Bible Strands
Mark 3:35
For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the circle of people seated around Him, redefining spiritual kinship in the moment after pointing out His mother and brothers. He speaks directly to them to establish that obedience, not blood relation, determines true family ties.
The words — ἂν ποιήσῃ (an poiēsē) translates literally as "may do" or "should do," paired with θέλημα θεοῦ (thelēma theou) meaning "will of God." The conditional ἂν marks the action as the defining criterion for belonging to Jesus.
The thread — The theme of doing God’s will appears in Matthew 7:21 and 1 John 2:17, where obedience rather than mere association or speech determines eternal standing. 1 John 3:22 further links receiving from God to keeping His commandments and doing what pleases Him.
Why it lands — The text demands that spiritual identity be proven through active obedience to God’s will rather than biological or social ties. A reader must examine whether their life consistently aligns with divine instruction to claim the title of brother, sister, or mother to Christ.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Cross-references
- 1 John 2:17 The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
- Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
- 1 John 3:22 and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- John 7:17 If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
- James 1:25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.