Mark 3

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

1Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

3Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” 4Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

5He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

Crowds Follow Jesus

7Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.

9Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11And whenever those possessed by evil#3:11 Greek unclean; also in 3:30. spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

13Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles.#3:14 Some manuscripts do not include and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15giving them authority to cast out demons. 16These are the twelve he chose:

Simon (whom he named Peter),

17James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”#3:17 Greek whom he named Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder.),

18Andrew,

Philip,

Bartholomew,

Matthew,

Thomas,

James (son of Alphaeus),

Thaddaeus,

Simon (the zealot#3:18 Greek the Cananean, an Aramaic term for Jewish nationalists.),

19Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

Jesus and the Prince of Demons

20One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. 21When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

22But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan,#3:22 Greek Beelzeboul; other manuscripts read Beezeboul; Latin version reads Beelzebub. the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

23Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. 24“A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. 25Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” 30He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”

The True Family of Jesus

31Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers#3:32 Some manuscripts add and sisters. are outside asking for you.”

33Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 34Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. 35Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

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Mark 3: NLT

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Mark 3

Healing on the Sabbath

1And #Matt. 12:9–14; Luke 6:6–11He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2So they #(Ps. 37:32); Luke 14:1; 20:20watched Him closely, whether He would #Luke 13:14heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the #Zech. 7:12hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 6#Ps. 2:2; Mark 12:13Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with #Matt. 22:16the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

A Great Multitude Follows Jesus

7But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, #Matt. 4:25; Luke 6:17and from Judea 8and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how #Mark 5:19many things He was doing, came to Him. 9So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10For He healed #Mark 5:29, 34; Luke 7:21many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to #Matt. 9:21; 14:36; Mark 6:56; 8:22touch Him. 11#Mark 1:23, 24; Luke 4:41And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, #Matt. 8:29; 14:33; Mark 1:1; 5:7; Luke 8:28“You are the Son of God.” 12But #Matt. 12:16; Mark 1:25, 34He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

The Twelve Apostles

13#Matt. 10:1; Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16Simon, #Matt. 16:18; John 1:42to whom He gave the name Peter; 17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

20Then the multitude came together again, #Mark 6:31so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21But when His #Ps. 69:8; Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 2:12own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, #John 7:5; 10:20; Acts 26:24; (2 Cor. 5:13)for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, #Matt. 9:34; 10:25; Luke 11:15; John 7:20; 8:48, 52; 10:20“He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the #(John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Eph. 2:2)ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

23#Matt. 12:25–29; Luke 11:17–22So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27#(Is. 49:24, 25); Matt. 12:29No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

28#Matt. 12:31, 32; Luke 12:10; (1 John 5:16)“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30because they #Matt. 9:34; John 7:20; 8:48, 52; 10:20said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

31#Matt. 12:46–50; Luke 8:19–21Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”

33But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35For whoever does the #Eph. 6:6; Heb. 10:36; 1 Pet. 4:2; (1 John 2:17)will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

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