- 1At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
- 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
- 3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
- 4How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
- 5Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
- 6But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
- 7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
- 8For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
- 9And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
- 10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
- 11And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
- 12How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
- 13Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
- 14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
- 15But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
- 16And charged them that they should not make him known:
- 17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
- 18Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
- 19He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
- 20A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
- 21And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
- 22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
- 23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
- 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
- 25And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
- 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
- 27And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.
- 28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
- 29Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
- 30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
- 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
- 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
- 33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
- 34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
- 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
- 36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
- 37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
- 38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
- 39But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
- 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- 41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
- 42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
- 43When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
- 44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
- 45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
- 46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
- 47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
- 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
- 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
- 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
KING JAMES VERSION
MATTHEW 12
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
Matthew 12 — Jesus reveals the mercy and authority of the Sabbath’s Lord while hardened opponents reject the Spirit’s witness.
About this illustration
The grainfield controversy and synagogue healing are joined at one threshold. Jonah and the later sign are left as spoken teaching rather than imported sea imagery.
Scripture basis: Matthew 12:1–50King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGEANCIENT TEXT CONNECTIONS 
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Related 1 Enoch Passages
These links distinguish direct quotation, explicit retelling, strong literary parallel, and broader shared tradition. A parallel does not by itself prove direct dependence.
Restless unclean spirits roam the earth seeking habitation; 1 Enoch identifies roaming evil spirits with the dead giants.
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchaeological site
Third–fourth centuries AD
The Biblical Frescoes of the Catacomb of Priscilla
Third-century burial chambers on Rome's Via Salaria preserve layered Christian images of rescue, resurrection, prayer, shepherding, and biblical memory within an active funerary landscape.
Luke 15:3–7 · Matthew 12:38–41 · Daniel 3:19–27
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
4th–5th Century
Papyrus P21: Matthew 12:24–26 in a Greek Witness
P.Oxy. X 1227, held by Muhlenberg College as Theol. Pap. 3, is a severely fragmentary Matthew codex leaf preserving 12:24–26 and 12:32–33 with several notable readings.
Matthew 12:24–26 · Matthew 12:32–33
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
3rd Century
Papyrus P70: Matthew 11:26–27 in a Greek Witness
P70 joins three third- or early-fourth-century papyrus fragments in Oxford and Florence that preserve portions of Matthew 2–3, 11–12, and 24.
Matthew 2:13–16 · Matthew 2:22–23 · Matthew 3:1
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
Sixth-century Gospel undertext; later overwritten parchment
Codex Guelferbytanus A (GA 024)
Codex Guelferbytanus A (GA 024) is a distinct physical witness to the material transmission and reception of Scripture, identified by its own shelfmark, date, contents, and custodial history.
Luke 1:5–17 · Matthew 12:1–14
Prophecy Events
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
30
Jonah 1:17 · Jonah 2:10The Sign of Jonah
Jonah remains inside the great fish for three days and nights before being delivered alive onto land.
Prophetic signJonahthree daysresurrectionsign
PROPHECY EVENTFulfilled
28
Isaiah 42:1–4The Gentle Servant Brings Justice
Isaiah’s chosen Servant brings justice without self-promotion and does not crush the bruised or faint.
RestorationServantgentlenessjusticenations
Sermons
No Looking Back
Pastor Dean Odle uses an old family plow to illustrate Jesus’s warning in Luke 9:62 about following Him without looking back. Beginning with Romans 8 and John 10, he argues that discipleship requires continually hearing Christ’s voice, resisting the flesh, and surrendering self-will. He examines the excuses in Luke 14, shares personal accounts of ministry decisions, correction, and restoration, and turns to 1 John 2 and Proverbs 3 to urge trust in God’s direction. The sermon closes with warnings drawn from Lot’s wife and the parable of the talents, calling listeners to examine their faith, abide in Christ, and move forward in obedient, fruitful service.
Christian LivingSalvation and the GospelHoly Spirit and Spiritual GiftsDoctrine and Discernment
View sermon The Offense of the Older Brother
In “The Offense of the Older Brother,” Kelsey examines the part of Jesus’ prodigal-son parable that is often overlooked: the elder son who remained in his father’s house but resented the restoration of his brother. Working primarily from Luke 15, she argues that outward faithfulness can coexist with anger, comparison, self-righteousness, jealousy, and a graceless heart. The older brother’s refusal to celebrate reveals the danger of evaluating another believer’s restoration, blessing, healing, or calling through personal disappointment rather than the Father’s compassion.
Doctrine and DiscernmentChristian LivingChurch and Ministry
View sermon Dangerous End-Time Errors, Part 2
In “Dangerous End-Time Errors, Part 2,” Pastor Dean Odle warns that online influence, confidence, and large audiences are not substitutes for biblical grounding or accountable ministry. Beginning with Romans 16:17-20 and 1 Timothy 1, he argues that Christians must identify teachings that create spiritual stumbling blocks, test teachers by sound doctrine, and refuse the assumption that every persuasive voice carries authority. He especially defends the apostolic authority of Paul from 2 Peter 3:15-17 and connects rejection of Paul to confusion about grace, the New Covenant, and the place of the Mosaic law.
Doctrine and DiscernmentApostasy and DeceptionBible Prophecy
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 6 sermons