Jesus makes TWO INCREDIBLE statements in this sentence: 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” 

FIRST – Jesus says that anyone can be a part of His family. 

SECOND – Jesus says that God’s will can be known and accomplished. 

Doctrine of Adoption – We relate to God-as-Father through God-the-Son.  Jesus identifies those in the crowd as part of His family: Here are my mother and brothers. 

  • Ephesians 1:5 CSB He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will 
  • Galatians 4:4-5 CSB When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 

God is continually working to convince us that we have a better story, at we are part of a better family.  He is constantly trying to make us aware of the power of our adoption: 

People with attachment struggles—especially those rooted in early neglect, abuse, or relational trauma—often experience significant difficulty in relating to God’s Family as His beloved child, because their foundational templates for trust, safety, and intimacy have been deeply disrupted. Here’s how that often plays out: 

  1. Difficulty Trusting God’s Goodness and Consistency 
  2. Struggling to Experience Intimacy with God 
  3. Projecting Human Failures onto God 
  4. Inability to Receive Love Freely 
  5. Fear of Abandonment or Being “Too Much” 
  6. Shame-Based Identity 

Through UNION with Christ causing our ADOPTION by the FATHER, the Spirit begins the sacred work of RE-NARRATION, replacing false scripts of unworthiness, insecurity, or self-reliance with the truth of the gospel.  

What does it mean to be a part of God’s family?  It is to KNOW, to DESIRE and to DO the will of God.  

Jesus is our example of trusting God and doing God’s will –  

  • Desire God’s glory over our own 
  • Submit to God’s truth regardless of the confrontation 
  • Live out God’s priorities regardless of cost 

SUMMARY Jesus SAYS INCREDIBLE things and then makes them POSSIBLE for US: 

  • Jesus shares his Sonship with us.  
  • Jesus exemplifies Sonship for us.  
  • Jesus invites us to know the Father as he knows the Father. 
  • Jesus empowers us to know and to do the will of God