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Four In One Gospel (Part Six)
Jesus' Early Public Ministry and Calling of the Twelve Apostles
Compiled by Gary T. Panell
(We have covered the ministry of John the Baptist in Part Four, but we have
to overlap a little with John the Baptist's ministry to see Jesus' early ministry
after His temptation in Part Five. We pick up the story again in St. John 1:32-34.)
And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like
a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to
baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and
remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have
seen and testified that this is the Son of God." (John 1:32-34)
[The temptation is left out of the Gospel of John, I believe, because the theme
of the book of John is about Christ's deity. (You might want to look at our
study on Christ's deity.) Notice the things that John the Baptist is saying
about Jesus' baptism, how they are in the past tense in verses 32-34 of John
chapter one. So we pick up the narrative here in verse 35 after Jesus has returned
from the forty days of temptation in the wilderness.
John the Baptist is relating to his disciples what he had said before when
He saw Jesus coming the first time (over forty days before this), "Behold! The
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Now the next day Jesus shows
up again, back from the forty days of temptation. [So the "next day" is not referring
to the next day after the baptism of Jesus, but is referring to the next day
after John had been reviewing with his disciples about this tremendous event
in his ministry. You notice this time he says only, "Behold the Lamb of God!"
in other words "Look, it's Him that I was talking about yesterday, the Lamb
of God]* Comments by G.T. Panell
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus
as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him
speak, and they followed Jesus. [John the Beloved who is writing the Gospel
of John, in humility, never mentions himself as the one, and the other person
is Andrew. Do not confuse the author of John's Gospel with John the Baptist,
they are two different people.]* Comments by G. T. Panell
Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"
They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where
are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He
was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
[Four in the afternoon, John the Beloved remembered this vividly many years
later.]*
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon
Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We
have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him
to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said "You are Simon the son of Jonah.
You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said
to him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in
the law, and also the prophets, wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip
said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said
of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael said
to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip
called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are
the King of Israel!" Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you,
'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things
than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the
Son of Man."
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of
Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no
wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?
My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says
to you, do it."
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of
purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus
said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the
brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to
the master of the feast." And they took it.
When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did
not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew),
the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man
at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well
drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"
This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory;
and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He,
His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many
days.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And
He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money
changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all
out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers'
money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take
these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"
Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has
eaten Me up." So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to
us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken
forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen
from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they
believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said."
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed
in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself
to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify
of man, for He knew what was in man.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This
man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher
come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with
him."
Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter
a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water
and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel
that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes,
and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where
it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered
and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have
seen, and you do not receive Our witness.
"If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe
if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came
down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted
up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not
send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does
not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God.
"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone
practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds
should be exposed. But he Who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds
may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and
there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon
near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.
And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the
Jordan, to whom you have testified-behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming
to Him!"
John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given
to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the
Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom;
but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly
because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
"He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above
all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes
from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies;
and no one receives His testimony.
"He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom
God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes
in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not
see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made
and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize,
but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. (John 1:32-4:3)
"Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in
the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people
who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region
and shadow of death Light has dawned.' From that time Jesus began to preach
and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Matthew 4:12-17)
But He needed to go through Samaria.
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground
that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore,
being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the
sixth hour. [Midday]*
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."
For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of
Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me,
a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is
who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have
given you living water."
The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is
deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father
Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and
his livestock?"
Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But
the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing
up into everlasting life."
The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor
come here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have
well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one
whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."
The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers
worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the
place where one ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the
hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship
the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation
is of the Jews.
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).
When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak
to you am He."
And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked
with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking
with her?" The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and
said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could
this be the Christ?"
Then they went out of the city and came to Him. In the meantime His disciples
urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of
which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone
brought Him anything to eat?"
Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish
His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?
Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are
already white for harvest!"
And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both
he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is
true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have
not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word
of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So when
the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed
there two days. And many more believed because of His own word.
Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said,
for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ,
the Savior of the world."
Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. For Jesus
Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. (John 4:4-44)
"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:14-15) "Then Jesus
returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through
all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified
by all." (Luke 4:14-15)
"So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the
things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And
there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard
that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him
to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you
will by no means believe." The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before
my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man
believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying,
"Your son lives!" Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And
they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." So the
father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him,
"Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee."
(John 4:45-4:54)
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And he
was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book,
He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me
to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim
the acceptable year of the LORD.
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began
to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded
out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" He said to them,
"You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever
we have heard done in Capernaum, do also in Your country. Then He said, "Assuredly,
I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.
"But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when
the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine
throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers
were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed
except Naaman the Syrian."
So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with
wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow
of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over
the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way." (Luke 4:14-30)
Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on
the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with
authority. Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean
demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone! What
have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know
You, who You are-the Holy One of God!"
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the
demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt
him. So they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word
this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they
come out." And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding
region.
Now he arose from the synagogue (as soon as they had come out of the synagogue
Mark 1:29a) and entered Simon's (Peter's Mt. 814a) house. (they entered the
house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Mk 1:29) But (He saw Mt. 8:14)
Simon's wife's mother was (lying Mt. 8:14b) sick with a high fever, and they
(told Him about her at once Mk. 1:30) and they made request of Him concerning
her. So He stood over her (He touched her hand Mt. 8:15) and rebuked the fever,
and it (the fever Mt. 8:15b) left her. (So He came and took her by the hand
and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. Mk 1:31a) And immediately
she arose and served them.
Now when the sun was setting (when the sun had set, they brought to Him all
who were sick and those who were demon-possessed and the whole city was gathered
together at the door Mk. 1:32-33), all those who had anyone sick with various
diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and
healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are
the Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them
to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
(Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, Mk. 1:35) Now
when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought
Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to
them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for
this purpose I have been sent." And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
(Luke 4:31-44)
And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother
casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. (Mark 1:16) Now so it was,
as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by
the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen
had gone from them and were washing their nets.
Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put
out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the
boat. Now when He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the
deep and let down your nets for a catch. But Simon answered and said to Him,
"Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word
I will let down the net."
And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their
net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they
began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees,
saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which
they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From
now on you will catch men." So when they had brought their boats to land, they
forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:1-11)
Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of
men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. (Going on from there
Matthew 4:21a) When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the
son of Zebedee, and John his brother (in the boat Mt. 4:21b), who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, (and immediately
they left the boat Mt. 4:22a) and they left their father Zebedee in the boat
with the hired servants, and went after Him. (Mark 1:17-20) (and followed Him.
Mt. 4:22).
When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. (Mt.
8:1) And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was
full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him,
saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy
(was cleansed Mt. 8:3b) left him.
And He charged (strictly warned Mk 1:43) him to tell none, "But go and show
yourself to the priest, and make an offering (gift Mt. 8:4b) for your cleansing,
as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded." (and sent him away at once,
and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone" Mk. 1:43b-44a)
However, (he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread
the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside
in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. Mk 1:45) the
report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together
to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
(So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Mt. 9:1)
(And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that
He was in the house. Mk. 2:1)
Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees
and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee,
Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
(Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Mk. 2:2)
Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they (four men Mk. 2:3) sought to bring in and lay before Him. (And when they could
not come near Him because of the crowd Mk. 2:4a) And when they could not find
how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop
(they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through Mk. 2:4b)
and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before
Jesus.
When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man (son Mk. 5:b), your sins are
forgiven you." And the scribes and the Pharisees (some of the scribes were sitting
there and reasoning in their hears Mk. 2:6) began to reason, saying, "Who is
this who speaks blasphemies? (Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?
Mk 2:7a) Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
But (immediately Mk 2:8b) when Jesus perceived their thoughts (in His spirit
that they reasoned thus within themselves Mk 2:8b), He answered and said to
them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Your sins
are forgiven you, or to say, Rise up and walk? But that you may know that the
son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"-He said to the man who was paralyzed,
"I say to you, arise, take up your bed (and walk Mk 2:9b), and go to your house."
Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on (and
went out in the presence of them all MK. 2:12b), and departed to his own house,
glorifying God. (Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified
God who had given such power to men. Mt. 9:8) And they were all amazed, and
they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, ("We never saw anything like this! Mk. 2:12b) We have seen strange things Today!"
(Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and
He taught them. As He passed by Mk. 2:13-14a)
After these things He went out and saw (a man named Matthew Mt. 9:9a) a tax
collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow
Me." So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast
in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others
who sat down (at the table in the house Mt. 9:10a) with them (for there were
many, and they followed Him. Mk. 2:15b) (with Him and His disciples. And when
the Pharisees saw It, (Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners
Mk 2:16b) (they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax
collectors and sinners?" Mt. 9:10b-11)
And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying,
"Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered and
said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who
are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
(The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Mk. 2:18)
(Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees
fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?" Mt. 9:14)
Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers,
and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?" And He said to
them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom (mourn Mt. 9:15a) fast while
the bridegroom is with them? (they cannot fast Mk. 2:19b) But the days will
come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in
those days."
Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece (of unshrunk cloth Mt.
9:16a) from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear (pulls
away from the garment Mt. 9:16b), and also the piece that was taken out
of the new does not match the old (and the tear is made worse Mt. 9:16b).
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst
the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine
must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk
old wine, immediately desires new; for he says. 'The old is better.'"
Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through
the grain fields. (His disciples were hungry Mt. 12:1b) And His disciples (and
began to pluck Mt. 12:1c) plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. And some of the Pharisees (saw it,
said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the
Sabbath!" Mt. 12:2) said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do
on the Sabbath?"
But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not (never Mk. 2:25a) even read this,
what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he went
into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those
with him, which is not lawful for any (nor for those who were with him Mt. 12:4b)
but the priests to eat?"
"Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple
profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say to you that in this place
there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the
guiltless." Mt. 12:7) And he said to them, "(The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath. Mk. 2:27) The Son of Man is also Lord (also Mk. 2:28)
of (even Mt. 12:8) the Sabbath."
Now when he had departed from there Mt. 12:9a) Now it happened on another
Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there
whose right hand was withered. So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely,
whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against
Him. (And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"-that
they might accuse Him. Then 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? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?
Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Mt. 12:10-12)
But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand,
"Arise and stand here." And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, "I
will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil,
to save life or to destroy?" (But they kept silent. Mk. 3:4) And when He had
looked around at them all (with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their
hearts Mk. 3:5a), He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he did so,
and his hand was restored as whole as the other. But they (the Pharisees Mt.
12:14a) were filled with rage (went out and took counsel against Him, how they
might destroy Him Mt. 12:14b) (plotted with the Herodians against Him Mk. 3:6b),
and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray,
and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His
disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named
apostles (those He himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve,
that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to
have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons Mk. 3:13-15)
And when 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. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:
first Mt. 10:1-2a) Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother;
James (the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the
name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder" Mk. 3:17) and John (his brother Mt.
10:2b); Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew (the tax collector Mt. 10:3) and Thomas;
James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon (the Canaanite Mk. 3:18b) called
the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became
a traitor. (Luke 5:12-6:16)
But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from
Gallilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the
Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how
many things He was doing, came to Him. And He told His disciples that a small
boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should
crush Him. For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about
Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down
before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He sternly warned
them that they should not make Him known. (Mk. 3:7-12)
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease
among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought
to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments,
and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed
them. Great multitudes followed Him-from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem,
Judea, and beyond the Jordan. (Matthew 4:23-25)
Four In One Gospel (Part One)-The
Crucifixion
Four In One Gospel (Part Two)-The
Resurrection
Four In One Gospel (Part Three)-Birth
of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Childhood
Four In One Gospel (Part Four)-Ministry
of John the Baptist
Four In One Gospel (Part Five)-The
Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness
Four In One Gospel (Part Seven)-The
Sermon On The Mount
Four In One Gospel (Part Eight)-The Centurion of Capernaum and Parables of Jesus
Four In One Gospel (Part Nine)
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