Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” (Hebrews 2:11-12 NIV)

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When my youngest son, Joshua, was in Kindergarten, I usually picked him and his older brother, William, up from school. But one day, they needed to ride the bus home, and our kind-hearted principal, Mr. Salazar, thought it would be wise to walk them through the process. So, he was waiting with William in the bus loop when Joshua walks up and, Mr. Salazar, trying to be clever, points at William and says, “Hey Joshua, do you know this guy?” To which Joshua, the most direct child in our family, says in his dead-pan, you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me, 5-year-old voice: “He’s witerally my brudder.”

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When it comes to siblings, there are definitely some we will proudly claim and some we would rather not. I hope my three boys and their one sister will proudly claim each other long after I am gone. Unlike friends, siblings are given to us by birth, marriage, or adoption. We enter into unique relationships with other humans on this Earth who are sort of chosen for us, and then we choose how we are in relationship with them for the duration of our lives.

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Our Scripture today from Chapter 2 of Hebrews talks about Jesus being our brother and claiming us, believers in him, as his siblings.  It is interesting to think about Jesus as our brother, when he is part of the Trinity and one with God the Father. But I think this perspective of being siblings can be helpful in a few ways.  

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One way is following the example of someone who has gone before. My middle son is always asking his older siblings about certain teachers and assignments and how they tackled tricky interpersonal issues in middle school. He has an example to follow because they have already survived middle school. Jesus left Heaven, took on flesh, and lived on the Earth, which gave us an example to follow, because he experienced life and the Bible describes for us how he lived.

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I also like thinking about how Jesus “is not ashamed” to call us his brothers and sisters. In this life with our biological siblings, there can be shame around certain relationships. People are often not proud of their brothers and sisters. But even as sinful as we are, because of the righteousness given to us by the blood of Christ, we have a spiritual brother in Jesus who is proud to call us members of his family! It is nothing we do, but because of his work he claims us as his family.

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There are two other main Scriptures in the Bible that talk about Jesus as our brother. One is Romans 8:29: “…that He might be the firstborn among many brothers,” which emphasizes the idea that Jesus is above us, having more privileges in the family but sharing with us in the inheritance from the Father. The other one is Mark 3:35: “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Here we are reminded that we need to not only accept Jesus but live like him, as well, him being our perfect human example of how to follow the will of God. While this isn’t a connection that is made often throughout the Bible, it puts into focus the intimate relationship that is possible when we accept Christ and then follow in his footsteps.

How might this idea of Jesus being our brother challenge and encourage you today? Just as Joshua identified William as his brother before getting on the bus, so too Jesus claims us as his siblings. This fact encourages my heart when I mess up and do things of which I am sure Jesus would not be proud. The Scripture says, “we are in the same family,” and that can change how we see others when we have the assurance of being loved and cared for by our brother Jesus. We can also use his life as the pattern for living well with others.

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Jesus, I come to you today with a thankful heart because you have reconciled me to our Father. You see me now, because of your sacrifice, as a sibling, not a stranger. Nothing I do will make you love me less. Help me to live with the confidence of a beloved family member. In your precious and holy name I pray, Amen.