Brothers and Sisters of Jesus

At first impression, this passage seems like you put the following ingredients in a blender: a movie star mobbed at a red carpet event, a boys-only treehouse, a political debate, and an awkward family reunion. Jesus has clearly become a polarizing figure in Galilee. He is literally crushed by popularity, then accused of being possessed by Satan himself. Then his family thinks he is insane, and tries to rescue him from himself.

Mark is a master storyteller, as he weaves together these various responses to Jesus. These responses seem natural, even though they are divergent. What should make us think, though, is what Jesus does and says in response to the crowds, the scribes, and his family. We have been watching the opposition to Jesus grow, and his popularity grow. But, what is new is this section, is Jesus begins to form an “in-group” and talk about those “outside.” Next week, Jesus will make this very clear in this teaching on the Kingdom. We have seen divided responses to Jesus, but now we begin to see Jesus himself making division. The division is between those who follow him and “get it” and those who oppose him and are clueless.

1. Jesus and the crowds: Jesus is smothered (7-12)
What Mark does in verses is give a panorama of Jesus’ early ministry in Galilee. What is the big picture view look like? Crowds from all around the area came to him for healing. They mobbed him. Verse 10 says “pressed upon him.” This can also be translated “fell upon him.” People were literally throwing themselves at him. Because if they touched him, they would be healed. Demon-possessed people didn’t fall upon him, but they fall down at his feet. The demons—the unclean spirits—recognized that he was the Son of God. But, the people, still treated him as a mere worker of miracles.

One of the reasons this short account is right here, is that it contrasts the hostility toward Jesus in the previous accounts. From 1:40-3:6, Mark gives us 6 short accounts in a row that all pit Jesus against the religious leaders. Their growing hostility toward him is contrasted with his celebrity status with the crowds. We feel this tension between popularity and hostility grow in our passage.

2. Jesus and the disciples: Jesus selects the disciples (13-21)
Instead of working the crowds, Jesus picks 12 men to be with him and to minister for him. Peter, Andrew, James, and John will feature more in this gospel. Others we know little to nothing about. Contrasted with the religious leaders, these men support Jesus. There are 2 features that stand out about Jesus’ selection of these 12 men.

A. Jesus chooses to spend his time with these men for the next few years. Not the crowds, not the religious leaders, but these 12 men. They are his constant companions. The main point of these verses is not the leadership style of Jesus, but there are a few things we can learn. One man can only do so much. Jesus chose to invest in 12 men during his few years of ministry, especially Peter, James, and John. It is these 12 men that he uses to begin the church. We overestimate what one person can do. We underestimate what one person can do when they invest themselves into a few other people.

B. Jesus picked twelve, not ten or fifteen. The twelve tribes of Israel descended from the 12 sons of Jacob. It is clear that Jesus is beginning something new. He is going to restore Israel, and it is to begin how the nation of Israel began: with 12 unruly men.

3. Jesus and the Scribes: Jesus is satanic (22-30)
Up to this point, the religious leaders confronting Jesus are presumably from Galilee. But now the big guys show up. The scribes—experts in Jewish law—come down from Jerusalem to see what Jesus is doing. They clearly have a negative opinion of him. That’s putting it lightly- they think he is indwelt by Satan. Beelzebul was another term for Satan. The common understanding of that day, and carried through in the Bible, is that Satan is the ruler of the demons, or the unclean spirits.

I find in fascinating that Jesus does not counter their accusations with Scripture. He does that other places, but not here. Their accusations are completely baseless as to be logically impossible. He tells two stories, or parables, to prove his point. We will find in chapter 4 that Jesus gives his teaching in parables so those outside won’t understand, but for those inside (his followers).

A. The first parable is simple: if a leader is divided against his followers, his house or kingdom cannot stand. You say that I’m casting out demons by the power of Satan! That’s plain stupid.

B. The second parable, Jesus goes further. He tells them what is really going on. Jesus, the strong man, has entered Satan’s house, and binds him. Then he plunders his house. It seems that best way to understand this parable is that Jesus is plundering Satan’s house of people. Mark does have a fondness for referring to or quoting from Isaiah the prophet. Perhaps he has this verse in mind: Isaiah 49:25

For thus says the Lord:
“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,
and the prey of the tyrant be rescued,
for I will contend with those who contend with you,
and I will save your children.

In chapter 5 of Mark, we find a vivid example of this, when Jesus rescues a man brutally oppressed by a multitude of demons. Satan seems big and strong until Jesus shows up and takes him down.

Then it gets very serious in verses 28-30. The unforgiveable sin. Some of you may be familiar with John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress. He also wrote his spiritual autobiography called Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. In the first two-thirds of the book, he wrestles with whether or not he had committed the unpardonable sin. It’s actually a depressing book to read, and a bad picture of how the Christian life is to be lived. A good rule of thumb is this: if you are worried about having committed the unpardonable sin, you probably haven’t. Let me explain.

