The Lord of the Sabbath
(1 Samuel 21:1-9; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)
1At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
(Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11)
9And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: 10And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 14Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
God's Chosen Servant
(Isaiah 42:1-9)
15But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16And charged them that they should not make him known: 17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
21And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
A House Divided
(Mark 3:20-27; Luke 11:14-23)
22Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? 27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
The Unpardonable Sin
(Mark 3:28-30)
31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
A Tree Recognized by its Fruit
(Matthew 7:15-23; Luke 6:43-45)
33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
The Sign of Jonah
(Luke 11:29-32)
38Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
(Luke 11:24-26)
43When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21)
46While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Lord of the Sabbath
(1 Samuel 21:1–7; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)
1 At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him; 4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? 6 But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
(Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)
9 He departed there, and went into their synagogue. 10 And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it, and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” 13 Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.
God’s Chosen Servant
(Isaiah 42:1–9)
15 Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, 16 and commanded them that they should not make him known: 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.
21 In his name, the nations will hope.”
A House Divided
(Mark 3:20–27; Luke 11:14–23)
22 Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”
25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.
30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.
The Unpardonable Sin
(Mark 3:28–30)
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.
Good and Bad Fruit
(Luke 6:43–45)
33 “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. 36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
(Jonah 3:1–10; Luke 11:29–32)
38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the south will rise up in 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 behold, someone greater than Solomon is here.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
(Luke 11:24–26)
43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21)
46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 47 One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.” 48 But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 49 He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
The Lord of the Sabbath
(1 Samuel 21:1–7; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
3 Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, a which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.
5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
7 If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ b you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
(Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)
9 Moving on from there, Jesus entered their synagogue, 10 and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored to full use, just like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
God’s Chosen Servant
(Isaiah 42:1–9)
15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all, 16 warning them not to make Him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is My Servant,
whom I have chosen,
My beloved,
in whom My soul delights.
I will put My Spirit on Him,
and He will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear His voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed He will not break,
and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish,
till He leads justice to victory.
21 In His name the nations will put their hope.” c
A House Divided
(Mark 3:20–27; Luke 11:14–23)
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. 23 The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, d the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”
25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
The Unpardonable Sin
(Mark 3:28–30)
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.
Good and Bad Fruit
(Luke 6:43–45)
33 Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. 36 But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
(Jonah 3:1–10; Luke 11:29–32)
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
39 Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and 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.
An Unclean Spirit Returns
(Luke 11:24–26)
43 When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21)
46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. 47 Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.” e
48 But Jesus replied, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49 Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Footnotes:
4 a Or the Bread of the Presence
7 b Hosea 6:6
21 c Isaiah 42:1–4 (see also LXX)
24 d WH Beezeboul ; Vulgate Beelzebub ; also in verse 27
47 e WH does not include verse 47.
The Lord of the Sabbath
(1 Samuel 21:1-9; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)
1At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears, and to eat, 2and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, 'Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.' 3And he said to them, 'Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him -- 4how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone? 5'Or did ye not read in the Law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here; 7and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice -- ye had not condemned the blameless,
8for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.'
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
(Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11)
9And having departed thence, he went to their synagogue, 10and lo, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?' that they might accuse him. 11And he said to them, 'What man shall be of you, who shall have one sheep, and if this may fall on the sabbaths into a ditch, will not lay hold on it and raise it? 12How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep? -- so that it is lawful on the sabbaths to do good.' 13Then saith he to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand,' and he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole as the other. 14And the Pharisees having gone forth, held a consultation against him, how they might destroy him,
God's Chosen Servant
(Isaiah 42:1-9)
15and Jesus having known, withdrew thence, and there followed him great multitudes, and he healed them all, 16and did charge them that they might not make him manifest, 17that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
18'Lo, My servant, whom I did choose, My beloved, in whom My soul did delight, I will put My Spirit upon him, and judgment to the nations he shall declare,
19he shall not strive nor cry, nor shall any hear in the broad places his voice,
20a bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench, till he may put forth judgment to victory,
21and in his name shall nations hope.'
A House Divided
(Mark 3:20-27; Luke 11:14-23)
22Then was brought to him a demoniac, blind and dumb, and he healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, 'Is this the Son of David?' 24but the Pharisees having heard, said, 'This one doth not cast out demons, except by Beelzeboul, ruler of the demons.'
