Limitless Word
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Matthew 12:50 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
  • BSB For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
  • NKJV For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
  • NASB For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
  • NLT Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Whoever does the will of the Father is Jesus' brother, sister, and mother.

Overview

True belonging in God's family rests on doing the Father's will, which centers on believing in the Son. This opens the family of God to all who obey by faith. Through Christ, believers become children of God and members of his household.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 36

  • Luke 8:21And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
  • Mark 3:35For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
  • John 15:14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
  • Luke 11:27–28And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
  • Matt 28:10Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
  • 1 Jn 3:23–24And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
  • 1 Jn 2:17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
  • Jas 1:21–22Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
  • Heb 2:11–17For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
  • Rom 8:29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
  • John 6:40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
  • John 6:29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
  • John 19:26–27When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
  • Matt 7:20–21Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
  • Matt 25:40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
  • 1 Tim 5:2The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
  • John 20:17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
  • 1 Pet 4:2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
  • Gal 6:15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
  • Acts 16:30–31And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
  • Eph 5:25–27Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
  • Ps 22:22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
  • Col 3:11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
  • Gal 5:6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
  • Rev 22:14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
  • Matt 17:5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
  • Acts 17:30And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
  • Acts 26:20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
  • 2 Cor 11:2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
  • Matt 25:45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
  • Acts 3:22–23For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
  • Song 4:9–10Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
  • Song 5:1–2I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
  • Heb 5:9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
  • Song 4:12A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
  • 1 Cor 9:5Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (9)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 12:50YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 12:50 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.