Jesus and His Human Relatives (1) - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons When His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Mark 3:14-15, 21; John 7:5

Jesus and His Human Relatives (1)
We worship and adore the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became true Man, absolutely sinless, born at Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary. He grew up in Nazareth in Galilee. Mary and Joseph, her husband, a carpenter, were blessed with four more sons and some daughters. Jesus, as He grew up, also became a carpenter (Mk 6:3; Mt. 13:55-56). He certainly would have been a top-notch carpenter, honest, capable, helpful to the needy around Him.

Then at age thirty he left the carpentry business and, without human training of any kind, began to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God. His preaching was accompanied by miracles done to lovingly relieve the needy around Him, not for any personal gain.

Initially multitudes followed Him. After a night spent in prayer (Lk. 6:12), He chose twelve disciples to be with Him. But His relatives were upset with all this—leaving the excellent family business to wander about the countryside preaching the kingdom of God, with no certain income or even a place to lay His head! He was out of His mind, they thought, and went to lock Him up!

One attempt was not enough. Family members tried again (Mk. 6:31-35). But He was not to be deterred from the mission before Him, a mission that ended in His death on the cross at Calvary. He could indeed say, "I have become a stranger to My brothers, and an alien to My mother's children; because zeal for Your house has eaten Me up" (Ps. 69:8-9). Wonderful Lord! May we not hinder those who follow Him when He calls them to serve Him!

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.