Christ—our Elder Brother | The Institute for Creation Research

Christ—our Elder Brother

“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35).

What a precious truth! That the Creator of the universe, the Son of God, the King of kings, would not only call us His brothers and sisters, but would actually make the sacrifice necessary “to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:5).

Two marvelous chapters (Romans 8 and Hebrews 2) provide insights into this increase in the size of the family of God, initially consisting of God the Father and God the Son, through the ministry of God the Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (v.16). We have “received the Spirit of adoption” (v.15), made possible by the fact that Christ died and rose again (v.34). We were foreknown by God, predestinated to be “conformed to the image of His Son” (v.29), called, justified, and glorified (v.30). Why? “That He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (v.29). He is our elder brother, in a favored position in God’s eyes, but we are    also “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (v.17).

Christ paid dearly to allow us the privilege of sonship. He was “made like unto His brethren” (Hebrews 2:17), “a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death . . . that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (v.9), and is “not ashamed to call (us) brethren” (v.11). Yet, in all, He praised and honored His Father, even proclaiming from the cross, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren” (v.12).

Think of it! Our elder brother set aside aspects of His deity, became like one of us, suffered and substituted in full payment for our sins to make our salvation complete, and even now aids us (Hebrews 2:18) and intercedes for us (Romans 8:34). JDM

The Latest
NEWS
The Origin of Eukaryotes
Eukaryotes are multicellular organisms that contain diverse differentiated cell types. Within almost every cell there are subcellular compartments called...

CREATION PODCAST
Water vs. Wind: The Controversial Coconino | The Creation Podcast:...
Welcome to the sixth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old...

NEWS
Fossil Fish Finally Filmed
The bizarre lobe-finned coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) “that flourished some 350 million years ago”1 continues to be a thorn...

NEWS
The Mosasaur: A Giant Sea Dragon
Mosasaurs (order Squamata) were massive marine lizards that were common in the pre-Flood oceans. Therefore, it is not surprising that their fossils...

DAYS OF PRAISE DEVOTIONALS
Summer 2025
...

NEWS
Was Life Detected on a Distant Planet?
There was celebration, albeit briefly, for the discovery of potential life on a planet called K2-18b, which is 124 lightyears away from Earth. The...

NEWS
Ichthyosaur Graveyard Explained by the Flood
Ichthyosaurs are marine reptiles that occur globally in the same rock layers as dinosaurs. Specimens with babies support the idea that they gave live...

CREATION PODCAST
What Do We Do With Geology's Unconforming Features? | The Creation...
Welcome to the fifth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old...

NEWS
Freshwater Fish Fossil in Australia
Yet another fish fossil has been discovered. This one was found in the Australian desert and was dated by evolutionists to be “15 million years...

NEWS
May 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans...