Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.
~ Hebrews 2:11
If you had gone to the Los Angeles airport on a certain date in 1972, and if you had stood at a certain gate at a certain time, you would have witnessed a family reunion. Here’s the scene: A man steps off the plane and into the airport concourse. He is in his 60’s. He’s growing bald. He’s a bit rumpled from his long trip.
Waiting for him is a variety of individuals—some taller, some shorter, some older, some younger, some better dressed than others. There does not seem to be much family resemblance, and yet they are family. And once they see the balding, rumpled man and he sees them, it is obvious that they are family. It’s clear that they all share some kind of profound understanding, some kind of deep bond that a past experience has forged among them, an old sense of trust and affection that ties them all together.
And here’s why. The rumpled man getting off the plane is Oskar Schindler, the man who rescued over 1200 Jews during the Nazi Holocaust. The individuals waiting at the gate are alive because of him. They have not forgotten him, and he has not forgotten them. As a result of their shared experience, they belong to each other. They are family.
Think about your own relationship with Jesus. When Jesus came to this earth to pull you from the dark pit of your own sin, this was no sterile exercise on his part. For him it was personal. He did it because his compassionate heart could not bear the thought of letting you perish. And so he took your place. On your behalf he lived the perfect life you could not live. Then he took upon himself the crushing weight of all your sin and endured the horrors of hell to pay for them in full.
Now he lives. And because he does, you do too. You live life hand-in-hand with him, free from sin’s curse, free from the guilt of your past, free from fear about the future.
But there’s more. The Holy Spirit, through the gospel, has seen to it. As a result of your shared experience, you and Jesus are family. You belong to him, and he belongs to you.
And we all belong to each other.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, through faith in you, we are family. Move me to savor my bond with you and with my precious brothers and sisters. Amen.
Living Hope Church 