The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  23tWhen Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw uthe flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,

  24He said to them, v“Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.

  25But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and wtook her by the hand, and the girl arose.

  26And the xreport of this went out into all that land.

  Two Blind Men Healed

  27When Jesus departed from there, ytwo blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, z“Son of David, have mercy on us!”

  28And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

  29Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

  30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, a“See that no one knows it.”

  31bBut when they had departed, they 7spread the news about Him in all that 8country.

  A Mute Man Speaks

  32cAs they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.

  33And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

  34But the Pharisees said, d“He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

  The Compassion of Jesus

  (Luke 10:2, 3)

  35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, eteaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease 9among the people.

  36fBut when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were 10weary and scattered, glike sheep having no shepherd.

  37Then He said to His disciples, h“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

  38i“Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

  Matthew 10

  The Twelve Apostles

  (Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16)

  1And awhen He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

  2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, bwho is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

  3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and 1Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

  4cSimon the 2Cananite, and Judas dIscariot, who also betrayed Him.

  Sending Out the Twelve

  (Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–6)

  5These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: e“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of fthe Samaritans.

  6g“But go rather to the hlost sheep of the house of Israel.

  7i“And as you go, preach, saying, j‘The kingdom of heaven 3is at hand.’

  8“Heal the sick, 4cleanse the lepers, 5raise the dead, cast out demons. kFreely you have received, freely give.

  9l“Provide neither gold nor silver nor mcopper in your money belts,

  10“nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; nfor a worker is worthy of his food.

  11o“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.

  12“And when you go into a household, greet it.

  13p“If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. qBut if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

  14r“And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, sshake off the dust from your feet.

  15“Assuredly, I say to you, tit will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

  Persecutions Are Coming

  (Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:12–17)

  16u“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. vTherefore be wise as serpents and wharmless6 as doves.

  17“But beware of men, for xthey will deliver you up to councils and yscourge you in their synagogues.

  18z“You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

  19a“But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For bit will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;

  20c“for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

  21d“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

  22“And eyou will be hated by all for My name’s sake. fBut he who endures to the end will be saved.

  23g“When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have hgone through the cities of Israel ibefore the Son of Man comes.

  24j“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

  25“It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If kthey have called the master of the house 7Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

  26“Therefore do not fear them. lFor there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

  Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

  (Luke 12:3–7)

  27“Whatever I tell you in the dark, mspeak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

  28n“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather ofear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in 8hell.

  29“Are not two psparrows sold for a 9copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.

  30q“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

  31“Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

  Confess Christ Before Men

  (Luke 12:8, 9)

  32r“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, shim I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

  33t“But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. The Parables of Jesus

  Christ Brings Division

  (Luke 12:51–53; 14:26, 27)

  34u“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

  35“For I have come to v‘set10 a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;

  36“and w‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’

  37x“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

  38y“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

  39z“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

  A Cup of Cold Water

  (Mark 9:41)

  40a“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

  41b“He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

  42c“And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

  Matthew 11

  John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus

  (Luke 7:18–35)

  1Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to ateach and to preach in their cities.

  2bAnd when John had heard cin prison about the works of Christ, he 1sent two of his disciples

  3and said to Him, “Are You dthe Coming One, or do we look for another?”

/>   4Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

  5e“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and fthe poor have the gospel preached to them.

  6“And blessed is he who is not goffended because of Me.”

  7hAs they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? iA reed shaken by the wind?

  8“But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

  9“But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, jand more than a prophet.

  10“For this is he of whom it is written:

  k‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

  Who will prepare Your way before You.’

  11“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

  12l“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

  13m“For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

  14“And if you are willing to receive it, he is nElijah who is to come.

  15o“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

  16p“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,

  17“and saying:

  ‘We played the flute for you,

  And you did not dance;

  We mourned to you,

  And you did not 2lament.’

  18“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

  19“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a 3winebibber, qa friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ rBut wisdom is justified by her 4children.”

  Woe to the Impenitent Cities

  (Gen. 19:12–14; Luke 10:13–15)

  20sThen He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:

  21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tȳre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago tin sackcloth and ashes.

  22“But I say to you, uit will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.

  23“And you, Capernaum, vwho5 are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

  24“But I say to you wthat it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

  Jesus Gives True Rest

  (Luke 10:21, 22)

  25xAt that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that yYou have hidden these things from the wise and prudent zand have revealed them to babes.

  26“Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

  27a“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. bNor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

  28“Come to cMe, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

  29“Take My yoke upon you dand learn from Me, for I am 6gentle and elowly in heart, fand you will find rest for your souls.

  30g“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

  Matthew 12

  Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

  (Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)

  1At 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.

  2And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

  3But 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.”

  Healing on the Sabbath

  (Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11)

  9iNow when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

  10And 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.

  11Then 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.”

  13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

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

  Behold, My Servant

  15But when Jesus knew it, lHe withdrew from there. mAnd great 3multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

  16Yet He nwarned them not to make Him known,

  17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

  18“Behold!o My 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.

  19He will not quarrel nor cry out,

  Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

  20A bruised reed He will not break,

  And smoking flax He will not quench,

  Till He sends forth justice to victory;

  21And in His name Gentiles will trust.”

  A House Divided Cannot Stand

  (Mark 3:22–27; Luke 11:14–23)

  22qThen 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.

  23And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the rSon of David?”

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

  25But 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.

  29v“Or 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.

  The Unpardonable Sin

  (Mark 3:28–30)

  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.

  A Tree Known by Its Fruit

  (Matt. 7:15–20)

  33“E
ither 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.

  34b“Brood6 of 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.”

  The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

  (Luke 11:29–32)

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

  39But He answered and said to them, “An evil and eadulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

  40f“For 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.

  41g“The 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.

  42j“The 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.

  An Unclean Spirit Returns

  (Luke 11:24–26)

  43k“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’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

  (Mark 3:31–35; Luke 8:19–21)

  46While He was still talking to the multitudes, nbehold, His mother and obrothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.