fbpx

Matthew 12

 

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and 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 He 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 the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath 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.”
9 Going on from that place, he 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.
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.
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.”

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verse of the Day


And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:7

Bible Verses for Anxiety

The symptoms of anxiety are pretty clear: sweaty palms, a racing heart, spinning thoughts, and a pit in your stomach. When anxiety strikes, it can make you feel helpless and alone. Thankfully, there are many Bible verses for anxiety that can help you in those stressful moments.
Read More

Spiritual Warfare Prayers

Some Christians are scared of spiritual warfare. But there is no need to be afraid because God has promised to protect and provide for us. So, we can say spiritual warfare prayers with the full assurance that God will help us no matter what we’re up against.
Read More

Prayer of Forgiveness

One of my favorite board games growing up was “Sorry!” For some reason, I really enjoyed knocking someone’s piece off the board and saying, “Sorry!” with a big smile on my face. Unfortunately, in real life, saying sorry and extending forgiveness isn’t as easy (or fun).
Read More

Glory Be Prayer

Many Christians have memorized the Glory Be Prayer. It is a beautiful prayer with an ancient history that packs a powerful message. If you memorized it as a child, it’s time to rediscover it as an adult. 
Read More

Biblically Accurate God

Did you know that the word “God” appears over 4,000 times in the Bible? Clearly, there is a lot to learn about Him! But don’t get overwhelmed by the details and debates because understanding a biblically accurate God doesn’t need to be difficult.
Read More

Prayer for My Son

When parenting is really hard, sometimes the only prayer I can muster is, “Help!” I’m thankful God hears those desperate pleas. Then there are other times that I want to pray for my son more intentionally but am not sure what to say.
Read More

Psalm 35 – A Prayer of Vindication, Justice, and Love

It can be difficult to pray when you’re angry, sad, or worried. Sometimes the deepest, strongest emotions are the hardest to express. Thankfully, Psalm 35 shows us how to work through our pain with God.
Read More

Why Does God Allow Suffering

Faith seems pretty simple when we’re singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” But, it can be hard to stay faithful during the more challenging moments of life. We’re left wondering: Why does God allow suffering?
Read More

Battle Ready Prayer

My thoughts swam restless laps in my brain, crashing into my emotions and running into rocks of fear and doubt. I was lost and scared– even my vision was blurry. Where are you, God?
Read More

God Gives His Toughest Battles to his Strongest Soldiers

There’s a popular saying that God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers. This is like a rallying cry that encourages us to keep fighting through difficult times. But, is this statement true?
Read More