All Things Are Possible: Bible Verses, Meaning & Context

Few phrases from Scripture have traveled as far from their original setting as “all things are possible.” You’ve likely seen it on coffee mugs and Instagram captions — a warm nod to optimism. But when Jesus first spoke those words in Matthew 19:26, he was making a pointed statement about salvation, not offering motivation for personal goals. Here’s what the three Gospel verses actually say and why their original context still matters.

Bible verses containing the phrase: 3 (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37) ·
Gospel accounts with the phrase: 3 (Matthew, Mark, Luke) ·
Year Matthew 19:26 written (estimated): c. 70‑80 AD ·
Hillsong Worship song streams (all-time): Over 100 million

Key Facts at a Glance

Five details capture the core of how these verses connect across the Gospels and what they emphasize theologically.

The implication: These details ground the phrase in its original Gospel settings and highlight the theological emphasis on God’s power over human effort.

What Bible verse says all things are possible?

Three New Testament passages carry the exact phrase or its direct equivalent. Each appears in a distinct narrative setting, but they converge on the same theological point.

Matthew 19:26

• Jesus speaks after the rich young ruler refuses to sell his possessions and follow him (iBelieve.com (Christian faith site)).
• The disciples are astonished — they assume wealth signals God’s favor — and ask, “Who then can be saved?”
• Jesus replies: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (BibleGateway.com (Scripture reference tool)).

Mark 10:27

• Mark’s parallel reads: “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Courtney Reissig Blog (pastoral commentary)).
• The wording is nearly identical to Matthew’s account, confirming it as a remembered saying of Jesus.
• Both Gospels place the statement immediately after the rich young ruler episode.

Luke 1:37

• The angel Gabriel tells Mary she will conceive even though she is a virgin (GotQuestions.org (Bible reference site)).
• Gabriel points to Elizabeth’s pregnancy as evidence: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
• This verse uses the negated form — “nothing will be impossible” — which is the semantic equivalent of “all things are possible.”

The implication: these three verses form a unified witness that divine power, not human effort, is the source of salvation and the miraculous. They don’t promise that any individual goal is achievable; they promise that God’s redemptive purposes cannot be thwarted.

What did Jesus mean when he said with God all things are possible?

To understand Jesus’ meaning, you have to sit in the moment he said it. The disciples had just watched a wealthy, devout man walk away from Jesus — and they were shaken.

Context in Matthew: the rich young ruler

• The man asks what good deed he must do to have eternal life (Crosswalk.com (Christian living resource)).
• Jesus tells him to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him. The man leaves sorrowful because he is very rich.
• Jesus then tells the disciples it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
• The disciples are “greatly astonished” — in Jewish culture, wealth was seen as a sign of divine blessing.

Meaning of the Greek word “dunatos”

• The Greek adjective dunatos (δυνατός) means “possible, powerful, or able” (Blue Letter Bible (Greek lexicon resource)).
• It shares a root with dunamis — the word for power, might, or miraculous ability.
• Jesus is not saying “everything is easy.” He is saying that what is impossible for humans is within God’s power to accomplish.

Theological implication of divine power

• The verse underscores that salvation is a work of God, not a reward for human effort (Bible Alpha (online Bible resource)).
• This aligns with the broader New Testament theme that no one is saved by good deeds.
• God’s power is not arbitrary — it operates within His holy will. He will not contradict His own nature (GotQuestions.org (Bible reference site)).

What is the deeper meaning of Luke 1:37?

Luke 1:37 appears in a scene that is the polar opposite of the rich young ruler narrative: a young peasant girl receives news that defies biology.

Context of the Annunciation

• The angel Gabriel appears to Mary in Nazareth and tells her she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit (GotQuestions.org (Bible reference site)).
• Mary asks how this can happen since she is a virgin. Gabriel responds with the news of Elizabeth’s pregnancy — Elizabeth was old and barren, yet is now six months pregnant.
• Gabriel’s closing line is the climax: “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Gabriel’s message to Mary

• The angel draws a direct line from Elizabeth’s pregnancy to Mary’s conception: if God can do the first, He can do the second.
• The Greek phrasing uses ouk adunatēsei — literally “will not be impossible” — a double negative that intensifies the certainty of God’s power.
• This is not abstract theology. It is a concrete promise attached to a specific, seemingly impossible situation.

Implication for Mary’s faith

• Mary’s response — “Let it be to me according to your word” — models the trust the verse calls for (iBelieve.com (Christian faith site)).
• She doesn’t demand proof beyond the word of the angel. She accepts that God’s power extends beyond natural laws.
• This makes Luke 1:37 a verse about trusting God’s promises even when the outcome seems biologically or logically impossible.

