Firstborn Among Many Brethren

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 Romans 8:29

My firstborn is a Navy SEAL. He was born for adventure and grew up in the Amazon rainforest. Jungle Indians taught him how to hunt, trail blaze, and spear fish. He, in turn, taught his seven brothers how to be men, and more importantly, how to be a Khol.

The “Khol boys” had quite the reputation at Bible camp for daring. They climbed the tallest trees, ate caterpillars, and thought outside the box (truth is, they never even saw the box). My oldest taught his brothers things I never could and he taught them well.

Only recently, I found out that when the boys were all young they were taken to the top of a 30 foot cliff by their big brother. Each had a choice. They could either jump into the swimming hole below just like he had done many times before, or get thrown in. The older boys voluntarily followed their elder’s example. But the four year old twins needed special hands-on encouragement. He immediately jumped in behind them to make sure everyone was safe.

Jesus is our big brother. He’s the firstborn among many brethren. Being God in human form, He made the transition from being Spirit to having a physical body. Then, when Christ died and rose again, He went from the mortal realm to return to the immortal. We don’t know how to do that now, but we will be able to do the same because our Savior will show us how.

Before the world was even formed, God had a plan for his future creation. After the inevitable fall, God would send Christ to earth to be our example and enabler of righteousness. Without God’s help, no one knows how to be a child of God, after all, we are born as sons and daughters of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). Jesus is able to conform us into the image of God’s Son because He’s been there and done that. Only Christ has the right to do that; He’s the firstborn among many brethren.