"He is not ashamed to call them brethren." ...Hebrews 2:11

In the beginning of the fourth gospel, the Evangelist describes Jesus as, "The only begotten Son from the Father." At the end of the same book the risen Lord says to Mary Magdalene, "Go unto my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father and unto your Father" (John 20:17). Previously in this Gospel, Jesus had spoken of "the Father" or of "my Father." Now in His resurrection state he adds: "... and your Father." How wonderful this is, for it is the first Son and the eldest Son now, "The first begotten from the dead," who is speaking. By His Cross and His incarnation, He has added many sons to God's family, so in the same verse He speaks of them as "my brethren." And praise God, by His exaltation, you and I have received the spirit of adoption which makes us brethren with Christ, whereby we too now cry, "Abba, Father." "The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God and Sons of God together with Jesus."

Today in the real Church as the living body of Jesus Christ upon the face of this earth, it is the same! The Lord Jesus makes no distinction between Himself and the Life that He is within us as His Brethren. It is the one same life! Oh, if only we could all see this more clearly. We are united before almighty God in Jesus Christ. By His exaltation to the throne, the Life of Christ in us is one life with His Father. We carry Almighty God around in us, in our hearts! We are God's kids! We are born of God, therefore we are the children of the Father! We are the sons of God only because of who Jesus is and because of what He has achieved for us by His life, by His death, through His resurrection and by His glorification to the throne! He is still man! He is the Man of God! He is our living representative! Because of this, the Lord Jesus is not ashamed to call us, "His brethren"! There is nothing more for us to do but to thank Him and to praise Him for evermore!