When Jesus was on the cross, why did He not acknowledge Mary (and His brothers)? Was she not more important than other believers because she had an "earthly" relationship with Jesus?
In Matthew 12 we read:
Matt. 12:47 Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.”
Matt. 12:48 But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
Matt. 12:49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!
Matt. 12:50 “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus was told by the crowds that His earthly family had come to visit Him, but Jesus responded that these earthly relationships were not important in comparison to spiritual relationships. Mary and her children had an earthly relationship with Jesus, but the disciples had a spiritual relationship with Jesus by His word. Jesus’ earthly relationship with Mary and her children was temporary, but Jesus’ spiritual relationship with all believers is permanent.
In fact, when Mary and her sons died, they stood before Jesus as God and the Creator of all things, not Jesus as a son and brother. And in that moment what mattered was whether they had heard Jesus’ word and obeyed it.
Therefore, though Scripture testifies that Jesus was born into a human family, His earthly relationships were temporary and meaningless in comparison to spiritual relationships. No one should take comfort in having an “earthly" relationship with Jesus in the sense that we claim to know of Him or admire Him as a person, etc. The key for our eternal future is whether we have a spiritual relationship with Jesus by faith, reflected in our obedience to His word.
