Go To The Brethren

After Christ’s death, His followers had a sense of hopelessness. Can you imagine being in the shoes of Jesus’ followers? Can you imagine all the things you would have seen: the miracles, the power, the greatness, and the compassion? And then all of that is taken away from you and executed. After His crucifixion, Christ’s followers were hopeless. So after the resurrection, what message did He have for the first follower He spoke to? “‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God,”’” (NASB, John 20:17).

Going to the brethren is not something that is done on a Monday night or during a visitation group. It is done every day! It is a part of our life and the life of the church. It’s who are and what we do. The reason Jesus sent Mary to His brethren instead of the world is because He knew that He had to have a strong core group before the message would be received by the world. The church today will never be able to “‘go into all the world…,’” (NASB, Mark 16:15) until we first go to our brethren.

Jeff