Matthew 12

Healing on the Sabbath Matthew 12:9–14

⁹Verse 9. He departed there, and went into their synagogue. ¹⁰Verse 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. ¹¹Verse 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? ¹²Verse 12. Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” ¹³Verse 13. Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other.

¹⁴Verse 14. But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.

Fulfillment of Prophecy Matthew 12:15–21

¹⁵Verse 15. Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, ¹⁶Verse 16. and commanded them that they should not make him known: ¹⁷Verse 17. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, ¹⁸Verse 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. ¹⁹Verse 19. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰Verse 20. He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory.

²¹Verse 21. In his name, the nations will hope.”

Accusations and Responses Matthew 12:22–30

²²Verse 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. ²³Verse 23. All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?” ²⁴Verse 24. But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.” ²⁵Verse 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. ²⁶Verse 26. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

²⁷Verse 27. If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁸Verse 28. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you. ²⁹Verse 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. ³⁰Verse 30. “He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.

Blasphemy Against the Spirit Matthew 12:31–37

³¹Verse 31. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. ³²Verse 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. ³³Verse 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. ³⁴Verse 34. You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

³⁵Verse 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. ³⁶Verse 36. I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. ³⁷Verse 37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Seeking a Sign Matthew 12:38–45

³⁸Verse 38. Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” ³⁹Verse 39. But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. ⁴⁰Verse 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. ⁴¹Verse 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.

⁴²Verse 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. ⁴³Verse 43. When an unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. ⁴⁴Verse 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. ⁴⁵Verse 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.”

Redefining Kinship Matthew 12:46–50

⁴⁶Verse 46. While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. ⁴⁷Verse 47. One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.” ⁴⁸Verse 48. But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹Verse 49. He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰Verse 50. For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”