“…go to my BROTHERS…”
Not Meant to Be Alone
Man was created for fellowship. Fellowship with God our Father, Christ our Savior, the Holy Spirit our Helper, and fellowship with one another. Our relationships in this brief life play a significant role in our Christian walk. Outside influences can easily build up one’s character or just as easily erode it. So, most are careful with whom they choose to have close relationships with. After all, it takes no small amount of effort to maintain close relationships. I believe there is one exception to this rule, however. That exception being the relationship between brothers. There is something between brothers that ties the two together and the relationship just comes naturally. Obviously, there is the amount of time spent together but more than that, I believe that the shared sense of values passed on from parents and experiences - good or bad - work to forge a bond between two persons that neither time nor distance can destroy. I know I cannot speak to or see one of my brothers for quite a while and when we finally do speak or see each other it’s picking up right where we left off.
It's in Our Nature
I realize that this experience is not necessarily universal, and I feel that I would be remiss if I didn’t address this. There are those brotherly relationships that are strenuous or even to the point where the relationship doesn’t exist at all anymore. We live in a fallen world, and nothing escapes that fact, not even blood relationships. However, I think there is something within us that innately acknowledges this fact. After all, what do we often say of close friends, “He’s more like a brother to me.” So, I think the significance of brotherly bonds can be universally understood.
A Brother Like No Other
Staying on the topic of brotherhood let’s look at John 20:17 ESV
“Jesus said to her, ‘do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, To My God and your God.””
This is the first time in all of Scripture that Jesus refers to His disciples as “Brothers” and not “Students or Disciples.” So why the change in terms now? It’s all about what has just happened. Jesus is speaking to Mary after His resurrection from the dead. The events of Friday and of that Sunday morning changed everything. It wasn’t the disciples’ rock-solid faith through the difficulties of the last few days that earned them the right to be called the Son of God’s brothers. After all, Peter denied Jesus, and all but John, ran and hid to not be arrested themselves. Nothing they did earned them this title, it was everything that He did that secured such a precious relationship. Until God placed the sins of the world on His perfect, spotless, sinless Son, there existed a mighty gulf between mankind and God. But the free grace of God brought down to man a spirit of adoption through Jesus’ blood.
“For all who are being led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:14-17 ESV)
Talk About Unworthy!
When I stop to consider all of this, I’m blown away at the idea of it. God the Father has adopted us into His family and through our faith in the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross, we can call Jesus the Christ our brother! Talk about an undeserving lot, us humans. Constantly stumbling in this Christian walk. It’s easy to begin to feel unworthy, and you know what…WE ARE! Until we find redemption for our souls, our best works of righteousness are as filthy rags before a Holy God. But, (aren’t you glad there’s a but), since Jesus did suffer and die for the sins of the redeemed, we can call him “Brother.” I really hope that the fallenness of our world and relationships haven’t robbed you of a right understanding of the closeness of real brotherhood, but if it has, we can experience it all the greater still through our walk with Christ, our true Brother.
