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

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

1Again Jesus went into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was #3:1 The Greek word also means “to dry out” and may indicate that the condition resulted from disease or an accident.withered. [Matt 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11] 2The Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him [in the Jewish high court]. 3He said to the man whose hand was withered, “Get up and come forward!” 4He asked them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness and arrogance of their hearts, He told the man, “Hold out your hand.” And he held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the #3:6 A secular political party of Jews that strongly supported Herod Antipas and Rome, and opposed the Pharisees on most issues.Herodians [to plot] against Him, as to how #3:6 The Pharisees and Herodians set aside their religious and political differences to form a conspiracy.they might [fabricate some legal grounds to] put Him to death.

7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a large crowd from Galilee followed Him; and also people from Judea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and [from the region] beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon; a vast number of people came to Him because they were hearing about all [the things] that He was doing. 9And He told His disciples to have a small boat stand ready for Him because of the many people, so that they would not crowd Him; 10for He had healed many, and as a result all who had diseases pressed around Him to touch Him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and screamed out, “You are the Son of God!” 12Jesus sternly warned them [again and again] not to tell who He was.

The Twelve Are Chosen

13He went up on the hillside and called those whom He Himself wanted and chose; and they came to Him. 14And He appointed #3:14 See notes Matt 10:2-4.twelve [disciples], so that they would be with Him [for instruction] and so that He could send them out to preach [the gospel as apostles—that is, as His special messengers, personally chosen representatives], 15and to have authority and power to cast out demons. 16He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), [Matt 10:2-4; Luke 6:13-16] 17and James, the son of #3:17 It is believed that Salome, Zebedee’s wife and the mother of James and John, was a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus.Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”); 18and [He also appointed] Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew (Nathanael), and Matthew (Levi the tax collector), and Thomas, and #3:18 Also called James the Less or James the Younger. It is believed that his mother, Mary (Gr Maria), was a sister or sister-in-law of Mary, the mother of Jesus.James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (Judas the son of James), and Simon the Zealot; 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

20Then He came to a #3:20 Probably Simon Peter’s house; cf 2:1, 2.house [in Capernaum], and a crowd formed again, so [many people] that Jesus and His disciples could not even eat a meal [together]. 21When His own family heard this they went to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.” 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by #3:22 I.e. an idol worshiped in the Philistine city of Ekron: Baal Zebul, lord of the high places or Baal Zebub, lord of the flies.Beelzebul (Satan),” and “He is driving out the demons by the [power of the] ruler of the demons.” [Matt 12:22-37; Luke 11:14-28] 23So He called them to Himself and spoke to them in #3:23 Parables ordinarily were used for clarification, but Jesus often used them to hide sacred truths from unbelievers (see 4:11, 12).parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided [split into factions and rebelling] 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 is coming to an end. 27But no one can go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man, and then he will ransack and rob his house. [Is 49:24, 25; Matt 12:29]

28 “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and all the abusive and blasphemous things they say; 29but whoever #3:29 Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is denying all the work of the Holy Spirit. This leads ultimately to rejecting the deity of Christ.blasphemes against the Holy Spirit and His power [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin [a sin which is unforgivable in this present age as well as in the age to come]”— [Matt 12:32; Luke 12:10] 30[Jesus said this] because the scribes and Pharisees were [attributing His miracles to Satan by] saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called for Him. [Matt 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21] 32A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Look! Your mother and Your brothers are outside asking for You.” 33And He replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34Looking at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35For #3:35 A universal offer.whoever does the will of God [by believing in Me, and following Me], he is My brother and sister and mother.”

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