Matthew 12:46-50

 ⁴⁶ While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. ⁴⁷ Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” ⁴⁸ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and 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.”

Commentary

Vs. 46 “While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.”

At this point neither the Lord Jesus Christ’s mother or his earthly brothers had come to believe in Him. Indeed, their standing outside of the house shows that they were shown neither favor or partiality by the Lord Jesus Christ simply because of their family ties with Him, something which is very true with God’s dealings with everyone (consider Acts 10:34-35). Now what is also clear by this verse is Mary did not remain a “perpetual” virgin, for after the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ she and her husband Joseph went on to have children by natural means as this verse makes clear. As well Joseph must have died by this time since he is not mentioned. And so, as we will see the Lord’s focus is not on any biological family ties, but only on those who come to believe in Him and seek to obey God through Him alone.

Vs. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

Now while Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, and his mother and brothers were seeking to speak with Him, someone had noticed them trying to do so, and so they call out to the Lord Jesus and say to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

Vs. 48-50 ⁴⁸ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and 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.”

In response to the mans calling out to Him, the Lord Jesus now makes it clear to him and to all, that only those who are following Him in discipleship are His family members, earthly ties then mean nothing in the Kingdom of heaven, for as the Lord Jesus says to us all, “whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Therefore, being baptized in a church, or growing up in a Christian family does not make one a Christian, and thus a member of the household of God. What makes one a Christian, and thus a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, is that we believe in His Person and we keep His commandments, that is what God requires of us all. For the Will of God the Father for us all is that we repent and believe in His Son through His Gospel, everything else then as a Christian works itself out from there, for once He has begun His good work in us He will complete it, all which begins with His first regenerating us by His Holy Spirit when we believe in His Son (Phil. 1:6; Titus 3:4-7). Therefore, I urge you to be reconciled to God while you can, for He made the Lord Jesus Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us that we by our faith and trust in His death on the Cross might receive remission of all our sins and everlasting life (John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore, don’t delay receive the Lord Jesus Christ for yourselves today! (Rev. 3:20).

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson