Jesus is the answer…to the Family
Water cooler conversation:
What was your biggest win this week? What was your biggest challenge?
What was the most impossible thing that you honestly believed your parent(s) could do when you were a kid? Beat up any bad guys that would try to harm you? See with eyes in the back of their head?
Unpack the Message:
In Matthew 12:48-50, a crowd gathered outside the house where Jesus and His disciples were staying. (A parallel account of these events is found in Mark 3). Among them is his mother Mary and His brothers and sisters (Matthew 12:46-47), who are waiting to speak to Him. Part of Jesus' family was actively involved and supported Jesus' ministry before and after His crucifixion. In the Book of Acts, we read about Mary's involvement in establishing the early church.
We know Mary and Joseph brought Jesus up in a home that loved and served God and instructed Him in matters of faith (Luke 2:29-51). Later, in Luke 24:25-26, Jesus tells the crowd, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple." While at first, that may seem harsh—as though Jesus is telling them they have to turn their back on their family if they truly want to become a disciple, that's not His intent. Jesus is in no way suggesting that we must despise our family members and cut them off but instead, our love for Him and our commitment to Him much be such that everything else pales in comparison to it. Jesus uses hyperbolic language here as He often did in His teaching ( Matthew 5:22; Matthew 7:1-5; Matthew 18:8-9;).
Giving up self-interest and setting aside competing loyalties are central to discipleship. That's why following Jesus sets our affection on things above. Instead of getting distracted by the often complicated entanglements of our family dynamics, focusing on Jesus helps us see past the pettiness and perceived hurts and reminds us to love as He loves. By placing Him first, we can trust that He will guide us through every trouble, every decision, every conversation with our earthly family.
Following Jesus changes lives. When we place our faith in trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ, supernatural transformation occurs (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer face problems and stressors in our own strength. Not only does He change our lives, but His work in our lives will also influence and shape the lives of those around us.
Not only does following Him change our lives, following Jesus ends generational curses. Behaviors, attitude problems, and tendencies toward addictions like alcoholism tend to run in families just as physical characteristics of height, weight, hair color, and complexion tend to repeat. Toxic behaviors like abuse are repeated from one generation to the next throughout the family lineage. But, deliverance is available to everyone who sincerely calls upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13). Through the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit, the generational curse can be broken.
When a family comes together, determined to serve the Lord according to His leading, transformation happens within the family. That's why following Jesus brings a family together. When each family member comes together in one accord with one purpose - to serve the Lord and draw those far from God into a relationship with Him, your hearts are knit together in ways you cannot understand outside the family of God.
How can we trust God with our family?
We can trust Him with our family because He is Abba Father, a name for God that demonstrates a deep personal relationship and obedience. When we see God as our "Abba Father," we recognize that He is holy, worthy of our surrender and obedience. It is a matter of presenting a humble heart, filled with heart devotion and submission to the One with the rightful authority over our soul and fully trusting in his love, just as Jesus did on the cross.
Jesus is the Mother of Israel. Matthew 23:37 says “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Jesus was speaking as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, chiding the Jewish people saying He would have stepped in to protect Jerusalem and her children if they had only allowed Him. The symbolism here is unique in Scripture with a tender, maternal tone. Jesus, the Son of God, describes His heart’s motive to protect His people from harm.
Jesus is the Nurturing Son. One of His last acts on earth was to ensure that John would take care of Mary after His death. (Joseph is not mentioned during Jesus' public ministry, so most scholars assume he died sometime between the twelve-year-old temple account (Luke 2:41-52; approximately 8-12 A.D.) and when Jesus began His public ministry around 27-29 A.D. at "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23)). Though fully God, Jesus was also fully man and would have been brought up within Jewish culture. As a widow, Mary would have limited opportunities in life and restrictions on how she could support herself, so by speaking directly to John and Mary in one of His final acts, Jesus ensures that His mother will not be left destitute.
Above all else, Jesus was an obedient Son. He came to earth knowing how His earthly ministry would end through a brutal and agonizing death on the cross. His cry of "Abba, Father" demonstrates His complete surrender to His Father's will. Through His death, He alone made it possible for us to be reconciled to God.
Because the One who redeems us also calls us into discipleship that comes with a significant personal cost, Jesus' command to "Follow me" is both gift and demand. Discuss.
Do you know anyone whose faith in Christ ended a generational curse?
Jesus cries, "Abba, Father" while dying on the cross (Mark 14:36). Understanding the meaning of this name for God from the text above, discuss the magnitude of Jesus' words.
How should simply knowing our identity as children of God change our attitudes? Our actions?
In “The Purpose Driven Life,” Rick Warren says, “We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves.” What evidence is there in the Bible, that we were “created for community?” Why is it essential for us to immerse ourselves in that community?
According to Scripture, the first Commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ (Luke 10:27). Can one really be a Christian if we do not love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength? What does that look like on a practical level?
Make a Move:
Is there someone in your family who is far from God? Be intentional in looking for ways to start a conversation about faith with them. If you’re unsure where to start, reach out to one of the pastors for how to begin.
Is your family plagued by a generational curse? Talk to one of our pastors about steps you can take to break the curse and bring light and life to your family through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer Prompt:
Lord, I pray for Your physical, emotional, and spiritual protection over my family. I ask that you keep evil far from those I love and help them trust You as their refuge and strength. I ask that You give them pure hearts, wisdom, and discernment from above so they may recognize truth. I ask that You guard their minds against the lies the world will tell them. Make them strong and courageous, standing up for those unable to stand for themselves, acknowledging that You have overcome. Help us to be mindful that and one day You will set right all injustice. Help them find rest in You, and may they live in such a way that people far from God will be drawn into a relationship with You. Amen