Matthew 12

Sabbath Questions

112At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to 3pick the heads of grain and eat. 2Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what 4is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” 3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions-- 4how he entered the house of God, and 5they ate the 6consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple 7violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? 6But I say to you that something 8greater than the temple is here. 7But if you had known what this 9means: ‘10I desire 11compassion, 12rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned 13the innocent.

Lord of the Sabbath

8For 14the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

915Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned 16Jesus, asking, “17Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”--so that they might bring charges against Him. 11But He said to them, “18What man 19is there among you who 20has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 1221How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do 22good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” 23He stretched it out, and it was restored to 24normal, like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and 2526conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

15But Jesus, 27aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and 28He healed them all, 16and 29warned them not to 30tell who He was. 17This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled:18“31Behold, My 32Servant whom I 33have chosen; 34My Beloved in whom My soul 35delights; 36I will put My Spirit upon Him, 37And He will proclaim 38justice to the 39Gentiles.1940He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.2041A bent reed He will not break off, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish, Until He 42leads 43justice to victory.2144And in His name the 45Gentiles will hope.”

The Pharisees Rebuked

2246Then a 47demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to 48Jesus, and He healed him so that the man who was unable to speak talked and 49could see. 23And all the crowds were amazed and were saying, “This man cannot be the 50Son of David, can he?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man 51casts out demons only by 52Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

2553And 54knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26And if 55Satan is casting out Satan, he 56has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27And if 57by 58Beelzebul I cast out the demons, 59by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 28But 60if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or, how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

3061The one who is not with Me is against Me; and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.

31“62Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 3263And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in 64this age or in the age to come.

Words Reveal Character

33“Either 65assume the tree to be good as well as its fruit good, or 66assume the tree to be bad as well as its fruit bad; for 67the tree is known by its fruit. 3468You 69offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? 70For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. 3571The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. 36But I tell you that for every 72careless word that people 73speak, they will give an account of it on the 74day of judgment. 37For 75by your words you will be justified, and 76by your words you will be condemned.”

The Desire for Signs

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, 77we want to see a 78sign from You.” 39But He answered and said to them, “79An evil and adulterous generation craves a 80sign; and so no 81sign will be given to it except the 82sign of Jonah the prophet; 40for just as 83Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will 84the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for 85three days and three nights. 4186The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because 87they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something 88greater than Jonah is here. 4289The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something 90greater than Solomon is here.

43“91Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and 92the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

Changed Relationships

4693While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His 94mother and 95brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. 47[96Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”] 48But 97Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” 49And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! 50For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”