What the religious leaders were doing was attributing the power of the Holy Spirt to Satan. By the Spirit, Jesus was casting out demons. The leaders said: that’s Satan working. One Bible scholar put it this way: “This allegation involves a total perversion of the truth and a repudiation of the rule of God.” If you call God’s work, Satan’s work, that is the unforgivable sin. If you throw out Jesus and his work…if you call the Spirit’s work “evil,” then you are guilty of this eternal sin. You have cast away from you the only person that forgive your sins…Jesus.

In this strong warning, there is a word of hope: your sins can be forgiven. However bad and evil you are or feel you are, there is forgiveness because of what Christ has done for us. Forsake your sin and come to Jesus. Guilt is washed away. Sins are cleared. Your evil heart is cleansed. But, thrust Jesus away and call his work evil, and you have no hope of forgiveness. Your only future is eternal punishment in hell. A severe warning coupled with a bright hope.

4. Jesus and his family: Jesus is insane (31-35)
I’m hesitant to talk about food this late on Sunday morning, but it won’t be a smorgasbord this week. This week, there’s a sandwich. If you look at verses 20-21, we have Jesus’ family introduced. They go out to find him, but the story is interrupted by the scribes accusing Jesus of being possessed by Satan. Then in verse 31, the family is reintroduced. The family is the bread, the accusation of the scribes is the liverwurst (I’m not going to call them anything good). We can see the different levels of opposition to Jesus- personal, social, and religious opposition.

What does his family think of him? The KJV says: “he is beside himself.” That’s a gentle way of putting it. The ESV conveys the meaning better: “He is out of his mind.” In other words, “he’s gone nuts!” Well, this is embarrassing. Family reunions are going to be a bit tense the next several years. It’s also embarrassing because his mother is involved. It has to be pretty bad when your momma comes along and says- “you’re crazy.” Mary and the brothers and sisters of Jesus all had their doubts. Jesus’s disciples will struggle understanding him throughout the gospel. The only ones who really see who Jesus is are the demons.

Notice what Jesus does. Jesus does not invite them into the house. “Hey, clear a path, my momma and the rest of my family are here.” He leaves them outside. He doesn’t say, “Give me 5, I’ll be out when I’m done with this parable.” He says “who are my mother and my brothers? They’re right here with me!” The people who do God’s will are the brother and sisters of Jesus.

Again, Jesus is forming an inner circle separate from those outside. You don’t get on the inside by being religious. The religious leaders bombed that one badly. You don’t get on the inside by being related. You have to do God’s will. Being a Christian is not like being part of a shady business, where only the family of employees are hired, and only those with connections get contracts.
Everyone is on equal footing. You come to Jesus, repenting of your sins, and eager to do his will. Growing up in church or having Christian parents doesn’t get you in. Repentance and faith in Jesus do. The question that screams at us from this text is this: are you doing the will of God?

Application: Being a part of Jesus’ family
When we think of our earthly family, we often have a mix of emotions: joy, sorrow, confusion, awkwardness. It is a part of our experience as humans to feel a funky blend of happiness and discomfort with our family. As I gotten to know many of you, I’ve heard of the pain in your family. This is a pain known by Jesus. When he was on earth, his family rejected him as crazy. If your family has done that to you, you are walking where Jesus walked. But Jesus does more than just understand, he offers something better.

1. Being a part of Jesus’ family is more precious than earthly family
Mark will expand on this idea of being a part of the family of Jesus later in the book.

10:29-30 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Mark 13:12-13 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

For Christians, when it comes down to following your family or Jesus, Jesus always wins. That’s what Jesus did. He chose his Father’s will over the desires of his earthly family. And that’s what he invites us to do. Becoming a brother or sister of Jesus has more earthly and eternal value than being a part of your earthly family.

Following Christ means that we might have to leave our family behind. Following Christ may also mean that our earthly family will hate our guts and try to kill us. But that’s OK, because we get something far better. Our older brother is Jesus, and his Father is our Father.

2. Your spiritual family is more precious that your physical family
When I say this, I don’t want in any way for us to shirk the responsibilities that God has given us as husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, brothers and sisters, children and grandparents. Earthly family is a gift from God, but often sadly twisted by sin. It’s awesome when your earthly family is also part of your heavenly family. But that’s often not the case.

The testimony of the Bible is this: we have a family that will last forever, that is more precious than our earthly family. The common bond of Christ is much closer than the bond of blood. Look around- if you are a Christian looking at other Christians, you will live with these people forever as your family. Your earthly family will perish here, but Christ’s family will never end.

This is an encouragement is two ways:

-For those who have hard family situations and unsaved family. You are the mother, brother, or sister of Jesus. It doesn’t get any better than that. Having Jesus as your brother is more real than your earthly family. When you’re rejected by your family, remember: you’re already in the family that really matters. Being a brother or sister of Jesus is not a mere consolation prize for missing out on the first place trophy of a happy earthly family. Having Jesus as your big brother is the prize that will last forever.

-For those who come as families to church- make sure that gathering with God’s family is precious to your family. Sometimes family things conflict with church things, but make sure that the church is not just a place, but first a family.

In heaven, we will literally be, one big happy family. Not the kind of Facebook that is all smiles for the picture, then fights afterward. One big, perfectly happy family, with God as our Father and Jesus as our brother.