My Brothers

 

John 20:17.
Jesus has just resurrected and He’s appeared to Mary Magdalene who was at the burial site of Jesus crying.

Side note: one of my ALL TIME favorite verses in the ENTIRE bible is verse 16 when Jesus says her name, “Mary”, and she turned to Him and cried out, “Rabboni!" (which is Hebrew for “Teacher.”) Oh I picture myself to be like Mary one day when I see Him face to face!!

Upon her recognizing Him, He says to her in verse 17, “Don’t cling to Me. For I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go and find My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and Your Father, to My God and Your God.'"

Oh boy!
There’s SO MUCH HERE to SEE friends!!

But the part I want to show you today is this. “… go and find My brothers.”

Notice the choice words of our Savior!
He had called them friends, students, disciples… but here He chose to call them, “brothers.”

And this is significant!

In the original King James text, the word for “brothers” is “brethren.” And it means this = "a fellow Christian, closely united, one who resembles another in manners, kinsman by blood.”

Our Messiah… THE Messiah… chose to use a word that signified a closely united bond. He sent Mary to go find the ones to whom hearing this would encourage the souls of these sorrowing servants.

He calls them brothers.
He puts Himself in a category with them.
The like-minded ones.
The ones who shared in similar mannerisms.
The ones who resembled the chosen Son.

He calls them brothers.
The ones who had forsaken Him at His death.
The ones who had failed to see Him as He really was.

Brothers… a relationship that cannot be broken no matter what.

This is beyond precious!
And it should encourage us beyond measure today!

He calls them brothers.
He calls us His siblings too.
Forever united.
Bound together by blood.
An abiding relationship!

Amen!!