Jesus is my… 

How would you finish that sentence? Lord? Saviour? Friend?

What about big brother?

We don’t tend to think of Jesus in this way. However, Romans 8:29 says that Jesus is “the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Then there are passages like Mark 3:35 where he says: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

If you are a disciple of Christ, you are also a sibling of Christ. In this way you can think about him as your big brother.

I think that many people suffer from a lack of confidence and a surplus of fearfulness. But thinking about Jesus as your big brother can help rectify that imbalance.

When I was in elementary school a kid kept bothering me—that is, until one of my big brothers came over and threatened to punch them in the face! I’m not endorsing that approach, of course (!), but I sure felt protected. 

As our big brother, Jesus is loving and loyal; he provides intercession, guidance, correction and protection. Over the next few devotionals we’re going to unpack some of the implications. They help rectify the imbalance between confidence and fearfulness in our lives.

There’s an expression: “blood is thicker than water.” It means that family bonds and loyalties are the strongest of all. I’m not sure that’s always true. But when it comes to Jesus as our big brother, it is. You belong to the Lord of glory, and he looks out for his own.

---

Notes and extra content:

–“Our Big Brother Jesus.” Sermon. October 13, 2024. Click here.

–“Look for the good (even when life is hard.” New episode on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan.’ Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you subscribe, or click here.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.