Bethlehem Baptist Church Bethlehem Baptist Church

Open your Bibles to Joshua 4:1-7

Memorial Day in America…what does it mean?

I’d like to take a moment of silence to thank, and honor all who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country, our freedoms, and our families. 

This isn’t going to be your typical Memorial Day Service. We are here to honor God above all else and today as your pastor I’m going to point you to Jesus just like I’m supposed to do. 

Through the power of the Lord…


Moses parted the Red Sea…Exodus 14:21
Joshua parted the Jordan…Joshua 3:15
Elijah parted the Jordan…2 Kings 2:8
Elisha parted the Jordan…2 Kings 2:14
Technically…God separated the waters from the dry land…Genesis 1:9

What should be our true memorial?

Who did Jesus die for?


Jesus died for the Jewish people…wrong!
Jesus died for Christian people…wrong!
Jesus died for the elect…wrong! 

Our memorial is the cross…it’s not an idol though and should never be. Just a memorial. 



Jesus has RISEN! 
JESUS HAS CONQUERED DEATH!
JESUS IS ALIVE FOREVERMORE! 
WE WHO BELIEVE ARE ALIVE WITH CHRIST JESUS!




Romans 8:38 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”



Let us Celebrate the Risen Christ and hold memorial in our hearts everyday!

Open your Bibles to Mark 3:31-35



A few weeks ago we were talking about all the apostles, blasphemy, and eternal sin. Jesus had selected his 12 apostles and was laying out solid truths for people to hear. Hard truths for people to hear. 



We are going all the way through the Gospel of Mark. You may or may not have noticed that I skipped over v.20. Today we are going to look at v.20, but that’s not where we will start. 



Take a look at Mark 3:31-35


Like any mother or brother, or any family, you care for one another. 
Their concern for Jesus was real. 
They knew he was stirring up real controversy and grumblings with those you don’t mess with. 

The Jewish leaders.

Go back to v.20 “Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Jesus’ family has been watching Him, and they’ve been concerned for Him, His safety, His well being, worried about what might happen to Him if He keeps stirring up controversy. 





Jesus wasn’t concerned with these things. Jesus had one goal…

John 17:1-5 Jesus says, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
Read all of John 17 when you get a minute. You’ll see that Jesus actually prays for you.





So when Jesus responds to those who announced that His mother and brother’s were there to see Him…He wasn’t being rude. 

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” 
This wasn’t meant to cause hurt, or harm to the feelings of His family. 

Jesus cared for His family deeply. 
Jesus while on the cross, dying, ensured His mother would be cared for by asking John, one of His disciples, to care for His mother.

John 19:26 “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus appeared to James, His half brother, before appearing to the rest of the Apostles. 
Jesus’ mother and siblings were included when big decisions had to be made. When Matthias was chosen to replace Judas as one of the Apostles, Mary was there joined in prayer. 

Instead Jesus is, as always, using this opportunity as a teaching moment. 
v.33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 
Those of us who believe in Jesus as Lord and have confessed Jesus as Savior, and have decided to follow Jesus with their heart, we are part of a larger family.
When Jesus said in v.34 “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Look around you! Look around you right now!

We are brother’s and sister’s in Christ Jesus!
We are mother’s and father’s to those in need!
We are the body of Christ Jesus, we are the church!
We are heirs to the Kingdom of God. 
Any one of us who is willing to accept and keep the will of God the Father.

We are brother’s and sister’s, mother’s and father’s.









We are family by blood…the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior who bled and died for each of us.