John 2:12 “After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.”

As I read this passage about Jesus’ first miracle, turning the water into wine, I was struck by verse 12. Why did His mother and brothers follow Him to Capernaum? Of course, Mary knew all about Jesus and the message she received from the angel about His purpose on earth. Why else would she have asked Him to help with the wine issue. But His brothers? Maybe they thought He could help them out. You know how brothers are. Did they start believing in Him here or were they just along with Mom?

I get asked all the time by Parents how old should a child be before they place their trust in Jesus. Well, do they understand the simple truths of the Gospel? Do they believe He died for them, was buried and rose again? Do they admit they are a sinner and need cleansing? If so, there you have it.

Your children can’t ride your coat tails into heaven. There is no “family plan” for salvation. Being born into a Christian family no more makes them a Christian than being born in a garage makes them a car. They must come to a point where they recognize their own sin and need for a Savior. My question to you is “Are you listening to your child when they talk about Jesus?”

We don’t know when Jesus’ brothers recognized Him as the Messiah. But being born into the same family as Jesus did not give them any more heaven points than anyone else. For that matter, and this is going to make some people mad, even Mary wasn’t guaranteed salvation unless she too bowed her knee to her Son, her Savior.

Don’t rest on the fact that your children have always attended church and sang all the songs and memorized all the verses. Lead them to the miracle worker, Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord.