What Jesus Did! 'Family!' — Matthew 12:46-50

Thursday, June 19, 2025

As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you."

Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"

— Matthew 12:46-50 NLT

Key Thought

Wow! This is one of those moments in Jesus' ministry that sizzles with intensity, drama, and significance. Jesus' words may have felt hurtful to his physical family They were already struggling to understand the Lord's ministry. However, these words would be liberating and joyous to those who had always felt left out of the political order, pushed aside by the religious elite, and disenfranchised by the social structure of their day. Jesus was promising that his true family would be determined by obedience - not blood, not genealogy, not politics, not power, and not money. That promise still stands today and is just as valid for us as it was for those who first heard Jesus' words.

Today's Prayer

Abba Father, words cannot express what it means to me to have you as my eternal Father. I can trust that my home is with you, and yet as I await my journey to that home, I also trust that you have made your home with me. Thank you for claiming me as your beloved child and living inside me through the presence of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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3 Related Resources by Heartlight

My True Family
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Child of God, There is so much talk in your world about community. I understand that you want to find a place where you can be close to other..."
My Brothers!
Article by Phil Ware
How could He see so much more in them than they had ever demonstrated? Phil Ware shares insight in his LifeWORDS series on the resurrection sayings of Jesus and how Jesus forgave and empowered his failures, his disciples, by this forgiveness.
My Brothers?!
Article by Phil Ware
How could He Jesus so much more in his disciples than they had ever demonstrated? Phil Ware shares insight on how the resurrected Jesus forgave and empowered his his 11 disciples through his radical forgiveness.

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 12:46-50 NLT — "Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!"

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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