Matthew 12
12
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1At that time #For ver. 1-8, see Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5 Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and #Deut. 23:25they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, #[ver. 10; Luke 13:14; 14:3; John 5:10; 7:23; 9:16] “Look, your disciples are doing #[Ex. 20:9-11]what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, #1 Sam. 21:1-6; See ch. 21:16“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate #Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5-9the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read #Num. 28:9, 10; [1 Chr. 9:32; John 7:22, 23]in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6I tell you, #ver. 41, 42; [ver. 8; Hag. 2:9; Mal. 3:1]something greater than the temple is here. 7And if you had known #ch. 9:13 what this means, #Cited from Hos. 6:6; [Mic. 6:6-8]‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For #[ch. 9:6]the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand
9He went on from there and #For ver. 9-14, see Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11entered their synagogue. 10And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, #[Luke 14:3]; See ver. 2 “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—#[Luke 11:54; 20:20; John 8:6]so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, #[Ex. 23:4, 5; Deut. 22:4]if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12#ch. 6:26; 10:31 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So #[John 5:16, 17]it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And #[1 Kgs. 13:4]the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
God’s Chosen Servant
15Jesus, aware of this, #Mark 3:7; John 10:39; See ch. 10:23 withdrew from there. And #ch. 19:2many followed him, and he healed them all 16and #Mark 1:25 (Gk.); 3:12; 8:30; Luke 4:41 (Gk.); 9:21; See ch. 8:4ordered them not to make him known. 17#See ch. 1:22This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18 # Cited from Isa. 42:1-3 “Behold, my #Acts 4:27, 30 servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
# [Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18; John 3:34; Acts 10:38] I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
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 brings justice to victory;
21 #
Isa. 42:4 (Gk.); [Isa. 11:10; Rom. 15:12] and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 # For ver. 22-24, see Luke 11:14, 15; [ch. 9:32-34] Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23#John 4:29; 7:26, 31; See ch. 9:27And all the people were amazed, and said, #John 4:29; 7:26, 31; See ch. 9:27“Can this be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, #Mark 3:22; See ch. 10:25“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25#See ch. 9:4 Knowing their thoughts, #For ver. 25-29, see Mark 3:23-27; Luke 11:17-22he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, #[Acts 19:13] by whom do #[2 Kgs. 2:7]your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28But if it is #[ver. 18] by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then #ch. 19:24; 21:31, 43; Luke 17:21the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or #Isa. 49:24 how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed #[Isa. 53:12]he may plunder his house. 30#Luke 11:23; [Mark 9:40; Luke 9:50]Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31#For ver. 31, 32, see Mark 3:28-30; [Luke 12:10; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26; 1 John 5:16] Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but #[Acts 7:51; Heb. 10:29]the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks a word #ch. 11:19; John 7:12; 9:24 against the Son of Man #1 Tim. 1:12, 13 will be forgiven, but #[See ver. 31 above] whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in #[Eph. 1:21]this age or in the age to come.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
33 # ch. 7:16-20 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, #
Luke 6:43, 44 for the tree is known by its fruit. 34#ch. 3:7; 23:33 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, #ch. 7:11 when you are evil? #ch. 15:18, 19; Luke 6:45; [ch. 13:52; Eph. 4:29]For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35#[See ver. 34 above]The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36I tell you, #[Eph. 5:4, 11; 2 Pet. 1:8] on the day of judgment #Eccles. 12:14; Rom. 14:12; 1 Pet. 4:5 people will give account for #See Acts 17:31every careless word they speak, 37for #[ch. 5:22; James 3:2-12]by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, #ch. 16:1; Mark 8:11, 12; Luke 11:16; 23:8; John 2:18; 4:48; 6:30; 1 Cor. 1:22we wish to see a sign from you.” 39But he answered them, #ch. 16:4; For ver. 39-42, see Luke 11:29-32; [Mark 8:11, 12] “An evil and #Isa. 57:3; Mark 8:38; James 4:4adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For #Jonah 1:17 just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, #[ch. 17:22, 23]so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41#Jonah 1:2 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and #Heb. 11:7; [Jer. 3:11; Ezek. 16:51, 52; Rom. 2:27] condemn it, for #Jonah 3:5 they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, #ver. 6something greater than Jonah is here. 42#1 Kgs. 10:1; 2 Chr. 9:1 The queen of the South will rise up 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 behold, #[See ver. 41 above]something greater than Solomon is here.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
43 “When # For ver. 43-45, see Luke 11:24-26 the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through # [Ps. 63:1; Jer. 2:6] waterless 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 the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and #2 Pet. 2:20-22; [John 5:14] the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this #ver. 39evil generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, #For ver. 46-50, see Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21 his mother and his #ch. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 2:12; 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 1:19brothers#12:46 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 48, 49 stood outside, asking to speak to him.#12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you” 48But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For #[John 15:14; Heb. 2:11] whoever #ch. 7:21; [Luke 11:28]does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
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Matthew 12: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Matthew 12
12
(We have not yet translated 12:1-15a. You can read those stories and messages in Mark 2:23—3:6.)
