Title: Brother
Author: Gary Witcher
Company: none

Jesus: Brother

     "While He was still speaking to the multitudes," Matthew 12:46-50 says of Jesus, "behold, His mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.
     "And someone said to Him, 'Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.'
     "But He answered the one who was telling Him and said, 'Who is My mother and who are My brothers?'
     "And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, 'Behold, My mother and My brothers!  For whoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.'"
     As used in the New Testament, the word "brother" implies one of two things.  It sometimes refers to those who are united by a common interest.  It is used this way in passages such as Matthew 5:47.
     "Brother" sometimes means those who are united by a common calling.
     "For consider your call, brethren," Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:26, "that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble."
     Of course, the term can be applied to those who are united by common interest AND by common calling.  This is often the case when referring to Christians.
     It's almost more than we have a right to expect, isn't it, for Jesus to refer to us a His "brothers"?  He leaves heaven, lives a sinless life and dies on the cross for our sins; and He still thinks of us as brothers.
     "But do not be called Rabbi," the Lord warns in Matthew 23:8; "for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers."
     "Do not be afraid," Jesus says in Matthew 28:10 following His resurrection; "go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they shall see Me."
     Since it implies such a warm and close relationship with Jesus and with each other, it is little wonder that the idea of brotherhood was proudly maintained by the first Christians.  Paul frequently addresses the recipients of his letters as brothers.
     "Honor all men," the apostle Peter advises in 1 Peter 2:17; "love the brotherhood."
     Jesus is our brother.  And Christian men and women form a brotherhood.  But, as might be expected, there are certain things which are required of us if we are to be part of this family.
     First of all, how do we get into this family?  Obviously, the usual way to enter a family is to be born into it.
     "Truly, truly, I say to you," Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:3, "unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
     "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asks in the next verse.
     "Truly, truly, I say to you," the Master responds, "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
     On the day of Pentecost, the people ask the apostles what they must do to be saved.
     "Repent," Peter replies in Acts 2:38, "and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
     Is there any similarity between these two passages?
     "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren," we read in 1 Peter 1:22, "fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God."
     "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," Peter has already stated in verse three of the first chapter, "who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
     "And corresponding to that," the same letter says in chapter three, verse 21, "baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
     Does Peter associate being born again with obedience to the word of God?  Does Peter connect being born again with the resurrection of Jesus?  Does Peter link the resurrection of Jesus with our baptism?
     In Romans chapter six Paul tells specifically what we must do to start a new life.
     "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death," Paul states, "in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."
     Does there seem to be a pattern here?
     There may be many answers to the question, "How can one be born into the family of God?"  But there is only one answer which agrees with the Bible.  In all honesty, any other answers are taken out of the air or out of men's imaginations.

     Once we are in the family of God, must we do anything to maintain this relationship?
     "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness," 1 John 1:6 instructs, "we lie and do not practice the truth."
     "But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light," the passage continues, "we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
     We can claim Jesus as our brother only as long as we walk in the light.
     John goes on to state that acknowledgment of our sins, along with repentance of these sins, are conditions of keeping our relationship with God.
     If we are to be part of a brotherhood, certain things are expected in our relationships with each other.
     "The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now," 1 John 2:9-11 teaches.
     "The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.  But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
     As brothers we must love one another.  John repeats this same message in 1 John 3:10-17 and 4:20.
     In Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus tells us we must not harbor anger toward our brother.  We must not search for faults among our brethren, as we know from Matthew 7:3, Romans 14:10 and James 4:11.
     If our brother sins, we are to rebuke him, as we learn from Matthew 18:15 and Luke 17:3.  We are to be equally quick to forgive, according to the same passages.
     From 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 we know that we must withdraw from and admonish unruly brothers.
     We must not be quick to go to court against a brother, 1 Corinthians 6:6 says.  According to 1 Corinthians 8:11-13 we must not cause a brother to stumble.  Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 that we must not defraud our brothers.
     James 2:15-16 indicates that we must be ready to help our brothers and sisters.  And 1 John 5:16 instructs us to pray for our brethren.
     It is a wonderful privilege to be brothers and sisters of Jesus and of fellow Christians, even though there are certain responsibilities.  But we should be aware that the Bible warns against false and so-called brothers.
     "But false prophets also arose among the people," 2 Peter 2:1 warns, "just as there will be false teachers among you."
     This message is so important that the entire second chapter of 2 Peter is devoted to it.
     How can we tell, though, who is a true brother?
     "But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother," Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 5:11, "if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, of a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler - not even to eat with such a one."
     We can tell a false brother by his false life style, by his morality or lack of it.
     "These are grumblers," Jude 16 points out, "finding fault, following after their own lusts, they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage."
     We can recognize a false brother by his false attitudes.
     "But it was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage," Paul writes in Galatians 2:4 of those who propose false doctrine.
     We can know a false brother by his false teaching.
     But, what's the problem?  Why should we be concerned with false brothers?
     "I have been on frequent journeys," Paul remembers in 2 Corinthians 11:26, "in dangers from rivers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren."
     Why be concerned about false brethren?  False brethren mislead people into thinking they are safe when they are not.  If we want to be true brethren we must all obey the truth.  For only the truth will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.lockman.org)