Mat 12:48-49, 25:40, 28:10, Luk 8:21 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 48. Who is my mother ? etc. There was no want of affection or respect in Jesus towards his mother, as is proved by his whole life. See especially . This question was asked merely to fix the attention of the hearers, and to prepare them for the answer; that is, to show them who sustained towards him the nearest and most tender relation. To do this he pointed to his disciples: Dear and tender as were the ties which bound him to his mother and brethren, yet those which bound him to his disciples were more tender and sacred. How great was his love for his disciples, when it was more than even that for his mother! And what a bright illustration of his own doctrine, that we ought to forsake father, and mother, and friends, and-houses, and lands, to be his followers.

Matthew 12:48-49

Verse 48. Who is my mother? etc. There was no want of affection or respect in Jesus towards his mother, as is proved by his whole life. See especially Lk 2:51, Jn 19:25-27. This question was asked merely to fix the attention of the hearers, and to prepare them for the answer; that is, to show them who sustained towards him the nearest and most tender relation. To do this he pointed to his disciples: Dear and tender as were the ties which bound him to his mother and brethren, yet those which bound him to his disciples were more tender and sacred. How great was his love for his disciples, when it was more than even that for his mother! And what a bright illustration of his own doctrine, that we ought to forsake father, and mother, and friends, and-houses, and lands, to be his followers. Verse 49. Mt 12:46

Matthew 25:40

Verse 40. One of the least of these. One of the obscurest, least known, poorest, and most despised and afflicted.

My brethren. Either those who are Christians, whom he condescends to call brethren, or those who are afflicted, poor, and persecuted, who are his brethren and companions in suffering, and who suffer as he did on earth. See Heb 2:11, Mt 12:50. How great is the condescension and kindness of the Judge of the world, thus to reward our actions, and to consider what we have done to the poor as done to him!

(l) "Inasmuch" Prov 19:17, Mk 9:41, Heb 6:10

Matthew 28:10

Verse 10. Be not afraid. The ancients, when in the presence of a heavenly being--an angel, or one who was supposed to be possessed of Divine power--were commonly struck with great fear, as well as a great sense of their unworthiness. See Lk 5:8, Jud 6:22, 23, 13:21,22. The women were in like manner alarmed when they saw Jesus, believing him now peculiarly to be a Divine Being; seeing him returning from the regions of the dead; and doubtless impressed with a new consciousness that they were unworthy of being in his presence. Jesus comforted them. He was the same Jesus with whom they had been before his death; and they had no reason now to fear him.

Go tell my brethren. There is something exceedingly tender in the appellation here used, "my brethren." Though he was risen from the dead--though about to be exalted to heaven--yet he did not disdain to call his disciples his brethren. This was calculated still farther to silence the fears of the women, and inspire them with confidence.

Into Galilee. Galilee was the northern part of the land. There the Saviour commenced his ministry; and there, away from the noise and confusion of the city, he purposed again to meet them, in retirement and quietness, to satisfy them of his resurrection, and to commission them to go forth and preach the everlasting gospel.

(m) "brethren" Heb 2:11

Matthew 12:48-49

Matthew 25:40

Matthew 28:10

Luke 8:21