Family. That is what we are. We worship the same Father, in the name of the same Lord Jesus, and through the same adoption of the Spirit. This morning, we arise together as a gathered and scattered church family—walking in step with Spirit and following Jesus.
In Mark 3:7-35, Jesus, surrounded by crowds seeking healing and demons fleeing His presence, demonstrates His divine authority and power. He chooses twelve disciples to be His intimate followers and empowers them to continue His ministry. Amidst this, Jesus' family and religious leaders from Jerusalem question His sanity and accuse Him of demonic possession.
Jesus counters these accusations with a parable, illustrating how He, as the strong man, can cast out Satan and cleanse his house. He emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, declaring that all sins can be forgiven except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This unforgivable sin is a deliberate rejection of the Holy Spirit's testimony about Jesus as the Messiah.
Who is Jesus family? The true family of Jesus are those who accept Him as Lord and Savior. These individuals, cleansed from sin and empowered by the Holy Spirit, become agents of God's healing and forgiveness in the world.