One of God’s men wrote about Jesus
15Big mobs of people followed Jesus. Some of them were sick, and he made them better. 16But he told them straight, “Don’t go and tell other people about me.” 17A long time ago, God got his man called Isaiah to write about this, and it is in God’s book. It happened just like Isaiah said. This is what he wrote,
18“This is the man that God picked to work for himself.
God loves him, and he makes God very happy.
God will put his spirit in him,
and he will tell the people in other nations that God is right and fair.
19He will not fight with anyone or shout at people.
Nobody will hear him shouting in the streets.
20Some people are weak, like a bit of grass that is almost broken,
and some people can’t help themselves, like a candle wick that has almost gone out.
He will not forget those people, but he will help them to get strong.
He will keep on being right and fair to everyone,
until people are fair to each other too.
21And people everywhere will believe that he can save them.”#Isaiah 42:1-4
(We have not yet translated 12:22-37. You can read those stories and messages in Mark 3:20-30 and Luke 6:43-45.)
The Pharisee mob asked Jesus to do something powerful
38One day, some Jewish law teachers, and some of the Pharisee mob, that were strong for the Jewish law, they went to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want to see you do something powerful. That will show us that God sent you.”#Matthew 16:1; Luke 11:16
39Jesus said, “You mob that are alive today are really bad. You turned away from God. But now you want me to show you something powerful, right? No. I will not do that. The only powerful thing you will see is the same thing that God did to Jonah. He was one of God’s men.#Matthew 16:4 40Think about that story from a long time ago. A big fish ate Jonah, and he stayed inside that fish for 3 days. And just like that, I will stay in the ground for 3 days. I am God’s special man from heaven.#Jonah 1:17
41Jonah went to the people that lived in the city called Nineveh, and he told them God’s message. Those people listened to him, and they stopped doing bad things and turned to God. Well, later, on the day when God will judge everyone, that Nineveh mob will get up and tell you mob here that you are wrong. You see, that Nineveh mob listened to Jonah. And I am greater than Jonah, but you mob don’t listen properly to me. You don’t turn to God, and you don’t stop doing bad things.#Jonah 3:5
42And think about the story about the woman from Sheba. She was the big boss over that country. One day, she heard about Solomon. He was the big boss over our country. She heard that he was a very wise man, so she came here to listen to the good things he said. Well, later, on the day when God will judge everyone, that woman will get up and tell you mob here that you are stupid. You see, she came a long way from her country just to listen to Solomon. And I am more wise than Solomon, but you mob don’t want to listen to me.”#1 Kings 10:1-10; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12
Bad spirits come back
43And Jesus said, “When a bad spirit goes out of a person, it goes around in dry country looking for a new place to live. But it doesn’t find a good place. 44So it says to itself, ‘I will go back to the place where I lived before.’ Then it goes back to that person, and it finds the place is good, empty, and clean. 45Then the bad spirit goes out and gets 7 other bad spirits that are worse than itself. And they all go into the person, and they live there. Then that person has more bad spirits than before, so that person is worse than before. Listen, I’m talking about you mob here today. You don’t listen to me, so you are worse now than you were before I came.”
(We have not yet translated 12:46—13:23. You can read those stories and messages in Mark 3:31-35; 4:1-20.)
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