Mark 3:31-35 - A Better Family

In our modern world, there are two competing views of family. One sees it as a restriction—something that limits freedom and personal fulfillment. The other places family on a pedestal, making it the ultimate source of meaning and identity. But Jesus presents us with something far more profound. While He affirms the value of biological family, He refuses to treat it as ultimate. Instead, Jesus invites us into a new kind of family—one formed not by biology, but by His blood (Mark 3:31–35). In doing so, He reorients our understanding of what it means to truly belong.

Imagine the scene: Jesus’ own mother and brothers come to retrieve Him, likely concerned about His growing influence and the controversy it’s stirring. But instead of stopping what He’s doing, Jesus turns to those gathered around Him—sinners, tax collectors, disciples—and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” In that moment, Jesus teaches us something radical: obedience to God—not proximity, heritage, or tradition—is the mark of belonging in His eternal family.

This has powerful implications for us. First, it challenges the idolatry of family, a temptation even among faithful Christians. While we are called to love and serve our families, we must not place our hope in them. Second, it reminds us that the church is not just a collection of individual families, but one redeemed family formed by grace. Moms and dads, your mission is not simply to raise well-behaved kids—it’s to see your children, by God’s grace, become your brothers and sisters in Christ. We disciple them not only by how we love them, but by how we love the church.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for sinners to be welcomed into the family of God. This is more than justification—it’s adoption. We’ve been brought from the outside in. And because of that, we’re called to identify with the church and live like family: praying for one another, serving one another, and welcoming one another—especially those who are different. Let’s be a church that reflects this eternal family, not just a gathering of earthly ones. Through His blood, Jesus is forming a family that will last forever—and you can be part of it.

Main Point – Through His blood, Jesus is creating a family that surpasses all earthly bonds.

Outline

1. Jesus is reorienting our understanding of family

2. Jesus is reminding us of the mark that one is in the family

3. Jesus is giving us a glimpse of His eternal family, the Church.

Study Questions

1. Using Scripture, in what ways did Jesus emphasize the importance of the biological family unit?
2. Reflect on this quote –The idolatry of the family may be the most acceptable sin in the Christian Church – Kevin DeYoungWhy is this such an acceptable sin in our culture?
3. Compare Luke 14:26 with Ephesians 5:25–33. How can you love your family well without making them ultimate in your life?
4. Read Mark 3:31–35 alongside Matthew 10:37 and Romans 8:14–17. How do these passages help you evaluate where your deepest loyalties lie—biological ties or gospel allegiance?
5. Read Acts 2:42–47 and Galatians 6:9–10. How are you intentionally investing in the spiritual lives of those in your church family? What might you need to sacrifice in your own life to prioritize the church?
6. When you think about the doctrine of adoption, what passages come to mind? How does your identity as an adopted child of God change the way you orient with others and think about your relationship with God?