Finding Family: How God Connects Us in Unexpected WaysSample

Day 4: A Fisherman and the Messiah’s Mother

Sometimes we meet and welcome new family members through current relatives. In Mary’s case, Jesus carefully selected a disciple for a very important role in her life

Throughout His public ministry, Jesus gathered with disciples most respectable teachers would have overlooked. By the world’s standards, they were ordinary laborers without religious backgrounds. John, a rough-edged fisherman, was no exception. He and his brother James—who were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus—brashly asked for places of honor in God’s coming Kingdom and impulsively suggested that Jesus should call fire down on a village that wouldn’t listen to them. However, Jesus saw beyond John’s coarse exterior and the two grew close over the years they traveled together.

Scripture implies that Joseph had died by the time Jesus began His public ministry, leaving Jesus to care for Mary in his place. But Jesus’ death meant the end of His role as His mother’s protector and provider. Instead of turning Mary over to the care of His younger brothers—appropriate and expected in His culture—Jesus chose His beloved friend John to care for His mother. 

“Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, ‘Dear woman, here is your son.’ And he said to this disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from then on this disciple took her into his home” (Jn. 19:25-27, NLT). 

Scripture doesn’t directly tell us the reasons Jesus bypassed His brothers. But when He placed His mother in John’s care, it’s clear that Jesus trusted John and gave him an ongoing place in His earthly family. 

Things to Ponder:

• Jesus lived life with a variety of people from different backgrounds. How diverse is your group of friends and family? What can you learn from them? 
• How do you show love to the people in your life? Is there someone outside your family that needs your care?
• Just like the disciples, you were chosen for a special purpose. How are you living out God’s plan for your life?