Matthew 12

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1At that time #Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1–5Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to #Deut. 23:25pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

3But He said to them, “Have you not read #Ex. 31:15; 35:2; 1 Sam. 21:6what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate #Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, #Ex. 29:32; Lev. 8:31; 24:9but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the #Num. 28:9; (John 7:22)law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6Yet I say to you that in this place there is #(2 Chr. 6:18; Is. 66:1, 2; Mal. 3:1); Matt. 12:41, 42One greater than the temple. 7But if you had known what this means, #(1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6–8); Matt. 9:13‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

9#Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, #Luke 13:14; 14:3; John 9:16“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

11Then He 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? 12Of how much more value then 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 as whole as the other. 14Then #Ps. 2:2; Matt. 27:1; Mark 3:6; (Luke 6:11); John 5:18; 10:39; 11:53the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Behold, My Servant

15But when Jesus knew it, #Matt. 10:23; Mark 3:7He withdrew from there. #Matt. 19:2And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16Yet He #Matt. 8:4; 9:30; 17:9warned them not to make Him known, 17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

18“Behold! #Is. 42:1–4; 49:3My Servant whom I have chosen,

My Beloved #Matt. 3:17; 17:5in whom My soul is well pleased!

I will put My Spirit upon Him,

And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

19He will not quarrel nor cry out,

Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

20A bruised reed He will not break,

And smoking flax He will not quench,

Till He sends forth justice to victory;

21And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

A House Divided Cannot Stand

22#Matt. 9:32; (Mark 3:11); Luke 11:14, 15Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the #Matt. 9:27; 21:9Son of David?”

24#Matt. 9:34; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25But Jesus #Matt. 9:4; John 2:25; Rev. 2:23knew 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. How then 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. 28But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, #(Dan. 2:44; 7:14; Luke 1:33); 11:20; (17:20, 21; 1 John 3:8)surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29#Is. 49:24; (Luke 11:21–23)Or 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. 30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

The Unpardonable Sin

31“Therefore I say to you, #Mark 3:28–30; Luke 12:10; (Heb. 6:4–6; 10:26, 29; 1 John 5:16)every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, #Acts 7:51but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32Anyone who #Matt. 11:19; 13:55; John 7:12, 52speaks a word against the Son of Man, #1 Tim. 1:13it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

A Tree Known by Its Fruit

33“Either make the tree good and #Matt. 7:16–18; Luke 6:43, 44; (John 15:4–7)its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34#Matt. 3:7; 23:33; Luke 3:7Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? #1 Sam. 24:13; Is. 32:6; (Matt. 15:18); Luke 6:45; Eph. 4:29; (James 3:2–12)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35A 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. 36But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

38#Matt. 16:1; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; John 2:18; 1 Cor. 1:22Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and #Is. 57:3; Matt. 16:4; Mark 8:38; (Luke 11:29–32); John 4:48adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40#Jon. 1:17; Luke 24:46; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:4For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41#Jon. 3:5; Luke 11:32The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and #Jer. 3:11; Ezek. 16:51; (Rom. 2:27)condemn it, #Jon. 3:5because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42#1 Kin. 10:1–13; 2 Chr. 9:1; Luke 11:31The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

43#Luke 11:24–26“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, #(Job 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:8)he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; #Mark 5:9; Luke 11:26; (Heb. 6:4–8; 10:26; 2 Pet. 2:20–22)and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

46While He was still talking to the multitudes, #Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21behold, His mother and #Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 2:12; 7:3, 5; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 1:19brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47Then one said to Him, “Look, #Matt. 13:55, 56; John 2:12; Acts 1:14Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My #John 20:17; (Rom. 8:29)brothers! 50For #John 15:14; (Gal. 5:6; 6:15; Col. 3:11; Heb. 2:11)whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

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Matthew 12: NKJV

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