God's Blessing is Right in Front of You!

If you have your Bibles, please take them and find Luke 11:27.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “Blood is Thicker Than Blood!”

 

“Blood is thicker than water” is a proverb that can be dated back to 12^th Century Germany.  Many of you are familiar with it.

 

In English, it means that biological family relationships are more important and more significant and stronger than other earthly relationships.  However, how do biological family relationships compare to spiritual relationships?

 

Or, how SHOULD they compare?  I would suggest to you that in today’s text that Jesus says that His blood and the blood of the body of Christ is thicker than yours and my biological family blood. 

 

In other words, spiritual family is more important and more significant and stronger than biological family.  Therefore, Jesus’ blood is thicker than my family’s blood.

 

 

Exposition

Verse 27 begins with “And it happened.”  However, please remember this, nothing just happens.

 

Everything in this life is under the complete control of the eternal sovereign God.  Therefore, everything that happens in your life is either for God’s glory and our good, or it is our loving heavenly Father disciplining His children.

 

Regardless, whatever is “happening” in your life this morning, remember God’s word.  See Romans 8:28 and James 1:2-3.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

 

Verse 27 continues remembering that Jesus just finished speaking.  What did He say?

 

He answered the accusation about Him being part of demonic activity.  He explained about spiritual rivalry, and He reminded His congregation and our congregation that you can’t be religiously neutral. 

 

You are either for Jesus or against Jesus.  There is no middle ground, and you have to decide whose side are you on.

 

We are also introduced to a certain woman.  This story is unique to Luke, and we don’t know her name. 

 

However, she was a voice in the crowd that offered a blessing in contrast to those also in the crowd who were accusing and testing Jesus.  Her blessing was for Mary, Jesus’ mother.

 

I want to take this opportunity to clarify a little about Mary.  We know who she was, but there is some confusion that needs to be explained.

 

Mary certainly deserves this blessing.  Why? 

 

She was surrendered to God’s plan even though she didn’t understand it completely.  See Luke 1:38.

 

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

 

She was humble and grateful that God had chosen her.  See Luke 1:48.

 

48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

 

She was obedient and did all that God had directed her.  See Luke 2:22-24, and Luke 2:39-40.

 

22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

 

39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

 

Mary was certainly blessed and deserved those blessings.  However, Mary was also not, and we need to understand that.

 

Not what?  Mary was not a savior because she was human only.  Mary was not perfect because she was a sinner.  Mary was not divine and doesn’t deserve any prayers.

 

In verse 28, Jesus didn’t correct this woman’s statement.  He added to it.

 

Mary was blessed because she obeyed, and obedience to God’s word should matter most to the child of God and the follower of Jesus.  Jesus said, “Blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it.” 

 

To that I say, “Amen and amen.”  Brothers and sisters, we must not only hear God’s word but obey it.

 

That is what we have been saying in 2025 every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.  We are deceiving ourselves if we are hearers only and not doers.

 

Matthew 21:28-32, 28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”  They said to Him, “The first.”  Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

 

Obedience should be a defining characteristic of a follower of Christ.  Obedience puts us in the family of God, and obedience to God’s word makes our spiritual family more significant that our biological family.

 

 

Conclusion

So what area of your life needs your obedience right now?  Do you need to obey and call on the Lord to save you?

 

Do you need to obey and follower Jesus in believers’ baptism?  Do you need to obey and join this local church?

 

Do you need to obey and leave behind a relationship or a behavior?  Do you need to obey and start reading you Bible or tithing?

 

God is calling you to obedience today!  How will you respond?