Jesus, our Savior, our Lord, our Brother

“Behold the birds of the air; for they sow not, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them; are you not much better than they are?” (Matthew 6:26)

In His teaching, Jesus was exhorting His disciples not be anxious about their lives, what they would eat or drink, for their bodies and what to wear. It’s hard for us to imagine that the disciples would be concerned about these things but remember that they left their lively hoods to followed Jesus. So, this would be a concern. They were not working and not gaining any money for even the essentials.

In the previous verse, Jesus tells them that life is about more than what to eat or what to wear. “Therefore I say to you, Do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

Their dependance was to be on their Father. In our Scripture, Jesus tells them that the Father cares for and feeds the birds. And questions them on their importance to their Father. There are a couple of things to study in this Scripture. First, we are more important than birds. And that Jesus said God is their Father.

Certainly, the disciples at this point were very important in God’s plan. God the Father cares for all the creatures on earth, including birds. God has provided them with means to eat. But the disciples were special to the Father. They were to be taught to carry the Gospel into the whole world as it was known then. Surely, God would provide for them. They were not to work for food nor clothing. And Jesus pointed this out by saying that the birds don’t sow, reap nor gather because the Father provided for them. In the same manner, their Father would care for them.

Another point that Jesus made was that His Father was their Father. Although Jesus had not redeemed man, He spoke many times to His disciples as if it was a done deal for them because Jesus as God saw the end from the beginning. He knew His disciples would be saved and receive the Holy Spirit. So, to Jesus, His Father was their Father. In speaking to His disciples sometimes, His speech reflected the present. “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15) Then after the resurrection, His words indicate the miracle of salvation.  When Jesus appears to Mary after the resurrection, He does not refer to His disciples as friends.  “Jesus said to her, Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, I ascend to My Father and Your Father, and to My God and your God.” (John 20:17) After the resurrection, the redemption is complete, and Jesus calls His disciples brothers.

Jesus was revealing the miraculous occurrence at salvation. We become children of God and the brethren of Jesus. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows who will receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. He has predestined those who He knows will be saved to be made into the image of Jesus who is the First-born of His children. And if we are all children then we are all brothers and sisters of Jesus. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29) The writer of Hebrews also speaks of the relationship of Jesus and those who believe on Him. “For both He who sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of One, for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers,” (Hebrews 2:11).

Although Jesus was talking to His disciples, we can take His teaching for ourselves and know that our Father will provide for us. Just as God the Father is the Father of Jesus, He is our Father also, making Jesus our brother. Although to us, Jesus is more than that. He is our High Priest in heaven interceding before the Father for us when the enemy accuses us. We love Him as our Savior and worship Him as our Lord.