This time of year we hear a lot about how every part in the crucifixion and resurrection stories were foretold, either by an Old Testament prophet or Jesus, himself.
Which, oddly, makes the resurrection not the twist of the story–for us, anyway. For the disciples and followers, even though they’d been told, it was a massive twist they just couldn’t imagine or expect. All their awareness of the events as foretold came in hindsight. John says,
His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. (John 12:16)
So if the triumphal entry (Zech 9:9), crucifixion (Psalm 22:1,16,18) (Isaiah 53:5,7) (Matt 20:17-19), and resurrection (Matt 20: 17-19) (Mark 9:30-32) (Isaiah 53:10–11) are foretold, what is not foretold? What is unexpected?
Jesus starts a new family.
That new family is us, his followers. Before the crucifixion, Jesus refers to his disciples and followers his friends (John 15:15), but he mostly doesn’t call them anything. While he is on the cross, we see this:
Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved*, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)
Jesus is in physical and spiritual agony, but he takes care of his mother and his followers by making them family to each other.
He hinted at this when he was speaking to a crowd and his mother and brothers were outside demanding to speak with him:
Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” (Matt 12:46-50)
Because we aren’t only each other’s family, we are Jesus’s family.
He cements it when Mary Magdalene sees the resurrected Jesus and he tells her to go tell his brothers he’s alive (Matt 28:10, John 20:17).
This developed into a beautiful theology of being adopted into God’s family (Eph 1:5), all of us (no matter our gender or birth order) having the status of honored sons and heirs (Rom 8:16-17) who are able to call Jesus brother and God Papa (Rom 8:15)–connecting all believers throughout history and on earth right now as family.
Unexpected, not foretold, and a glorious twist in the story.
Thank you to Rev. Mike C. Desotell of Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Rapids, MI for this insight.
* Insert eyeroll at John referring to himself as the disciple Jesus loved.