Question: Dear Greg,

In response to someone’s question you stated: “There are no passages, to my knowledge, that explicitly tell us that Jesus is our brother.”

Hebrews 2:11-12 states: “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”

How could these verses be understood any other way?

Thanks,

Stanley

Answer: Dear Stanley,

My comment includes the word “explicitly.” The question, as I understood it, assumed that Jesus being our brother would mean that equality would therefore result. Of course we are brethren with Jesus. Of course we are God’s children. We are adopted. We are born again. We are heirs of the promises. Many word pictures are used to describe the spiritual reality we enjoy because of God’s grace. Many passages testify to that spiritual relationship.

But there is no explicit reference that speaks of equality. For example, while Jesus is the Eternal Son of God and we are children of God, these references do not speak of equality in every sense. We are created. Jesus is uncreated. He is Lord and Savior and we are redeemed and saved by him.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht