Who are Jesus' Family?

 Jesus maintained a strong relationship with his family. His mother and brothers supported him and were with the disciples waiting for Pentecost after his death. In this passage, related by Luke, Jesus uses a circumstance to explain how he wishes to have an extended family. His own family were unable to get to him because of the crowd. Jesus does not send everyone else away, but instead expresses the depth of friendship he wants by stating that the people 'who hear the word of God and do it' are his extended family.

This involves more than just seeing and hearing. It involves 'doing', allowing what is seen to make a total change, from darkness to light and then letting that light be seen. Listening results in receiving and requires a response.

Luke again seems to deliberately cluster these events together to underline a point Jesus is making about the Kingdom of God. Part of his mission is to gather together a group of people who not only hear what he says but put it into practice. Luke has shown that the beginnings of this group has developed and been recognised as disciples who are distinguishable from a larger crowd. They are men and women drawn from all parts of society.

These people are more than just disciples, followers of a teacher, they are adopted into a larger family. They have a role of being a lamp-stand, a means of projecting the light, the life of Jesus, the new humanity, to the world.  They have the role of scattering seed of new life, preparing for a miraculous harvest.

Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome, states that this is an essential element of bringing this age to an end and the birth of the new age, Jesus coming back to earth and the first resurrection. He expresses it as the whole of creation groaning in expectation, waiting for the ‘revealing of the sons of God’, those adopted into his family, a group of people expressing new humanity as Jesus intends.

John, writing in the book of Revelation, gives a description of how the church is to demonstrate being part of Jesus' family. It gives seven different descriptions with the church being a lamp-stand showing Jesus' light. The first stresses the importance of doing in response to seeing and hearing. Expressing being part of the extended family is here described as being an 'overcomer'. Each shows different pressures and circumstances that need to be overcome, through seeing Jesus having invited him into our lives, hearing and living in the Spirit.