Chapter 12
Verses 1-14 Read the Bible verses
The disciples were hungry and they were picking grains off of the wheat stems as they walked along on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath is Saturday and it was the day the Jews kept for a holy day of rest.
A Jewish leader saw them and said that the disciples were “working on the Sabbath” because they were “harvesting grain”.
The Jewish leaders had made so many laws that it was hard for people to keep them all. Also, the laws had so many little things you had to obey. Think about it! How can picking a few grains of wheat to eat because you were hungry be the same as working to cut a field of wheat to harvest?
Jesus reminded the Jewish leaders about one time in the Old Testament when King David ate bread that was for the priests.
It is important to show respect and honor to holy things and holy days but the Jewish leaders had made religious rules so hard for the people.
Jesus went into the Jewish church. He saw a man there that needed
healing. Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, “If one of your sheep fell into a hole or ditch on the Sabbath day, you would pull it out.”
Jesus said, “It is lawful to do works of mercy on the Sabbath.”
So Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand. When he stretched out his hand, it was healed. Jesus did not touch him. Jesus just spoke the word and he was made well. Since Jesus did not do anything except talk, was he working?
The Jewish leaders were so angry that they had a meeting and talked about trying to kill Jesus.
Chapter 12 Verses 15-21 Read the Bible verses
Jesus knew they were planning to kill him.
Jesus healed some people but told them not to go around telling everyone.
Long ago in the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah said that when the Messiah comes, he will not fight or shout, he will not make his voice loud in public. In other words, the Messiah will not try to make himself famous.
Chapter 12 Verses 22-37 Read the Bible verses
Jesus healed a man and sent away the evil spirit that had been controlling the man.
The people were amazed and were beginning to believe that Jesus could be the Messiah.
The Jewish leaders said again that Jesus could throw out demons (evil spirits) because Jesus was the Prince of Demons. This made no sense. Why would Satan want to throw out his own evil demon?
Jesus said, “If Satan is throwing out demons he is working against himself.”
Jesus said that every sin can be forgiven except one—-that one is blaspheming against (speaking against) the Holy Spirit.
Jesus spoke in hard words to the Jewish leaders. He told them that he knew what was in their hearts and their hearts were evil. They were church leaders but their hearts—thoughts and actions—did not please God. The leaders were proud, mean spirited, and jealous of Jesus. They wanted him to die.
Chapter 12 verses 38-45 Read the Bible verses
Some of the Jewish teachers said, “Show us a miracle sign so we know you are the Messiah.”
There had been many signs ever since Jesus’ birth. They were just not making the connection. Now they wanted another sign. Jesus said, “The only sign you will get is the sign of Jonah. As Jonah was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights. So I will be in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights.” (Jesus would die and he would rise up on the 3rd day.)
Jesus explained something about evil spirits. He said when an evil spirit is cast out of a person, the spirit leaves and goes off into the desert (dry empty land) somewhere. However, spirits like to be in bodies, so they come back to the person where they were before.
The person is clean now, but unless the person has the Holy Spirit living in them, they are empty. The evil spirit will try to get back in the person again to control them. If the person has asked the Holy Spirit to live in them, then the evil spirit can not get in.
Chapter 12 verses 46-47 Read the Bible verses
One day while Jesus was talking, his mother and his brothers were outside waiting to talk with him.
Some churches teach that Jesus’ mother, Mary, did not have other children.
Chapter 12 verses 48-50 Read the Bible verses
Jesus tried to get the people to understand that he was God—not just a man—and because he is God—–people who believe in him and follow him are his brothers and sisters and mothers in the spirit.
These verses also show us that Jesus’ mother had other children. Paul speaks of James, the Lord’s brother. In Galatians 1:9, Paul called James, an apostle and the Lord’s brother. We don’t know when James came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but when Paul visited Jerusalem, James was thought of as an apostle at that time.
James wrote a book in the New Testament. Jude was a brother of James. Jude wrote a book in the New Testament. So Jude was Jesus’ brother, too.