Mark 10:27 means that human limits are real, but they are never the final word, because God can do what people cannot. Jesus says this after a rich young man walks away sad, and the disciples are left wondering whether anyone can be saved at all. Jesus speaks these words directly to his disciples, looking at them as he answers their fear.
Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:27 (WEB)
What Mark 10:27 Means
The verse begins with a plain admission: “with men it is impossible.” Jesus is not softening the reality. People cannot earn their way into God’s kingdom, cannot fix their own hearts, and cannot force their own salvation through effort or wealth. The disciples had just seen how hard it is for someone attached to possessions to let go, and they rightly felt the weight of that.
Then the turn comes with the words “but not with God.” The contrast is the heart of the verse. What is out of reach for human power is not out of reach for God. The final clause, “all things are possible with God,” widens the point, though the surrounding passage makes clear what kind of possibility Jesus means. It is not a promise that God will grant every wish a believer has. It is a statement that God’s power to save and to change hearts has no ceiling that people can hit.
The Context of Mark 10:27
Mark’s Gospel was written for a community facing pressure and suffering, and it presents Jesus with urgency and directness. The Gospel moves quickly, and this passage sits in its central teaching on discipleship, where following Jesus costs something real. The book is traditionally attributed to John Mark, a companion of the apostles, though scholars debate the exact details.
Just before the verse, Jesus has said that it is hard for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom, using the image of a camel passing through a needle’s eye. Just after it, Peter points out the sacrifices the disciples have already made, and Jesus promises that those who leave family and possessions for his sake will receive far more in return, along with persecution. Read in that setting, the verse is not a general pep talk. It answers a specific question about who can be saved and reminds the disciples that their own sacrifice does not earn salvation.
Key Phrases in Mark 10:27
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
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Paul writes of finding strength through Christ in every circumstance, which echoes the confidence of Mark 10:27 that God’s power sustains what human power cannot. Both verses place the source of strength outside the self.
Luke 1:37
For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”
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The angel Gabriel speaks this assurance to Mary when she hears the surprising news of the coming birth. Like Mark 10:27, it shows God’s power meeting a situation that seems impossible from the human side.
A Short Prayer From Mark 10:27
Lord, I confess that I often try to carry burdens that only you can lift. I look at my own strength, my own record, and my own plans, and I feel how little they can actually accomplish. Thank you that you are not limited by what limits me. Where I feel stuck, help me to stop depending on myself and to trust your power at work. Change what I cannot change, and give me patience to wait for you. Amen.
