Matthew 12
12
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath Day
1One Sabbath day Jesus walked through the grainfields. His disciples were hungry. So they began to break off some heads of grain and eat them. 2The Pharisees saw this. They said to Jesus, “Look! It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath day. But your disciples are doing it anyway!”
3Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. 4So he entered the house of God. He and his men ate the holy bread. Only priests were allowed to eat it. 5Haven’t you read the Law? It tells how every Sabbath day the priests in the temple have to do their work on that day. But they are not considered guilty. 6I tell you that something more important than the temple is here. 7Scripture says, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ (Hosea 6:6) You don’t know what those words mean. If you did, you would not bring charges against those who are not guilty. 8The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath day.”
9Going on from that place, Jesus went into their synagogue. 10A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. The Pharisees were trying to accuse Jesus of a crime. So they asked him, “Does the Law allow us to heal on the Sabbath day?”
11He said to them, “What if one of your sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath day? Won’t you take hold of it and lift it out? 12A person is worth more than sheep! So the Law allows us to do good on the Sabbath day.”
13Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out. It had been made as good as new. It was just as good as the other hand. 14But the Pharisees went out and planned how to kill Jesus.
God’s Chosen Servant
15Jesus knew all about the Pharisees’ plans. So he left that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were sick. 16But he warned them not to tell other people about him. 17This was to make what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah come true. It says,
18“Here is my servant. I have chosen him.
He is the one I love. I am very pleased with him.
I will put my Spirit on him.
He will announce to the nations that everything will be made right.
19He will not argue or cry out.
No one will hear his voice in the streets.
20He will not break a bent twig.
He will not put out a dimly burning flame.
He will make right win over wrong.
21The nations will put their hope in him.” (Isaiah 42:1–4)
Jesus and Beelzebul
22A man controlled by demons was brought to Jesus. The man was blind and could not speak. Jesus healed him. Then the man could speak and see. 23All the people were amazed. They said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24The Pharisees heard this. So they said, “This fellow drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”
25Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to them, “Every kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. Every city or family that is divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he fights against himself. Then how can his kingdom stand? 27You say I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebul. Then by whose power do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But suppose I drive out demons by the Spirit of God. Then the kingdom of God has come to you.
29“Or think about this. How can you enter a strong man’s house and just take what the man owns? You must first tie him up. Then you can rob his house.
30“Anyone who is not with me is against me. Anyone who does not gather sheep with me scatters them. 31So here is what I tell you. Every kind of sin and every evil word spoken against God will be forgiven. But speaking evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. A person like that won’t be forgiven either now or in days to come.
33“If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good. If you make a tree bad, its fruit will be bad. You can tell a tree by its fruit. 34You nest of poisonous snakes! How can you who are evil say anything good? Your mouths say everything that is in your hearts. 35A good man says good things. These come from the good that is stored up inside him. An evil man says evil things. These come from the evil that is stored up inside him. 36But here is what I tell you. On judgment day, everyone will have to account for every empty word they have spoken. 37By your words you will be found guilty or not guilty.”
The Sign of Jonah
38Some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law came to Jesus. They said, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39He answered, “Evil and unfaithful people ask for a sign! But none will be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights. Something like that will happen to the Son of Man. He will spend three days and three nights in the grave. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that these people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now something more important than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And she will prove that they are guilty. She came from very far away to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. And now something more important than Solomon is here.
43“What happens when an evil spirit comes out of a person? It goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives there, it finds the house empty. The house has been swept clean and put in order. 45Then the evil spirit goes and takes with it seven other spirits more evil than itself. They go in and live there. That person is worse off than before. That is how it will be with the evil people of today.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside. They wanted to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside. They want to speak to you.”
48Jesus replied to him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?” 49Jesus pointed to his disciples. He said, “Here is my mother! Here are my brothers! 50Anyone who does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother or sister or mother.”
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Matthew 12: NIrV
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Matthew 12
12
The Question About the Sabbath
Mk 2:23–28; Lk 6:1–5
1#Dt 23:25; Mk 2:23–28At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry and began to pluck the heads of grain and to eat. 2#Mt 12:10; Ex 20:9–11But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”
3#1Sa 21:3–6; Mt 21:16But He said to them, “Have you not read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry, 4#Ex 25:30; Lev 24:5–9how he entered the house of God and ate the ritual bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5#Nu 28:9–10; Jn 7:22–23Or have you not read in the law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, but are blameless? 6#Mt 12:41–42; 2Ch 6:18I say to you, in this place there is One who is greater than the temple. 7#Hos 6:6; Mt 9:13If you had known what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8#Mt 9:6For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
The Healing of the Withered Hand
Mk 3:1–6; Lk 6:6–11
9#Lk 6:6–11When He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10#Lk 13:14; Jn 9:16And there was a man whose hand had withered. They asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” that they might accuse Him.
11#Lk 14:5; Ex 23:4–5He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12#Mt 6:26; 10:31Then how much better is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored whole like the other. 14#Jn 11:53; Mt 27:1Then the Pharisees went out and took counsel against Him, how they might kill Him.
The Chosen Servant
15#Mt 10:23; 19:2But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great crowds followed Him, and He healed them all, 16#Mt 8:4; 9:30and warned them that they should not make Him known, 17to fulfill what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
18#Lk 4:18; Jn 3:34 “Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen,
My Beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
and He will render judgment to the Gentiles.
19He shall not struggle nor cry out,
nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed He will not break,
and a smoldering wick He will not quench,
until He renders judgment unto victory;
21#Isa 11:10 and in His name will the Gentiles trust.”
Jesus and Beelzebub
Mk 3:20–30; Lk 11:14–23; 12:10
22Then one possessed with a demon was brought to Him, blind and mute, and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23#Mt 9:27; Jn 4:29All the people were amazed and said, “Is He not the Son of David?”
24#Mt 9:34; Mk 3:22But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This Man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons.”
25#Mt 9:4Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. And every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. Then how will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. 28#Lk 11:20; Mt 12:18But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29#Isa 49:24; 53:12“Or else how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
30#Mk 9:40; Lk 11:23“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31#Lk 12:10; Mk 3:28–30; Isa 1:18Therefore I say to you, all kinds of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32#Mt 11:19; Mk 3:29Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in the world to come.
A Tree and Its Fruit
Lk 6:43–45
33#Lk 6:43–44; Mt 7:16–20“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt. For the tree is known by its fruit. 34#Mt 23:33; Lk 6:45; Mt 3:7O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35#Pr 10:20–21; 25:11–12A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. And an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36#Ecc 12:14But I say to you that for every idle word that men speak, they will give an account on the Day of Judgment. 37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Demand for a Sign
Mk 8:11–12; Lk 11:29–32
38#Mk 8:11–12; Lk 11:16Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from You.”
39#Mt 16:4; Isa 57:3But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40#Jnh 1:17; Mt 16:21; 17:23For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,#Jnh 1:17. so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41#Mt 12:42; 12:6The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.#Jnh 3:5. And now One greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And now One greater than Solomon is here.
The Return of the Unclean Spirit
Lk 11:24–26
43#Ps 63:1“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through dry places seeking rest, but finds none. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45#Mk 5:9; Lk 11:26Then it goes and brings with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation.”
The Mother and Brothers of Jesus
Mk 3:31–35; Lk 8:19–21
46#Ac 1:14; Mt 13:55; Jn 2:12While He was still speaking to the people, right then His mother and His brothers stood outside asking to speak with Him. 47Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak with You.”
48But He answered the man who told him, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50#Jn 15:14For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
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