The Brother Who Does Not Fail
Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother - and He never fails us!
“...but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her” (John 20:17b-18).
Mary receives the single greatest honor of womankind, second perhaps only to Mary the mother of Jesus, the honor of apsotolus apostolerum, apostle to the Apostles. It is an honor given only once, the honor of making the first resurrection confession in the history of the world, “I have seen the Lord.”
I know that the significance of this will not be lost on many of us. If you wanted to start a movement in the ancient Near East that depended on trusting in something as unbelievable as a resurrection, the last witnesses you would call to the stand would be women. Because in the ancient Near East, women were considered uncredible witnesses. And yet, Jesus, being Jesus, signals a new era in human history by sending Mary Magdalene to the Apostles with the good news of his resurrection.
And what was the substance of this news? Blessing upon blessing! We can hardly believe our ears when we read the message, “go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
“My brothers”!? The last time Jesus saw most of these brothers, they were flaking out on Him. “My brothers”? Yes! My brothers!
And they are his brothers! Nothing in all this world or the next can change that fact! They are His brothers by the sheer force of Jesus’ brotherhood! Never mind what they are in themselves! He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother! He is a brother who does not fail! We cannot sin our way out of the brotherhood of the risen Christ!
This excerpt was taken from a sermon preached by Pastor TJ Tims on April 9, 2023, at Immanuel Nashville.
This Sunday At Immanuel
Sunday Morning…
FAMILY WORSHIP + BAPTISMS & DEDICATIONS: Join us for Family Worship this Sunday at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.! Classes for babies through 4-year-olds are in iKids. Children 5+ will join us in the worship center for baptisms, dedications, and as Pastor Tony continues our series in James!
Sunday Seminars…
9 AM: Student Seminar led by Vince Greenwald (grades 5-12) in the gymnasium
9 AM: Studying the Bible Together, led by Dr. Tom Cox, studying the book of Romans in the staff lounge
9 AM: Last Word: The Gospel of Christ in the Book of Revelation, led by Dr. Russell Moore in the cafe
10:45 AM: How to Talk About Jesus Without Being Weird, led by Dr. Gavin Ortlund in the cafe
On the Horizon…
Men’s & Women’s Fellowship: Starting September 9th, men's and women’s fellowship kicks off at Immanuel! Every Monday from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, the women, led by Amy Cox, will gather in the cafe, and the men, led by Tony Shepherd, will gather in the gymnasium. We hope to see you there!
Discover Luncheon: Are you new to Immanuel? Join us on Sunday, October 13th, from 12-1 in the cafe for our Discover Luncheon! Learn more about Immanuel and how you can connect. RSVP so we can get a good headcount on food. We look forward to seeing you there!
Men’s Fall Retreat: Join us on Friday, October 25th -26th at Coldstream Christian Camp. 4730 Goodman Rd, Adams, TN 37010, for our men’s retreat! We are happy to have Dr. Ray Ortlund Jr. with us to guide us during our time. RSVP here.
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