Sermons
Vander Kam on Matthew 12:48-50
Sermons
Vander Kam on Matthew 12:48-50Matthew 12:48-50 – "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.'" (New American Standard Bible)
Beloved in the Lord: of all the great teachers there have been in the world, and there certainly have been a great many, we find that there are also ever so many in our day, many of those who are well able to stand together with those of former ages. That there are ever so many great teachers who are able to teach ever so much to the younger generation, who are able to teach by virtue of the fact that they have a great amount of knowledge. And that is a great boon and a great blessing to ever so many people when there are real teachers in the land. And that is the kind of a thing that we have seen time and again in the past. We have seen it especially in the land of Greece, that there they had some of the best teachers of their time, and these were the teachers that were able to humble themselves in such a way so that they were also able to teach the common people.
And that is the kind of a teacher that we need in order that he may be able to teach the common man, so that he will also be able to see into the depths of those things that are unfolding, and that he will be able to unravel some of the things, some of the mysteries of this universe. Those are the kind of things that we need. And there are ever so many today also, we stand astounded at their erudition, we stand astounded at their scholarship, because of the fact that they have received so much and are also able to teach others.
But when we look throughout this entire world's history concerning the greatest teachers there have been, there is none that even compares to Jesus Christ. And there is no one, whether he be a believer or unbeliever that can ever challenge that. This is the greatest teacher there has ever been; there has never been anyone anywhere close to it, not ever remotely near Him. He is so far above all the others, and that is the kind of a teacher that we needed, and that is the kind of a teacher that we have. Not that He is going to save us by His teaching, of course not; but nevertheless, this is the kind of teaching that we need, that He is able to give, who has seen the very depths of the ways of God and is also able to unfold that to us. And that He does! And He does that beloved, in all the various forms that there are. He is able to look into the past and teaches with history. He teaches with ever so many examples; He teaches in parables; He teaches with one form after the other. And the disciples have to say later on that they have never been taught by anyone the way they have been taught by Jesus of Nazareth.
And now there are also the times that He is interrupted. Interrupted in His speaking, in his teaching, and those are the things that should not be of benefit to the others, but nevertheless they are sometimes. This is also to their benefit, that even though He is interrupted, nevertheless He comes with teaching, the kind of teaching that we have heard nowhere else. He is interrupted here. He has been speaking concerning those who are opposed to Him, and He says that the people of the time of Nineveh, these unbelievers in Nineveh, they are going to stand in judgment with this generation, and they are going to condemn it because they humbled themselves under the preaching of Jonah; and a greater than Jonah is here.
Then the Queen of Sheba comes to Solomon, and she stands amazed at his learning, at his wisdom; and a greater than Solomon is here. And so you can say of everybody, "and a greater than he is here; in Jesus Christ." And now amid all that, there comes someone and says, "Here are your brothers and your mother." We would almost say, "So what!" Why, why must there be that kind of interruption? But He uses it, and He uses it in such a way to show that this is the way in which He stands related to His people.
We speak to you on, Related to Christ. Noticing in the first place, the strange statement; secondly, its teaching; and finally, the glorious comfort.
It says here beloved; He comes with a very strange statement concerning this matter of our relationship to Him. He says that "he that believes in Me, he who is a follower of Me, is my brother and sister and mother." Have you ever felt that you were a brother of Jesus Christ? Or of you older women, have you ever felt that you were mother to Jesus? It is almost impossible to think in those kind of terms. That almost goes too far; that is what He says in the words of our text. He that believes, he is my mother and brother and sister; those are the ones who stand related to Me.
Now concerning that relationship to Him beloved, not too much is known concerning his family of course, from the Scripture. We know concerning Mary, and there is a little bit given to us, not that much, but nevertheless, a little bit is given to us. That she was the mother of our Lord, that she had given birth to Him, and she has a very prominent place therefore at the Christmas time. Joseph seems to have died already before His earthly ministry began, and therefore you never hear of him after the Christmas account. Concerning his brothers, all that you hear first is this, that they were also unbelievers, they did not believe in their eldest brother, that He was the Son of God, that He was the Savior of the world, and that is something that you can also understand, in a measure.
