Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- KJV But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
- NKJV But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- NASB And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- NLT Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
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
Jesus replies that what is impossible for people is possible with God. Salvation is God's work, not a human achievement.
Overview
Jesus directs his disciples' gaze away from human ability to divine power: people cannot save themselves, but God can do what is impossible for us. This is the heart of the gospel—salvation is a gift of grace, accomplished by God through Christ. It humbles all self-confidence and grounds hope entirely in the saving work of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Jer 32:27“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
- Luke 1:37For no word from God will ever fail.”
- Job 42:2“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
- Luke 18:27But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
- Mark 10:27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
- Jer 32:17“Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
- Gen 18:14Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
- Ps 62:11God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: that power belongs to God,
- Num 11:23The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not My word will come to pass.”
- Zech 8:6This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “If this is impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be impossible in My eyes?” declares the LORD of Hosts.
- Ps 3:8Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 19:26 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.