How do all things are possible verses relate to marriage?

The connection between “all things are possible” and marriage is often missed because the verse is quoted in isolation. But in Matthew 19, the topic of marriage directly precedes the famous line.

Matthew 19:1‑12 context

• The chapter opens with Pharisees testing Jesus on divorce (Crosswalk.com (Christian living resource)).
• Jesus affirms the permanence of marriage, citing Genesis: what God has joined, man should not separate.
• The disciples respond that if marriage is that binding, it might be better not to marry at all.
• Jesus says not everyone can accept this teaching — only those to whom it has been given.

Jesus on divorce

• Jesus permits divorce only on grounds of sexual immorality (Greek porneia).
• The disciples’ reaction shows how radical this standard sounded to them.
• Jesus then introduces the idea of those who choose celibacy for the sake of the kingdom.

Application to marriage difficulties

• The “all things are possible” statement comes immediately after this marriage discussion.
• The logical connection: if God’s power can save a wealthy man who cannot save himself, that same power can sustain marriages that seem impossible to maintain.
• The verse doesn’t promise that every marriage will be easy — it promises that God’s grace is sufficient even in the hardest relational circumstances.

The trade-off: Jesus raises the bar on marriage, then immediately points to God’s power as the only way to meet it. The “all things are possible” promise is not a loophole — it’s the source of strength for a standard that humans cannot keep on their own. For married couples facing difficulty, the verse shifts the question from “Can we fix this?” to “Can God work here?”

What does Proverbs 12:17 say?

Text of the verse

Proverbs 12:17 states: “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies” (BibleGateway.com (Scripture reference tool)).

Context in wisdom literature

This proverb is part of the wisdom tradition, contrasting truthfulness with deceit. It appears in a collection of sayings that guide ethical behavior.

Relation to integrity

The verse directly connects to the theme of integrity in speech, reinforcing that God values honesty. It shows that divine power extends beyond miraculous acts to everyday ethical choices.

What We Know and What Remains Unclear

After examining the verses and their contexts, some points are firmly established while others invite scholarly debate.

Confirmed facts

• Matthew 19:26 is a direct utterance by Jesus to his disciples (BibleGateway.com (Scripture reference tool)).
• Luke 1:37 is spoken by the angel Gabriel to Mary (GotQuestions.org (Bible reference site)).
• Mark 10:27 is a parallel passage to Matthew 19:26 (Courtney Reissig Blog (pastoral commentary)).
• All three verses affirm God’s ability to do the impossible (Crosswalk.com (Christian living resource)).

What remains unclear

• The exact historical dating of the synoptic Gospels is debated — estimates range from the 60s AD to the 90s AD.
• Scholars differ on whether the rich young ruler story is a single historical event or a composite narrative.
• Whether “all things are possible” was a known Jewish idiom in first-century Palestine is uncertain — no direct parallels survive in contemporary Jewish literature.
• The exact Aramaic words Jesus would have used are unknown since the Gospels record his sayings in Greek translation.

The pattern: the core theological claims — what Jesus said and why — are well-established. The textual and historical details around those claims remain open questions that scholars continue to investigate. This distinction matters because readers can trust the theological meaning while acknowledging that some background details are provisional.

Key Voices on “All Things Are Possible”

Three distinct speakers in Scripture give voice to this theme, each from a different vantage point.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

— Jesus (Matthew 19:26, BibleGateway.com (Scripture reference tool))

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

— Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:37, GotQuestions.org (Bible reference site))

“An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.”

— Author of Proverbs (Proverbs 12:17, BibleGateway.com (Scripture reference tool))

Each voice speaks into a different kind of impossibility: Jesus addresses salvation, Gabriel addresses a biological miracle, and Proverbs addresses the daily choice of integrity. Together they show that God’s power extends across every domain — eternal, miraculous, and ethical.

What This Means for Readers

The phrase “all things are possible” carries more weight than its popular use suggests. It doesn’t promise a trouble-free life or guaranteed success at every endeavor. It promises that God’s power is sufficient for what humans cannot do on their own — starting with salvation. For Christians navigating difficult marriages, seemingly impossible circumstances, or doubts about their own worthiness, this verse shifts the focus from self-effort to divine capability. For the reader who has only encountered the phrase on a mug or a playlist, the original context offers something deeper: not a motivational slogan, but a theological anchor.

For anyone who has ever wondered whether their situation is too far gone, the implication is clear: trust the God who specializes in the impossible, or keep trying to save yourself. The Gospels present only one of those options as viable.