate God through their good works. They’re not trusting in him, they’re looking to themselves for acceptance and thinking that just looking the part is enough so that they don’t actually have to change and do the will of God.

Friends, please hear this warning from Scripture. Mere proximity to Jesus does not gain you acceptance into the family of God.

And so, what does?

Truth number one:

A true family member is one who believes.

What separated the disciples from everyone else in that room? They believed and they left everything to follow Jesus. They saw Jesus as the most supreme treasure and delight. Matthew was a tax collector which means he was pretty wealthy. But he left it all to cling to a greater treasure. Peter was a fisherman providing a decent living for his family but Jesus called him and said, follow me and I’ll make you a fisher of men. Meaning, follow me and you’ll live for something that’ll outlast you. And he followed him.

Simon was a zealot which means he sought to incite the people to overthrow Rome and Jesus calls him and says, follow me and you’ll be part of a movement that will change, not just Rome, but the world. And Simon believed and followed.

What separated these disciples from everyone else was that they just wanted Jesus and nothing else. Jesus was enough and their lives were changed because of him. Jesus became their life and everything else centered around him.

The apostle Peter, years later wrote to the church, to those who never witnessed the physical person of Christ but said,

1 Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

What makes you part of the family of God is that you love Jesus (not for what you think he can give you, but for Jesus himself).

What makes you part of the family of God is that you follow Jesus (following means forsaking everything else to cling to Jesus).

What makes you part of the family of God is that you believe Jesus (believing means you acknowledge him as your Lord, as your Savior, as your one and only hope, it means confessing your sin, repenting of your sin and turning in faith to Jesus as your redeemer).

And this results in,

Truth number two:

A true family member is one who joyfully obeys.

This is verse 35.

Mark 3:35, “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

It’s important for us to rightly understand what Jesus is saying here.

Kent Hughes says it best.

“Obedience does not originate a relationship with God (faith does that), but obedience is a sign of it”

He goes on to say that our relationship with Jesus,

“Is an eternal relationship that is marked by unshakeable grace, and those who receive such grace are marked by humble obedience.”

For those who have been saved by God’s grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus now stand before a Holy God redeemed, restored, reconciled. And because of that truth, that reality, our new life and standing before God we now live out a joyful obedience to God’s will.

This is what it means to be a part of God’s family.

Application

So, what do we take from this?

I think an obvious point of application is self-examination.

The Apostle Paul says to the Corinthian church, to,

2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

Healthy and godly self-examination is empowered by the Spirit of God and revealed through the Word of God. This is’t introspection, because introspection causes us to obsess about ourselves whereas godly self-examination draws our hearts upward to God where we look and rest in His work, His promises, His glory.

So, we ask God to reveal to us through His Spirit as we look to His Word where we fall short. We then confess, repent, and look to Jesus who is our right-standing before God.

And so, healthy, godly self-examination is rooted in a firm understanding and knowledge of God’s Word as we feed on it and meditate upon its truth and promises.

And so, make no mistake. God’s Word calls us to pursue holiness.

1 Peter 1:15, “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,”

We are called to put sin to death and grow in Christlikeness.

1 Thessalonians 4:3, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;”

It’s God’s will that we are a joyful, prayerful, and thankful people.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

And so, examine your life, examine your heart. Are you doing the will of God with hearts and souls resting in the finished work of Christ?

I love that James, Jesus’ half-brother who was here in Mark 3 standing on the outskirts, thinking Jesus had lost his mind at one point received grace and followed Jesus, and became part of the real family of God and could then write years later to believers in need of teaching and encouragement.

James 1:21-22, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Conclusion

And so, as we close today let’s be reminded of who the true family of God is.

We became children of God by spiritual birth and through adoption, not through physical birth.

We become part of the family through faith and that is the work of God alone in our hearts.

Evidence of our belonging is seen through our joyful obedience to the will of God.

God’s Word is what reveals to us what the will of God is.

We are part of a family that consists of men and women from every people group, every tribe, every language all joyfully and with unity making much of King Jesus.

There’s nothing better. Are you a part of God’s family?

Akin, D. L. (2014). Exalting jesus in mark (D. L. Akin, D. Platt, & T. Merida, Eds.; Mk 3:35). Holman Reference.

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