Jesus continued instructing the 12 disciples by telling them a little of what they could expect from people. They would be brought to kings and leaders to witness. Everything they needed to say would be given to them at the time they needed it. The Spirit would speak through them. Family members would disagree with each other about Jesus. The Gospel would continue to be preached to the Jews until the second coming of Christ. (This interpretation is in my bible footnote.) Jesus told them not to fear people who could kill the body, rather, fear the one who can kill both body and soul. If you stand up for Jesus, He'll stand up for you. Don't be afraid because even the hairs of your head are numbered. Jesus quotes Micah 7:6. Everyone must love Jesus more than any other person to be worthy of Him. We are to follow His example in everything we do to be worthy of Him.
Jesus finished instructing His 12 disciples and went to teach and preach in Galilee. From prison, John the Baptist sent messergers to Jesus to ask if He was the one John was expecting or would it be someone else? Jesus told them to watch all the healing for themselves. They returned to report to John and Jesus taught the crowd that John was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 3:1. The people made up their own stories about John and Jesus before learning the truth. Then Jesus began to denounce those cities where He had done most of the healing because they did not repent. Jesus offered praise to God. Then He told the people that they could find rest with Him.
One Sabbath, the Pharisees saw Jesus and noticed the disciples with Him were picking grain with their hands and eating it. They told Jesus what they were doing was unlawful. He asked them about the time David was hungry and ate the bread from the temple (1Sam. 21:1-6) or about the priests desecrating the day and still being innocent. Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 and told them He was the Lord of the Sabbath. Then Jesus went into the temple and saw a man in there with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus about healing on the Sabbath and He told them that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Then Jesus healed the man's hand. Then the Pharisees tried to figure out how they could kill Jesus. Jesus left because He knew what they were thinking. Many people followed Him and he healed their sick and told them not to say anything about Him. This fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 42:1-4.
Tomorrow read Matthew 12:22-14:12
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