Lockman - Bible questions and answers

		Matt 12:1 At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. [Deut 23:25; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5]
		Matt 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." [Ex 20:10; 23:12; Deut 5:14]
		Matt 12:3 He said to them, "Have you not read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him-- [Lev 24:9; 1 Sam 21:1-6]
		Matt 12:4 how he went into the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only?
		Matt 12:5 "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent? [Num 28:9, 10]
		Matt 12:6 "But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.
		Matt 12:7 "And if you had only known what this statement means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION [for those in distress], AND NOT [animal] SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent. [Hos 6:6; Matt 9:13]
		Matt 12:8 "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
		Matt 12:9 ¶ Leaving there, He went into their synagogue. [Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11]
		Matt 12:10 A man was there whose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, "Is it lawful and permissible to heal on the Sabbath?"--they asked this so that they might accuse Him and bring charges into court.
		Matt 12:11 But He said to them, "What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
		Matt 12:12 "How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath."
		Matt 12:13 Then He said to the man, "Reach out your hand!" The man reached out and it was restored, as normal and healthy as the other.
		Matt 12:14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, discussing how they could destroy Him.
		Matt 12:15 ¶ Being aware of this, Jesus left there. Many followed Him, and He healed all of them [who were sick],
		Matt 12:16 and warned them not to tell [publicly] who He was.
		Matt 12:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
		Matt 12:18 "BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL IS WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE WILL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE NATIONS.
		Matt 12:19 "HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT LOUDLY; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
		Matt 12:20 "A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT EXTINGUISH, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
		Matt 12:21 "AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES (all the nations of the world) WILL HOPE [with confidence]." [Is 42:1-4]
		Matt 12:22 ¶ Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw. [Mark 3:22-27; Luke 11:14, 15]
		Matt 12:23 All the people wondered in amazement, and said, "Could this be the Son of David (the Messiah)?"
		Matt 12:24 But the Pharisees heard it and said, "This man casts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons."
		Matt 12:25 ¶ Knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will [continue to] stand.
		Matt 12:26 "If Satan casts out Satan [that is, his demons], he has become divided against himself and disunited; how then will his kingdom stand?
		Matt 12:27 "If I cast out the demons by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan), by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.
		Matt 12:28 "But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [before you expected it].
		Matt 12:29 "Or how can anyone go into a strong man's house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man? Then he will ransack and rob his house. [Is 49:24, 25; Mark 3:27]
		Matt 12:30 "He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters. [Luke 9:50; 11:23]
		Matt 12:31 ¶ "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven.
		Matt 12:32 "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. [Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10]
		Matt 12:33 ¶ "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit.
		Matt 12:34 "You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
		Matt 12:35 "The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things.
		Matt 12:36 "But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak.
		Matt 12:37 "For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced."
		Matt 12:38 ¶ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be]."
		Matt 12:39 But He replied and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation [that is morally unfaithful to God] craves and demands a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah; [Luke 11:29-32]
		Matt 12:40 for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [Jon 1:17]
		Matt 12:41 "The men of Nineveh will stand up [as witnesses] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here. [Jon 3:5]
		Matt 12:42 "The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up [as a witness] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here. [1 Kin 10:1; 2 Chr 9:1]
		Matt 12:43 ¶ "Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it.
		Matt 12:44 "Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
		Matt 12:45 "Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation."
		Matt 12:46 ¶ While He was still talking to the crowds, it happened that His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. [Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21]
		Matt 12:47 Someone said to Him, "Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You."
		Matt 12:48 But Jesus replied to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"
		Matt 12:49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples [and all His other followers], He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!
		Matt 12:50 "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven [by believing in Me, and following Me] is My brother and sister and mother."

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