Hebrews 2:5 - 18
 

My childhood memories are peppered with moments of being immensely proud of my family but also with times that I've been embarrassed to have to admit that we're related! From rolling my eyes at Dad's jokes to distancing myself from my younger brother on the school bus and making Mum drop us off out of sight because we were ashamed of her beat-up old car, there were numerous instances where I was quite happy to deny our connection. 

The Cross has given us the incredible privilege of becoming children of God; of being part of His family and bearing the Father's Name. Hebrews 2:11 tells us that:
 

Both the One who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
 

Jesus is not ashamed that I am part of His family and He is not ashamed of you either! Pause and consider this for a moment - Jesus, in all His perfection and glory does not treat us with disdain; we do not embarrass Him and He does not attempt to hide His connection to us. In fact, The Message paraphrase says that He doesn't hesitate to treat us as family and that He says: 
 

"I’ll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters, all I know about You; I’ll join them in worship and praise to You."

Again, He puts himself in the same family circle when He says,

"Even I live by placing my trust in God."

And yet again,

"I’m here with the children God gave me." (Hebrews 2:12-13)
 

Jesus views you and I as a gift; as the children that God has entrusted to Him. It is His privilege and joy to teach us, to worship with us - even to suffer for us. He became like us, experienced death for us, so that we might be set free; so that we might be made holy. But ultimately so that we might become part of His family.

As you take a good hard look at Jesus this week; as you make Him the focus of your thoughts, consider the incredible depths of His love. Be reminded afresh that no matter what your past or even present looks like, His mission is to make you part of His family and for you to enjoy all the privileges of being a child of God.

He is not ashamed of you. He loves you and gave Himself to claim you as His own.

Meditate on Hebrews 2:11-13. What does it mean to you personally that Jesus calls you His brother or sister? That you belong to the same family?

Jesus is not ashamed - He doesn't hesitate - to call us family. But sometimes we deny our connection to Him. When and why do you find yourself doing this? Invite the Holy Spirit to minister into these areas.