To have to think that of your oldest brother, that He is my Savior and my Lord, that He is God Himself. That's what they would have to think; and they don't. Except that later on the Spirit of God moves mightily and two of them, James and Judas, become disciples, and become leaders in the church, and leave their books for the people of God of later ages. These are the ones who have a very prominent place. But otherwise, virtually nothing is heard concerning all those who are related to Him. And Rome has sought to give Mary a very important place; and in a way, rightly so. She is to be the most blessed among women. Now the Reformed has not exactly made her the most blessed among women. The Reformed have rather looked askance at her, in order that we might not give her a place that she does not deserve; and as a result of that, Mary is certainly not honored very greatly in Reformed circles, or in all Protestant circles.
Roman Catholicism has given her a high place so that for many years they speak of the mother of God! Now that is something that goes far too far of course. The mother of God! And that's the way she was almost worshipped, and then they spoke of the virgin birth of Christ, but then they also immediately ascribed that to Mary; she was also born that same way. And now you could go back, on and on and on. No, they stop with Mary, but nevertheless there is no foundation for it, and that is the way in which they have led people astray.
Now the book of Acts comes rather in this way, that the disciples are named and then, almost as an afterthought, Luke says, "And Mary were together." The disciples; and Mary! Now she was there too, she was a believer, no doubt about it. Jesus honored her. One of the words of the cross comes to her; "Woman, behold thy son, and son, behold thy mother." That is directed to Mary, the mother of Jesus. So that He always stands in a very fine relationship to his mother. And to his brothers, well, they were unbelievers, and he has to deal with all the unbelievers alike, and whether they were his brothers or not, but nevertheless, there are two of those, James and Judas, who become disciples and who become apostles, who become very important in the life of the church. And these are the ones whom He then also embraces.
But now He says, "Who are my mother and brothers? Everyone that does the will of God." Now this is something that is a strange statement. The kind of a statement that you and I would never expect, of course. And the kind of a statement that so many people can't make anything out of. Well, what can you do with that! Am I the brother of Jesus? I don't feel that. In some circles He is spoken of as the elder brother. Remember, the Bible never says that. There are those who say that's Biblical. No, the Bible never says that. He would be elder brother, because He lived long before me, but nevertheless, the Bible doesn't state that.
And yet you know, there is an attempt, to try to get into that kind of a relationship; that would be nice, that would be wonderful, but here that strange statement wherewith He comes. He has said to them that "a greater than Jonah is here, and a greater is here than the Queen of Sheba," because they are here also coming to a greater than the men of Nineveh, and a greater than Jonah, and a greater than the Queen of Sheba; but nevertheless, to be brothers and sisters and a mother to Jesus Christ; that goes a little too far, doesn't it! That is our thinking, that is the way we have always looked at it; and yet that's what He says. 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." They're all the same, all the same. "I consider them too, my mother and brothers, for whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother." Can you imagine that!
Secondly, notice its teaching. Now is He here teaching that that is the way of redemption, that that is the way of salvation? No.. It is not by means of relationships, that is, blood relatives. Blood relatives do not have an inside track; they are not preferred before others. It is not the blood relatives who go in first; no, no, that's not the case. Is that the prerequisite for entering the kingdom of heaven, that you have to be a brother or sister to Jesus Christ, or His mother? No; that's not what He said. The prerequisite is this, that whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven; that's it. That is the prerequisite for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Also the prerequisite to become his mother and brother and sister. That is required; whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Now here He has placed that in such a way so that it does not receive the emphasis. No, the emphasis in this whole situation is rather on this, that it is brother, and sister, and mother. But nevertheless, He has interwoven it here in such a way so that it may also be abundantly clear to everyone that hears Him, that it is the one who does the will of His Father. That's the one. That is the one who is in close relationship to Him, that is the one whom He has accepted, that is the one who is now related to Christ by bloodline.
