I was speaking to my Christian 'brother' Denzyl today and i thought i'd look into the Bible to see the real reason for calling each other 'brother X' or 'sister Y' ... I came across the following scriptures and i though i'd share them with you. Of course there are many more scriptures in the Bible that speak about 'brother' but the following will suffice for now:
Mark 3:35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Therefore Jesus is our brother also.
If you are angry with your brother (a Christian), Jesus says:
Matthew 5:24 - "Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift".
Matthew 18:15 - "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over,"
Luke 17:3 - "So watch yourself. If your brother sins, rebuke him".
1John 2:9 - Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing, in him to make him stumble.
1 John 4:21 - And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Hmmmm ... i learnt something new today! DID YOU TOO? Please do share your thoughts with me brother/sister!
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ReplyDeleteCOMMENT FROM PASTOR DAVID (GCC): Hi Bro Joe, this is not just a polite custom or empty tradition. In the Old Covenant, the Jews were the people of God and every israelite was expected to have a special brotherly (ie. family) relationship, as they were all the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). They were all designated by Yahweh as His people, and He gave them His Word and His Temple and He lived among them in the awesome presence of the Holy Spirit in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. They were to be a special nation consecrated to God, and forbidden to marry Unbelievers (Satan and idol worshipers). So in the Old Covenant, the 2nd most important commandment (Lev.19:18) applies only within the Jewish nation. God entrusted the most awesomely sacred task of recording and preserving His Word to the Israelites (Princes with God).
In the New Covenant, God does not have a physical nation, but a spiritually separated people. This is the Born Again Church, purchased by the blood of the Lamb and filled with the Spirit of God.
Now the relationship is even closer. We are not the People of God; we are the Children of God (John 1:12-13; Rom.8:14-15; Rev.21:7).
The relationship is so close that Jesus is alternatively spoken of as "the firstborn among many brethren," or the Bridegroom of the Church (Rev.19:5-8; Ephes.5:30). Obviously, the passionate love relationship between Christ and His church is not physical (once again, the Scriptures are speaking in figurative parables), but Spiritual (1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:13).
As you said, there are many scriptures on this subject; you have mentioned some, and I have added a few more; but my favorite is what He said to Mary Magdalene on Resurrection Sunday: "Go to My brethren and tell them I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God" John 20;17).