Controversy Over Sabbath-Labor

Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5

12 At that time aJesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to bpluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

3 But He said to them, “Have you not read cwhat David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate dthe showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, ebut only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the flaw that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple 1profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is gOne greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, h‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord 2even of the Sabbath.”

Controversy Over Sabbath-Healing

Mark 3:1–5; Luke 6:6–10

9 iNow when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, j“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

11 Then 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? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

Pharisees Plan to Destroy Christ

Mark 3:6–12; Luke 6:11

14 Then kthe Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.

15 But when Jesus knew it, lHe withdrew from there. mAnd great 3multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. 16 Yet He nwarned them not to make Him known, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

18 “Behold! oMy Servant whom I have chosen,

My Beloved pin whom My soul is well pleased!

I will put My Spirit upon Him,

And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,

Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed He will not break,

And smoking flax He will not quench,

Till He sends forth justice to victory;

21 And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

Pharisees Blaspheme the Holy Spirit

Mark 3:22–27; Luke 11:17–23

22 qThen one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the 4blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the rSon of David?”

24 sNow when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by 5Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

25 But Jesus tknew 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. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, usurely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 vOr 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. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Pharisees Commit the Unpardonable Sin

Mark 3:28, 29

31 “Therefore I say to you, wevery sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, xbut the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who yspeaks a word against the Son of Man, zit 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.

33 “Either make the tree good and aits fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 bBrood 6of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? cFor out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure 7of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Pharisees Demand a Sign

Luke 11:24–26, 29–32

38 dThen some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and e adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 fFor 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 gThe men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and hcondemn it, ibecause they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 jThe 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.

43 k“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, lhe goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then 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. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; mand the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus and the True Brethren

Mark 3:31–35

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, nbehold, His mother and obrothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, pYour mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My qbrothers! 50 For rwhoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”