And we have, later on you know, by the apostle Paul, this beautiful picture of the body and its members. And as that body has many members, he says in Corinthians, so also is it with Christ. And that the foot is not able to say to the hand, "I have no need of you," and the hand is not able to say to the eye, "I have no need of you." And you know how it goes. But every part is needed to form the body, and they together, all these parts together, form the body; not one part of it; no one part is something that stands by itself. But seeing that they are all together, united in that way, that forms the body; and now Christ is its life.
He forms the body, and that is the body of Jesus Christ, and that is the most beautiful example that the apostle is able to use concerning our relationship to Him. So that the very life that we have, our life breath, is Jesus Christ, and that we are standing in that relationship one to another as the parts of a body; so closely united that it is one blood that flows through it all, that gives nourishment to it all. There is one system, neuro system that gives direction to it all, and that is the way in which he pictures the church of Jesus Christ standing in relationship to its Savior. So are we the body of Christ, and members in particular. That is the glorious way in which he comes to an answer to this in 1 Corinthians 12.
But now Jesus goes even a step farther than that. And He says that certainly there is a kind of a body relationship and that He is the head, and we are the members. And He has also mentioned that for example, at different times, that there is that head and members relationship. But here it becomes this, that he that does the will of His Father in heaven is my brother, and sister and mother. It's something that goes even beyond all the others. He is grasping, so to speak, for something else, to make it clear, how close that relationship actually is, of the believer to his Lord. It is so close; that it is one life; see. You have that already in the body, you have that as the head and the body, you have that as the many members and the one life. But certainly here also, it is that the bloodlines are the same, mother, and brother, and sister. So are we related to Christ? That is, everyone who does the will of His Father who is in heaven.
And that is, of course, the test. Not even whether they believe or not; He isn't speaking of that right now. That also enters into it, but that is not the object here. But it is rather this, he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. That is, he who walks it, he who does it, he who lives that kind of a life; that is my mother and brother and sister. So that it is here already in that area of practicality, the practice; practice of that belief. That it is this, that it is not only something that is in the mind, but it is something that our hands and our feet do. He that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Because you will never be able to be mother or brother or sister to Jesus Christ if you are not standing so close to the Father, to the Father of Jesus Christ. That is the place where He wants us to be. And that is the teaching wherewith He comes, that this is the thing that is required, and that is, that we do the will of my Father. So that whether they be brothers or sister, or whether it is His mother, that they must all do the will of my Father.
Yes, there is such a thing as headship; it shows itself everywhere, and here too. It shows this, that the Father's will dominates. The Father's will is supreme; the Father's will is that which counts, the Father's will is that which has to be done. That's the key.
And Christ is leading the people of His day to this; you want to see a sign? No, no sign will be given to you except the sign of the prophet Jonah, and you won't understand that. Because as Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster for three days and nights, so will Christ be in the depths of the earth for three days and nights. But you won't understand that. But this is it, those who do the will of my Father in heaven, that one is my mother and brother and sister. That's the way we are related to Christ.
And here He has, as it were, violated almost all language, and He here uses language to the extreme in order to derive from it that which is necessary for us to know what our relationship is to Him. You cannot speak of a relationship to Jesus Christ that is too close; it is so close, that it is like His mother or brother or sister. It is like member and body, it is like head and body, it is like one member to another. That is the way we are standing in relationship to Jesus Christ.
And that He shows us in so many different ways. And the Scripture shows that in so many different ways. But here it comes to the fore in a way so that as nowhere else, and here it comes to the fore in such a way so that it is also unmistakably clear what the teaching is, and that teaching is this, that he that does the will of my Father. To be the mother, actual mother of Jesus Christ, is not one step ahead. To be a natural brother or sister of Jesus Christ does not give you; you'll pardon the expression; one leg up. No, it doesn't give you any advantage; it is this, he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. That's my mother, and brother, and sister.
Finally, notice also, the glorious comfort. The comfort beloved, is found in this, that after all the relationship is so close to Him that we are able to talk in all kinds of ways that we believe on the Lord, and that He is our Savior from sin. And all these things are true, no doubt about it. Those are the things that have been made abundantly clear to us in all the Scriptures. And so it goes already from the very first book of the Bible to the very end, and that it is Jesus Christ who comes, and that seed of the woman has to repair all those things that have gone awry at the time of the fall. That it is all the way through the history of Israel, it is all the way through the prophecies, and until the time of Jesus Christ. This is now the one, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." That's the one!
