We are going to continue on our look at how to overlay the life of Jesus onto our lives in regards to our family. Last week we discussed how Jesus knew he needed to be in the Father’s business, even at 12 years old. We saw how Mary and Joseph didn’t understand, but Jesus chose to submit to his parents and went with them. 

Jesus Grew Up

Well, Jesus grew up. He learned carpentry from his earthly dad Joseph (Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55), submitting under Joseph’s metron and authority, like we talked about before. 

For all you young adults, look to the example of Jesus. Find a mentor, a trainer, a discipler to train you in the thing that God has called you to do or to be. Has God called you to be a doctor? Train under a Godly doctor. Has God called you as a minister? Learn and train under a Godly minister. Has God called you into the automotive industry? Find someone who’s already doing it, and learn from them. Jesus did this, so we can do this too.

Also, Jesus experienced the death of a parent. His dad Joseph goes “missing” sometime between the story of 12 year-old Jesus and the time when He starts His ministry.

Perhaps some of you have experienced the death of a parent. Jesus experienced this. He knows how it feels, and He knows how you feel. He can relate to you, and you can relate to Him in this way. 

More than likely Jesus took over the family business and helped support his mom and siblings. He may have even trained his younger brothers in carpentry. Some of you may have had to do this, take care of your younger brothers and sisters. Jesus did it; he knows what that’s like.

Jesus Starts His Ministry

When it was the right time, Jesus started His ministry work at the age of 30.

Think about this: let’s say you knew that Jesus was someone special, that He was meant to change the world. Let’s say you knew Him at age 25. Would you be disappointed that He wasn’t doing what God called Him to do?

Perhaps you’re in a waiting season, like Jesus was. Do you just start the thing that you feel God has called you to start before the appointed time? What if Jesus had done that? Abraham and Sarah did this, and they birthed Ishmael. But when the time was right, Isaac was miraculously conceived.

Don’t get discouraged that you aren’t in your full season yet. Wait for God’s timing. Jesus did this. He waited 30 years to be in God’s perfect timing. And in the meantime, he worked hard, served his family and other people well, learned a trade, made money, and hung out with friends. I believe He developed a thriving prayer life during this time too, because the Scripture says it was His habit to go out and pray.

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35 (ESV)

It was also His custom to go spend time with other believers in the synagogue.

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.” Luke 4:16 (ESV)

Elsewhere in the New Testament, we are instructed to “pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)” and to “not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25).”

Jesus did this, and so can we. We can grow in prayer like Jesus did, and we can commit to meeting together as a church.

His Family Doesn’t Understand Him (Again!)

“Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”” Mark 3:20-21 (ESV)

“And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”” Mark 3:31-35 (ESV)

Jesus’ own family thought He had gone crazy. Perhaps Jesus’ brother James was the instigator, saying something like, “Hey everyone, Jesus has gone crazy! Let’s go get him.” 

Again, they all misunderstood Him. They had a particular identity that they were attempting to force upon Him, but He wasn’t who they thought He was. He was different. He had a mission. He had a Godly calling.

Again, maybe some of you have family members who think you’re crazy for believing all this “spiritual stuff.” Perhaps they have a false identity that they’re trying to put on you like Jesus’ own family was doing. 

You don’t have to come into agreement with a false identity, even if it’s your own family that tries to put it on you. You can be the moral free agent that God called you to be. You can be the person that God says you are. 

We also see that Jesus adopts a new family. “Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

When you start moving about with the Holy Spirit, you will become attractive to some people, and others you will repel. This is because you have a spiritual smell. You will smell good to others moving about in the Holy Spirit, and you will smell like death to those who have rejected the Holy Spirit. How do I know this? It’s Biblical!

“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.” 2 Corinthians 2:15-16a (NKJV)

God knows that family is important to all of us. That’s why He calls Himself our Heavenly Father.

He will bring a spiritual family close to us to help us out, to become our spiritual mothers, spiritual fathers, spiritual brothers and sisters, and our spiritual sons and daughters. This is an ok thing. This is a God-thing.

And you didn’t realize how much the life of Jesus was working in you, right? Perhaps you didn’t realize that Jesus had experienced the kind of heartbreak with your family that you’ve experienced. He did. He knows what it feels like. And He is faithful to be your family and to bring you His amazing family around you.

Keep Praying for Your Family – Full Circle

But keep praying for your blood family. I believe they can and will come around to understand what the Lord is doing in you, and they’ll start asking how God can do the same things in their situations too!

And coming full circle, Jesus’ own brother James finally believed in Him.

We’ll close with some fascinating info about James, the brother of Jesus, who was a major pillar in the early church. This information comes from the Blue Letter Bible introduction to the book of James.

“James, the brother of our Lord – A half-brother of our Lord (Mt 13:55), who did not believe in his brother at first (Jn 7:5). He became a disciple following the resurrection (1 Co 15:7 – Jesus visited James; Ac 1:14) and gained prominence in the church at Jerusalem (Ga 2:9). As evidence of his prominence, Peter sent him a special message following his own release from prison (Ac 12:17). James also played an important role in the conference at Jerusalem (Ac 15:13-33), and Paul brought him greetings upon arriving at Jerusalem (Ac 21:18-19).

“James, the Lord’s brother” (Ga 1:19) is most likely the author of this epistle. Tradition describes James as a man of prayer, which may explain the emphasis on prayer in his letter. It was said that he prayed so much, his knees were as hard as those on a camel. He was martyred in 62 A.D., either by being cast down from the temple, or beaten to death with clubs. It is reported that as he died, he prayed as did Jesus, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.””

Take heart, if you have a family who doesn’t understand your calling. Just keep focusing on the things the Lord is telling you to do, and let God work out the rest. 

Part 1