What did Jesus mean when He said, “With God, all things are possible”? What was the context? Are we settling for less than what God wants to give us? Does God’s will ever trump our wants?
Did you know that Jesus said, “All things are possible” on three separate occasions? One situation was about casting out an evil spirit. Another had to do with the possibility of salvation. The third occasion was when Jesus asked God to take the cup of suffering away from Him.
Christian quotes
“If all things are possible with God, then all things are possible to him who believes in Him.” — Corrie ten Boom
“God is able to accomplish, provide, help, save, keep, subdue… He is able to do what you can’t. He already has a plan. God’s not bewildered. Go to Him.” Max Lucado
Is it true that ‘with God all things are possible’?
Yes! Jesus said it three times. Since Jesus is God, we know for sure it is true! God does not lie.
- “This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.” (Titus 1:2, NLT)
Let’s look at the three times Jesus said, “All things are possible.” The first time was when a man brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples for healing. The demon made the boy mute, gave him seizures, and caused him to fall into the fire or water to kill him. The disciples tried and failed to cast out the demon. So, the father begged Jesus,
“’But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’
Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’
Immediately, the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’
When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’
Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, ‘He is dead.’
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’
So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’”
(Mark 9:22b-29 NKJV)
The second time Jesus said, “With God, all things are possible,” was after encountering a wealthy young man. The man asked Jesus what good thing he should do to obtain eternal life. After telling Jesus he had kept the commandments, Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and come follow Him. The man left in sorrow, unable to part with his wealth. Jesus remarked,
“’Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’
Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.’” (Matthew 19:24-26, BSB)
The third time Jesus said, “All things are possible,” was the night before He died. He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, dreading what would come.
- “’Abba, Father,’ He said, ‘all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.’” (Mark 14:36, NIV)
The Bible speaks about all things being possible with God (or nothing being too hard for Him) several other times.
- When Abraham struggled with believing God’s promise that his ninety-year-old wife would have a child, God told him,
“Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Genesis 18:14, NLT)
- “Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17, ESV)
- “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah32:27, KJV)
- “I know that You can do all things and that no plan is impossible for You.” (Job 42:2, NASB)
- “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV)
- “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37 KJV)
- “(Abraham) did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.” (Romans 4:20-21, BSB)
God will not do things contrary to His Word
God is omnipotent and can do everything, yet He won’t go against His Word. That would make Him a liar.
- “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19, NLT)
- “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.” (1 Samuel 15:29, NIV)
- “I will not violate My covenant, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.” (Psalm 89:34, NASB)
- “I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’ I summon a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far-off land. Truly, I have spoken, and truly, I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, and I will surely do it.” (Isaiah 46:10-11, BSB)
- “If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13, ESV)
- “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17, BSB)
Believing and struggling to trust God’s will
Jesus struggled on the night before He died. He knew the horrible death he faced. Yet, He also knew it was God’s plan. In his humanity, he asked God to take the cup of suffering away. Yet, even as He asked, Jesus acknowledged His death was His Father’s will.
Sometimes, suffering is part of God’s plan. It was with Jesus. In the Book of Acts, the disciples suffered hardships, beatings, jail, shipwreck, and even death. Sometimes, God rescued them, but not always. We can certainly ask God to remove the suffering, yet we must acknowledge that His will is supreme.
- “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5, ESV)
- “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5, KJV)
- “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV)
- “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10, KJV)
- “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, NLT)
- “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36, NIV)
Desiring God’s will
As mentioned above, God’s will is paramount. We can have confidence that if we are chasing after His will, He will bless us in the process. When His will becomes the desire of our hearts, His plans unfold, and they are good plans. How do we know what God’s will is? He’s made that very clear in His Word. These are the things we should desire. Yes, there will be specific issues where we might not know which way to go. But if we’re making His will paramount, He will guide us.
- “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4, NASB)
- “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, ESV)
- “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.” (John 9:31, BSB)
- “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, NASB)
- “Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2, BSB)
- “God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3, NLT)
- “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV)
- “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NASB)
Enduring in prayer
Let’s go back to the story in Mark 9 about the demon-possessed boy. The story is also in Matthew 17:14-21, Luke 9:37-42, and Luke 17:5-10. He had symptoms that seemed like Autism – he had seizures, he was mute, and he often fell into the water or fire. The disciples tried to cast out the demon but failed. After Jesus cast out the evil spirit, the disciples asked Him why they couldn’t do it.
- “’You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.’” (Matthew 17:20, NLT)
How do we achieve that mountain-moving faith? The next verse tells us:
- “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21, KJV)
Many Bible versions leave out Matthew 17:21 because it isn’t in the oldest Greek manuscripts. However, it is in Mark 9:29. Moreover, Jesus began his ministry with forty days of fasting (Matthew 4:2). It was critical to His work.
Jesus was devoted to intense prayer. He would pray late at night, sometimes all night. He would get up early in the morning, while it was still dark, to pray (Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Mark 1:35). Prayer defined His life and ministry. The disciples probably prayed, but not as often or as long as they should have. Thus, they didn’t have that mountain-moving faith. They failed to cast the demon out of the boy, even though Jesus had given them the authority to do so.
Do you want the mountain-moving faith Jesus said you could have? Five minutes of prayer isn’t going to do it. Stop scrolling through the phone and pray! Turn off the TV and pray! Pray when you’re driving to work or school. When you’re in constant communication with God, your faith explodes. You stop limiting what you think can happen.
- “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41, NIV)
- “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18, BSB)
- “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16, ESV)
- “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NKJV)
- “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1, NIV)
- “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6, NLT)
- “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;” (Colossians 4:2, NKJV)
- “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.” (James 5:16, BSB)
- “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19, NASB)
- “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:12-14, NIV)
- “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24, ESV)
Enduring in prayer also means continuing to pray for something until it happens. Don’t give up after praying once or twice. Keep praying!
- “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.” (James 5:17-18, BSB)
If you go back to 1 Kings 18, you can read just how Elijah prayed for the rain to start again.
- “So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, ‘Go and look out toward the sea.’ The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, ‘I didn’t see anything.’ Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, ‘I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.’” (1 Kings 18:43-44, BSB)
Elijah didn’t give up the first time he prayed. When nothing happened, he kept on praying. He only stopped praying when the tiny cloud rose from the sea. Within minutes, the sky was black with clouds and a heavy wind brought a downpour.
Conclusion
Are all things possible with God? Yes, they are! Yet, many of us don’t experience these possibilities because we don’t think to ask God. It often does not occur to us to ask Him to resolve seemingly impossible situations. Or, we might be asking for something that is not His will for us. It may also be a matter of timing. Sometimes, the answer isn’t immediate.
- “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NLT)