All-Knowing Creator

Mark 3:31-35 (NIRV)

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

³¹Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to get him. ³²A crowd was sitting around Jesus. They told him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside. They are looking for you.”

³³“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” he asked.

³⁴Then Jesus looked at the people sitting in a circle around him. He said, “Here is my mother! Here are my brothers! ³⁵Anyone who does what God wants is my brother or sister or mother.”

Object: Birthday party invitations

Message: When Jesus preached and taught people about God, some of them didn’t understand him, even his own mother and brothers. Did you know Jesus had stepbrothers?

Once when Jesus was teaching and healing people, his family tried to stop him. When they sent someone in to get him, Jesus didn’t go out to them. Instead, he appears to have been rude to his own family. I wonder how people feel when someone from their own family is rude to them. (Let children respond.)

Jesus knew that it wasn’t right to be rude to his parents. He certainly wants us to always listen to our parents. He wanted more than anything for us, his followers, to serve God, and he knew that God wanted Jesus to teach and to heal other people. So, Jesus said that his true “brothers” and “sisters” and “mother” are whoever does what God wants.

I have birthday party invitations for all of you. Remember, we are all invited to God’s party. God wants all of us at the party. Our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, everyone! (Hand out, if in person, invitations to the birthday party and remind them to do what God wants them to do.)

Jesus wants us to love and serve God too! It is wonderful when our families help us to do that. But even when it feels that they do not help, we must continue to do what God wants. God’s “invitation” is for all of us to do what God wants each and every day.

Prayer: Jesus, help me walk in God’s way. Please give me the strength and help me to serve you even when those close to me do not understand. Amen.

New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.