Matthew 12:50

50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 12:50 in Other Translations

KJV
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
ESV
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
NLT
50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
MSG
50 Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father's will is my brother and sister and mother."
CSB
50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother."

Matthew 12:50 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 12:50

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father
This is not to be understood of a perfect obedience to the will of God, revealed in his righteous law; for since this cannot be performed by any mere man, no one could be in such a spiritual relation to Christ: but of the obedience of faith to the will of God, revealed in the Gospel; which is to believe in Christ, and have everlasting life; see ( John 6:40 ) . This is the will of Christ's Father,

which is in heaven,
and which is good news from heaven, to sinners on earth; and which Christ came down from heaven to do, and to declare to the children of men: such as "hear the word of God and do it", as Luke says, ( Luke 8:21 ) that is, hear the Gospel, understand and believe it, and become obedient to the faith of it; these are in this near manner related to Christ, evidentially and openly, as well as those who were now present:

the same is my brother, and sister, and mother;
as dear to me, as such are to those, to whom they stood thus related in the flesh: and these natural relations serve to convey some ideas of that relation, union, nearness, and communion, there are between Christ and his people; all these relative characters may be observed in the book of Solomon's Song, to which our Lord may be reasonably thought to have respect; see ( Song of Solomon 3:11 ) ( Song of Solomon 4:9 Song of Solomon 4:10 Song of Solomon 4:12 ) ( Song of Solomon 5:1 Song of Solomon 5:2 ) ( 8:1 ) .

Matthew 12:50 In-Context

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Cross References 1

  • 1. Matthew 6:10; John 15:14
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