Matthew 12:48 kjv
But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Matthew 12:48 nkjv
But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"
Matthew 12:48 niv
He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"
Matthew 12:48 esv
But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"
Matthew 12:48 nlt
Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?"
Matthew 12 48 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 1:12-13 | But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood... but of God. | Spiritual birth makes one God's child. |
| Rom 8:14 | For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. | Being led by Spirit signifies divine sonship. |
| Gal 3:26 | For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. | Faith in Christ unites believers as God's children. |
| Heb 2:11 | For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one. For which reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers. | Jesus calls His followers 'brothers'. |
| Mt 7:21 | Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. | Entry to kingdom depends on doing God's will. |
| Mk 3:33-35 | And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" ... "Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." | Parallel account, explicit statement of true family. |
| Lk 8:20-21 | And it was told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." But he answered, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." | Parallel account, emphasizing hearing and doing God's word. |
| Jn 7:17 | If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. | Obedience to God's will leads to understanding. |
| 1 Jn 2:17 | And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. | Doing God's will leads to eternal life. |
| Rom 12:1-2 | ...present your bodies as a living sacrifice... do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God... | Transformation to discern and obey God's will. |
| 1 Pet 1:23 | ...born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. | Spiritual rebirth is from God's imperishable word. |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Emphasizes active obedience over mere hearing. |
| Jn 8:39-44 | They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did... You are of your father the devil..." | True lineage is spiritual, not merely physical descent. |
| Phil 2:7-8 | But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men... he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Christ's ultimate example of obedience to the Father's will. |
| Heb 10:7 | Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.' | Jesus' entire mission is about fulfilling God's will. |
| Ps 143:10 | Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! | A prayer for guidance to do God's will. |
| 1 Jn 3:1 | See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. | The incredible privilege of being called children of God. |
| Jn 15:14 | You are my friends if you do what I command you. | Friendship with Jesus defined by obedience. |
| 2 Sam 7:14 | I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. | God establishes a divine father-son relationship. |
| Jer 31:33 | But this is the covenant that I will make... I will be their God, and they shall be My people. | The New Covenant defines a people based on their relationship with God. |
| Heb 8:10 | For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel... I will be their God, and they shall be my people. | Echoes Jer 31, reiterates the spiritual nature of God's people. |
Matthew 12 verses
Matthew 12 48 Meaning
Matthew 12:48 records Jesus' rhetorical question in response to being told His mother and brothers were seeking Him. His inquiry, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?", serves as a profound redefinition of true kinship, shifting its basis from biological lineage to spiritual allegiance and obedience to God's will. It highlights that belonging to God's family is determined by spiritual responsiveness rather than mere blood relationship.
Matthew 12 48 Context
Matthew 12:48 is situated within a broader section (12:22-50) where Jesus performs a miraculous healing, is falsely accused of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, and subsequently provides teachings about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the significance of one's words, and the sign of Jonah. Just before verse 48, His biological family arrives seeking to speak with Him, likely out of concern or perhaps to retrieve Him due to His radical public teachings. This background sets the stage for Jesus' revolutionary statement, emphasizing a radical shift from conventional understandings of family and allegiance based on bloodline to one based on spiritual affinity and obedience to God. His response critiques the societal priority of physical family ties over spiritual commitment and heralds the inauguration of a new, spiritual family of God.
Matthew 12 48 Word analysis
- He answered (Greek: ἀποκριθεὶς – apokritheis): This word, literally "having answered," signifies not merely a direct reply but often a deep, decisive declaration in response to a situation. Jesus is seizing the moment to reveal a spiritual truth.
- and said to him who told Him (Greek: καὶ εἶπεν τῷ λέγοντι – kai eipen tō legonti): "And he spoke to the one speaking." This specifies the recipient of His immediate address—the messenger—while the message itself carries universal theological weight. It emphasizes Jesus' direct, intentional communication.
- Who (Greek: Τίς – Tis): An interrogative pronoun, this question is rhetorical, designed to prompt listeners to reconsider their assumptions about kinship. It serves to redirect attention from physical presence to spiritual principle.
- is My mother (Greek: ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου – estin hē mētēr mou): Points to His biological mother, Mary. The question implicitly challenges the traditional Jewish emphasis on lineage and the reverence for one's physical parents in the absolute sense, showing there's a higher form of relationship.
- or My brothers? (Greek: ἢ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου – ē hoi adelphoi mou): Refers to His biological siblings. The conjunction "or" suggests an alternative framework of identification is being proposed, contrasting with the immediate biological one presented.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "He answered and said": This standard phrase in Gospel narratives introduces a weighty or significant utterance, indicating that what follows is not casual conversation but an authoritative declaration from Jesus. It signals a divine perspective being unveiled.
- "to him who told Him": Focuses the delivery of the message to the messenger, making it public for all present. This makes it clear Jesus is not rebuking Mary or His brothers, but making a teaching point.
- "Who is My mother or My brothers?": This direct and probing question functions as a challenge to prevailing social norms. In Jewish society, family (biological ties and lineage) was paramount for identity, status, and religious belonging. Jesus radically redefines "family" here, detaching it from genetic connection and associating it instead with a shared spiritual commitment and obedience to God. This subtly sets up the upcoming identification of His true spiritual family in the next verse (v. 50). It’s a foundational statement for the emerging community of believers—the church—where spiritual ties supersede all other bonds.
Matthew 12 48 Bonus section
This verse functions as a polemic against the exclusive nature of certain religious privileges derived from birthright. In ancient Israel, Abraham's lineage conferred status and access to God's covenant promises. Jesus’ statement, however, universalizes the concept of belonging to God’s people, shifting it from physical descent (which was exclusive to a certain nation or family) to spiritual choice and obedience (which is open to all). This teaching would have been startling to an audience steeped in the importance of genealogy. It sets a precedent for the inclusion of Gentiles and all peoples into the family of God, fundamentally transforming the definition of God's covenant community from an ethnocentric model to a faith-centric one. It also implicitly prioritizes kingdom business and the work of God above even familial duties when those duties conflict with spiritual obedience, echoing themes of radical discipleship elsewhere in the Gospels.
Matthew 12 48 Commentary
Matthew 12:48 marks a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry, wherein He redefines the very essence of "family." Rather than affirming biological ties as the ultimate form of kinship, Jesus challenges the societal expectation that His closest family by birth should have special access or privilege. His rhetorical question lays the groundwork for the profound truth revealed in the subsequent verse (v. 50): that true spiritual kinship with Him and with God the Father is forged through intentional obedience to God's will. This declaration dismantles the exclusive nature of physical lineage in favor of an inclusive spiritual community accessible to all who choose to follow God's commands. It teaches that being part of Jesus' divine family transcends all earthly bonds and demands active discipleship and alignment with divine purpose. For early believers and us today, this verse serves as a reminder that spiritual unity in Christ is more profound and enduring than any other human relationship.