Mark 3
Chapter 3
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand.
2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.”
4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.
5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!
6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.
Crowds Follow Jesus
7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea,
8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.
9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him.10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him.11 And whenever those possessed by evilt spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!”
12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.
Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles
13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles.t They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach,15 giving them authority to cast out demons.
16 These are the twelve he chose:
Simon (whom he named Peter),17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”t),18 Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
Simon (the zealott),19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
Jesus and the Prince of Demons
20 One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat.
21 When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
22 But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan,t the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”
23 Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked.24 “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse.25 Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.26 And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.
27 Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.
28 “I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven,29 but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.”
30 He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”
The True Family of Jesus
31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them.
32 There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brotherst are outside asking for you.”
33 Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”34 Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
35 Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
MARK 3
A Man with a Paralyzed Hand
(Matthew 12.9-14; Luke 6.6-11)
1 The next time Jesus went into the synagogue, a man with a paralyzed hand was there.
2 The Phariseest wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, and they kept watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath.
3 Jesus told the man to stand up where everyone could see him.
4 Then he asked, “On the Sabbath should we do good deeds or evil deeds? Should we save someone's life or destroy it?” But no one said a word.
5 Jesus was angry as he looked around at the people. Yet he felt sorry for them because they were so stubborn. Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his bad hand was healed.
6 The Pharisees left. And at once they started making plans with Herod's followerst to kill Jesus.Large Crowds Come to Jesus
7 Jesus led his disciples down to the shore of the lake. Large crowds followed him from Galilee, Judea, 8 and Jerusalem. People came from Idumea, as well as other places east of the Jordan River. They also came from the region around the towns of Tyre and Sidon. All of these crowds came because they had heard what Jesus was doing.
9 t He even had to tell his disciples to get a boat ready to keep him from being crushed by the crowds.
10 After Jesus had healed many people, the other sick people begged him to let them touch him. 11 And whenever any evil spirits saw Jesus, they would fall to the ground and shout, “You are the Son of God!”
12 But Jesus warned the spirits not to tell who he was.Jesus Chooses //His Twelve Apostles
(Matthew 10.1-4; Luke 6.12-16)
13 Jesus decided to ask some of his disciples to go up on a mountain with him, and they went. 14 Then he chose twelve of them to be his apostles, t so they could be with him. He also wanted to send them out to preach 15 and to force out demons. 16 Simon was one of the twelve, and Jesus named him Peter. 17 There were also James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. Jesus called them Boanerges, which means “Thunderbolts.” 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. The others were Simon, known as the Eager One, t
19 and Judas Iscariot, t who later betrayed Jesus.Jesus and the Ruler //of Demons
(Matthew 12.22-32; Luke 11.14-23; 12.10)
20 Jesus went back home, t and once again such a large crowd gathered that there was no chance even to eat.
21 When Jesus' family heard what he was doing, they thought he was crazy and went to get him under control.
22 t Some teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem and said, “This man is under the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons! He is even forcing out demons with the help of Beelzebul.”
23 Jesus told the people to gather around him. Then he spoke to them in riddles and said:
How can Satan force himself out? 24 A nation whose people fight each other won't last very long. 25 And a family that fights won't last long either.
26 So if Satan fights against himself, that will be the end of him.
27 How can anyone break into the house of a strong man and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything.
28 I promise you that any of the sinful things you say or do can be forgiven, no matter how terrible those things are.
29 t But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven. That sin will be held against you forever.
30 Jesus said this because the people were saying that he had an evil spirit in him.Jesus' Mother and Brothers
(Matthew 12.46-50; Luke 8.19-21)
31 Jesus' mother and brothers came and stood outside. Then they sent someone with a message for him to come out to them.
32 The crowd sitting around Jesus told him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisterst are outside and want to see you.”
33 Jesus asked, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” 34 Then he looked at the people sitting around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 35 Anyone who obeys God is my brother or sister or mother.”
