A Different Kind of Family

(Jn 19:26-27)

       

       As Jesus hung on the cross dying, John 19:26-27 tells us, [26] ‘When Jesus saw his mother there and, the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” [27] and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home’ (Jn 19:26-27).

 

       Why did Jesus put His mother, Mary, and John (Jn 21:24), the disciple whom He loved, together as mother and son, a family, when Mary had other children (Mt 13:55-56; Mk 6:3), particularly, sons, who could care for her after His death?  To understand why Jesus made this arrangement, we have to look back at one of His teachings about family.  Matthew 12:46-50 says, [46] “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. [47]Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” [48]‘He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” [49]Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. [50]For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother (Mk 3:31-35; Lk 8: 21). Clearly, Jesus was using His natural family as an example to teach about a different kind of family, a spiritual family, His family, those who do the will of His Father in heaven.

 

       What is the will of His Father in heaven? In John 6:40 Jesus declared, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (See also Jn 3:16). So then, John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, must have looked to Jesus and believed in Him, that is, he must have looked to Jesus to forgive him of his sins and save his soul (Mt 16:26); he must have believed God’s promise that a day would come when Jesus would raise him from the dead, and he would live forever in God’s presence (Jn 14:3; 17:24). Mary, too, must have looked to Jesus and believed in Him for the same things. Thus, to Mary, Jesus was more than her son, He was the Son of God, He was her Savior (Mt 1:21), and He was her King.  

 

       We remember, briefly, how it was for her when the angel came to tell her about God’s plan for her life. [30]“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. [31]You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. [32]He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, [33]and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Lk 1:30-33). He will be called the “Son of God” (Mt 1:2; Lk 1:35).  And we remember her humble and willing reply, “I am the Lord’s servant...May it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).  

 

       There were times when she did not understand the things others said about Jesus (Lk 2:25-32), her firstborn Son (Lk 2:7), and sometimes she did not understand the things He Himself did and said (Lk 2:46-50), but she had a good habit of thinking about these things, marveling over them, and treasuring “all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19, 33,  & 51).

 

       We remember the time when Jesus and His disciples were at a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and she was there, too, and when the wine ran out how she showed her faith in Him. Confident that He could miraculously provide more wine, she said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:1-11, 12 Key v5).

 

       But while she had faith in her firstborn son, her other sons, Jesus’ brothers, James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon (Mk 6:3) had not yet put their faith in Him, and so, they were not doing the will of Jesus’ Father in heaven. John 7:5 states, “For even his own brothers did not believe in Him.”

 

       Therefore, because of their unbelief, Jesus did not regard them as His true brothers or His mother’s true sons, and that is why as He hung there, dying on the cross, He took the time to show His mother who was her true son and left her in the care of His disciple, His true brother, for He had come to give His life to prepare a different kind of family, a spiritual family, not a natural one, for His Father in heaven (Mk 12:14). After His death, His brothers believed in Him, and found their place in His spiritual family. They were among the 120 believers who were together, constantly, in prayers in the upper room (Acts 1:14; See also 1Cor 9:5; Gal 1:19).  

 

       Anyone can become part of Jesus’ spiritual family, His true family (Jn 6:40). It does not matter who you are or what you have done (Ro 3:10-18), as long as you look to Jesus and believe in Him from your heart (Ro 10:9-10), He will accept you as His mother or brother or sister (Mt 12:46-50). He will never turn you away (Jn 6:37). 

 

 

 

 (Good Friday Service, Mar. 25, 2016).