He has now come, and then Jesus teaches, and He preaches, and the disciples come and teach and preach, and they make it abundantly clear that this is the One who satisfies all the needs; there are no needs that are left hanging, that are not left unfulfilled. All the needs are met, and now He comes to us and crowns it with this, the he who does the will of my Father, is my brother, and sister and mother.
Now you never feel closer to Jesus Christ than that. If we could ever have that kind of a relationship to Him, we wouldn't even dare to assume that. That's the trouble! We don't dare to assume it, because it is too much, it is too much to expect. He said that's what it is, though. Who is my mother? He is not hereby turning His back on her; He has never done that. He is not turning His back on his brothers, but He says essentially it is this, that those who do the will of my Father. And if His brothers do not repent and if they do not turn, if they continue in their unbelief as they did first, then they will perish. And being brothers of Jesus according to the flesh is going to be of no benefit.
But these who do the will of my Father who is in heaven, those are the ones who will have all the benefits of that blood relationship to Myself. Thereby He makes it as clear as it can ever be put, that He is standing that close to us. That He has that kind of admiration for His people, that He has that kind of admiration for His people whom He has chosen, whom the Father has chosen, whom the Father has given Him, who do the will of my Father in heaven. Who are these? The ones who are not of the majority in this world, who do the things of this world; but these do the will of my Father. Those are my real brothers and sisters; those are the ones. And that is the church of Jesus Christ.
That is that believing people, that is that people that knows the joyful sound, as Psalm 84 says. That is the people that goes up to the house of God, keeping holy day; that is that people that calls on His Name; that is that people who recognize there is no other Savior. That is that people who know their only comfort in life and death is this, "That they belong, body and soul, for time and eternity, to Him." That is my mother and brother and sister.
Then they stand in that relationship, and that is something that we may never overturn. And that is true, that it is not because of bloodlines that we are going to have an advantage. No! That is only because of the fact that the Spirit has worked mightily, and that we now do the will of my Father who is in heaven. But at the same time, that you are also not going to leave it with that, but that you are going to realize it is this, that the Lord has called me to be His brother, and sister, and mother.
And that brings us very close to Him. Then Jesus Christ is magnified; then He is magnified, as He has never been before in my heart, in my mind. Then He is magnified to such an extent that; yah, that can be my only comfort. There is no other; He is the One. Because we are now, by His grace, doing the will of His Father. He has already worked mightily in order to accomplish that; that is left out here. He has done mighty works, He has chosen in order that we might do the will of His Father; that's left out here. It is simply the statement, "he that doeth the will of my Father, that's the one." And when we see these things being accomplished, then it is this, that we are His brothers, and sisters, and mother. That is the relationship in which we stand here today.
So we are related to Jesus Christ. It is not the relationship that is far off, it is not a relationship that is cool, that is dark; no, it is a relationship of warmth. Where there is that kind of a relationship that is throbbing with life; he's my brother, he's my sister, he's my mother; He says of His people. That's the way He thinks of us. Do we think that way of Him?
Or is there a great gulf fixed; and He is here, and we are down there, and never the twain shall meet. But He says No! That gulf has been closed, and now it is fixed, that they are related to me, closer than that of bloodlines. Closer than His natural brother or sister, that's the way He stands to His people. And that is a glorious comfort for us. We have a comfort, we spoke of it this morning, spoke of it last Sunday morning, and here it comes from the other side. And then it is complete that we are His, His entirely, His body brothers, sisters. Amen.
We give thanks to Thee, heavenly Father, for the grace and mercy Thou hast bestowed. For Thy love to us, Thy faithfulness; for the Word of Grace wherein Thou dost speak do us, to teach us. And we pray O God, that it may be a teaching unto life, that it may not testify against us, but that it may lead us ever closer to Thyself. That we may realize that it is only in Thee that we live, move and have our being. Bless us further; be near us in the days of the week to come. Grant that we may worship Thee in all of life. Bring us together in Thy house again on the coming Lord's Day. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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