Matthew 12:50
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Cross-reference
Matthew 7:21 uses the exact phrase 'does the will of my Father in heaven' — directly parallel to the condition for being Jesus' family here.
In Matthew 25:40, serving the least of Jesus' brothers is serving Jesus — expanding the family to include the needy, who do the Father's will.
In Matthew 25:45, neglecting the least is neglecting Jesus — contrasting the obedient family of Matthew 12:50 with those who fail to do God's will.
In Matthew 28:10, Jesus calls his disciples 'brothers' after resurrection — fulfilling the family language of those who do God's will.
Matthew 7:24 calls for putting Jesus' words into practice — directly parallel to doing the Father's will as family criterion.
Matthew 21:31 asks 'which did the will of his father?' — the identical phrase 'do the will of the father' links to family obedience.
Matthew 6:10 prays 'your will be done' — the same core concept of doing God's will that defines family in Matthew 12:50.
In Acts 16:31, Paul answers that believing in the Lord Jesus brings salvation — believing is the key work of God that fulfills the Father's will.
1 John 3:24 ties keeping commandments to abiding in God — echoing the obedience demanded in Matthew 12:50.
1 John 2:17 promises eternal life to those who do God's will — the same criterion as Matthew 12:50.
1 Peter 4:2 urges living for the will of God — a direct restatement of the core action in Matthew 12:50.
James 1:22 explicitly commands being doers of the word — a clear parallel to doing God's will.
Hebrews 5:9 links salvation to obedience to Christ — directly paralleling doing the Father's will.
In Hebrews 2:11-17, Jesus calls believers brothers and becomes human to save them — directly expanding the family of those who do God's will.
In John 20:17, Jesus tells Mary to go to his 'brothers' — confirming the family relationship of those who obey the Father, as in Matthew 12:50.
John 19:27 continues the same action, with John taking Mary as his mother, applying the principle of spiritual family.
In John 15:14, Jesus says his friends are those who do what he commands — the same criterion of obedience that makes one family in Matthew 12:50.
In John 6:40, Jesus states the Father's will is that everyone who believes in the Son receives eternal life — closely parallel to doing the Father's will.
Mark 3:35 is the parallel account: whoever does God's will is Jesus' family — same teaching, reinforcing the redefinition.
Luke 8:21 records the same saying: those who hear and do God's word are Jesus' mother and brothers — confirming the teaching.
In Luke 11:28, Jesus pronounces blessing on those who hear and obey God's word — the same obedience that defines true family in Matthew 12:50.
In John 6:29, Jesus identifies believing in the one God sent as the work God requires — specifying the will of the Father that makes one family.
John 19:26 shows Jesus enacting his teaching by giving his mother to John, making him her son in the new spiritual family.
In Ephesians 6:6, Paul commands doing the will of God from the heart — echoing Jesus' criterion for being his family.
Mark 3:34 records the same event — Jesus declares those doing God's will as his family, a direct synoptic parallel.
Luke 6:47 describes hearing and practicing Jesus' words — echoing the requirement to do God's will to be part of his family.
In Hebrews 10:36, the author exhorts doing the will of God to receive the promise — aligning with Jesus' teaching that doing God's will defines his family.
In Galatians 6:10, Paul uses 'household of faith' — a direct parallel to Jesus' redefinition of family as those who do God's will.
John 13:17 promises blessing to those who do what Jesus commanded — parallel to doing God's will as the path to kinship.
In Romans 8:29, believers are predestined to be brothers of Christ, the firstborn — developing the familial concept from doing the Father's will.
In Revelation 22:14, those who wash their robes (keep commandments) gain entrance — echoing that doing God's will defines God's family.
Galatians 5:6 pairs faith with love in action — a specific expression of doing God's will.
In Romans 16:13, Paul calls Rufus's mother 'a mother to me' — echoing Jesus' redefinition of family as spiritual kinship through doing God's will.
In Romans 16:1, Paul calls Phoebe 'sister' — using the same spiritual family language Jesus uses to redefine family as those who do God's will.
1 John 3:23 singles out faith in Christ and love as God's command — a specific focus of doing His will.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Paul identifies God's will as sanctification — a specific instance of the broader principle Jesus states about doing God's will.
In 1 Corinthians 8:12, Paul refers to fellow believers as 'brothers and sisters' — a direct application of Jesus' spiritual family language.
In 1 Corinthians 7:15, Paul uses 'brother or sister' for believers — consistent with Jesus' teaching that spiritual family is defined by doing God's will.