25And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them, 'Every kingdom having been divided against itself is desolated, and no city or house having been divided against itself, doth stand, 26and if the Adversary doth cast out the Adversary, against himself he was divided, how then doth his kingdom stand? 27'And if I, by Beelzeboul, do cast out the demons, your sons -- by whom do they cast out? because of this they -- they shall be your judges. 28'But if I, by the Spirit of God, do cast out the demons, then come already unto you did the reign of God. 29'Or how is one able to go into the house of the strong man, and to plunder his goods, if first he may not bind the strong man? and then his house he will plunder.
30'He who is not with me is against me, and he who is not gathering with me, doth scatter.
The Unpardonable Sin
(Mark 3:28-30)
31Because of this I say to you, all sin and evil speaking shall be forgiven to men, but the evil speaking of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. 32And whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven to him, but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is coming.
A Tree Recognized by its Fruit
(Matthew 7:15-23; Luke 6:43-45)
33'Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad, for from the fruit is the tree known. 34'Brood of vipers! how are ye able to speak good things -- being evil? for out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak. 35The good man out of the good treasure of the heart doth put forth the good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure doth put forth evil things. 36'And I say to you, that every idle word that men may speak, they shall give for it a reckoning in a day of judgment; 37for from thy words thou shalt be declared righteous, and from thy words thou shalt be declared unrighteous.'
The Sign of Jonah
(Luke 11:29-32)
38Then answered certain of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, 'Teacher, we will to see a sign from thee.' 39And he answering said to them, 'A generation, evil and adulterous, doth seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for, as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41'Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for they reformed at the proclamation of Jonah, and lo, a greater than Jonah here! 42'A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and lo, a greater than Solomon here!
Return of an Unclean Spirit
(Luke 11:24-26)
43'And, when the unclean spirit may go forth from the man, it doth walk through dry places seeking rest, and doth not find; 44then it saith, I will turn back to my house whence I came forth; and having come, it findeth it unoccupied, swept, and adorned: 45then doth it go, and take with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having gone in they dwell there, and the last of that man doth become worse than the first; so shall it be also to this evil generation.'
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21)
46And while he was yet speaking to the multitudes, lo, his mother and brethren had stood without, seeking to speak to him, 47and one said to him, 'Lo, thy mother and thy brethren do stand without, seeking to speak to thee.' 48And he answering said to him who spake to him, 'Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?' 49And having stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, he said, 'Lo, my mother and my brethren! 50for whoever may do the will of my Father who is in the heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.'
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
¹ One Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples were walking through the grainfields. His disciples were hungry, so they began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.*
² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
³ Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
⁴ He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.*
⁵ Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
⁶ I tell you that something greater than the temple is here!
⁷ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
⁹ Going on from that place, Jesus went into their synagogue,
¹⁰ and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”*
¹¹ He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
¹² How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
¹³ Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” So he stretched it out, and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
God’s Chosen Servant
¹⁵ Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed Him, and He healed all who were ill.
¹⁶ He warned them not to tell others about Him.
¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
¹⁸ “Here is My servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.
¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets.
²⁰ A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out, till He has brought justice through to victory.
²¹ In His name the nations will put their hope.”
Jesus and Beelzebul
²² Then they brought Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
²³ All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
²⁶ If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
²⁷ And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
²⁹ Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
³⁰ Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.
³¹ And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.*
³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
A Tree is Known by its Fruit
³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
⁴² The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
⁴³ “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
⁴⁵ Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
⁴⁶ While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him.
⁴⁷ Someone told Him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”
⁴⁸ He replied to him, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?”
⁴⁹ Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers.
⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Footnotes:
12:1: The act of picking grain on the Sabbath was considered by some as “work” and thus breaking Sabbath law. However, Jesus emphasizes that mercy and human need supersede rigid law.
12:4: The “consecrated bread” refers to the bread of the Presence, reserved for priests, as per Leviticus 24:5-9. David’s eating of this bread is seen as justified due to the urgency of need.
12:10: Healing was viewed by some Jewish leaders as work, and therefore unlawful on the Sabbath unless life was in danger. Jesus challenges this narrow interpretation of the law.
12:31: Blasphemy against the Spirit refers to a deliberate, hardened rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit, particularly in attributing God’s works to Satan.
12:39: The “sign of Jonah” refers to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, mirroring Jonah’s three days in the belly of the fish.
12:45: The “house” refers to a person’s life. If repentance is superficial, it leaves room for more serious spiritual danger to return.
12:50: Jesus redefines family here, focusing on spiritual kinship based on doing the will of God.
