Matthew 12:46-50 While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.” But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Last Sunday, Pastor Herk preached that a couple of the greatest aspects of Christmas for the people of faith are family and forgiveness. The world celebrates the birth of Christ (God incarnate with us) each year on Christmas in the world-wide family of God. John 1:12-13 confirms, “as many as received Him [Jesus Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.”
Christmas celebrates the gift of God given by grace to the world for redemption from and forgiveness of sin in Christ, our Savior. Families gather at Christmas, sing carols, exchange gifts, laugh and enjoy a feast together in celebration and love as “family”. The tradition of giving gifts comes from the three Wisemen who gave the gifts of gold, frankincense and mire to Christ [the King sent by God] at his birth on the first Christmas. In the Matthew passage above, Jesus is speaking about the priority of our faith family relationship with God, our heavenly Father. Jesus was using His biological family relationship with His mother and brothers to illustrate in contrast the ultimate and overarching spiritual family relationship with the Lord, God. It all has to do with coming under His authority as willful obedient children of the kingdom of God and doing His Will.
Jesus said the plan of Salvation in Acts 26:18, “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”
So, to have a loving family relationship with Jesus depends on repentance of sin, receiving Christ as the atoning gift of God, and being as dedicated and devoted disciple [student/follower] of Jesus, Savior and Lord. In is based on both an internal relationship and eternal relationship with God himself. You have to ask yourself at this point in time, what kind of relationship are you in with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit? Are you in the family of God and a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven? God, through us, issues an invitation to this lost and dying in sin world to join His family. The Lord Jesus commanded the family of God, all brothers and sisters in Christ, and all His disciples to make disciples of all nations that make disciples ongoing to advance the kingdom of Heaven, increase the family of God, and decrease the population of Hell by repenting and receiving Jesus, the Savior of the world.
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
With all the distractions in the secular Holiday season, with all the decorations, lights, sales, wrapping gifts, parties, sports and maybe traveling, it is easy to forget what Christmas is really about. But, as we celebrate this gift of God’s love towards us through the incarnation unto forgiveness and Salvation, we must follow the example. We know that Christmas and family go together, but Christmas is also about reconciliation. God made the first move, not us. Sin threw the world out of control in a death spiral to Hell, but He thought of, designed and implement the plan to bring humanity back into the family. He sent His Son, sinless Jesus, miraculously conceived by God and born from a virgin, to redeem, forgive and save all who repent and receive this gracious Christmas gift by faith.
Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on the Christmas aspects of family, faith and forgiveness in the next post.
In Chrust, Brian
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