Matthew 12

Summary. Chapter 12 deals with the authority of the Lord Jesus over the seen and the unseen world. This chapter also shows some of the many accusations the Pharisees, the scribes, and some people brought to the Lord Jesus and gives us His response to their accusations. The Lord Jesus is the Law for mankind, and He has the same authority as the Father to forgive or not forgive sins. In support of His authority, this chapter shows three ways in which the Lord Jesus is greater: 1) The Lord Jesus is greater than the temple since His body is the living holy temple that never faces corruption; 2) The Lord Jesus’ teaching is greater than the teaching of Jonah since He teaches repentance and salvation for all mankind, while Jonah preaches repentance for a group of people; 3) The Lord Jesus’ wisdom is greater than the wisdom of Solomon since His wisdom concerns how to be pleasing to the Father, while Solomon’s wisdom is how to be with people. The chapter’s summary of the events that triggered the dialogue between the Pharisees and scribes with the Lord Jesus, the accusations brought to Him, and His response is fivefold. 1) The Lord Jesus’ disciples rubbing grain heads in their hands on a Sabbath day. This is considered work by the Pharisees, and they accuse the Lord Jesus that He does not teach His disciples to follow the law. The Lord Jesus responds and ultimately tells them that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, implying His deity. 2) Healing of a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath in their synagogue. The Pharisees conspire to destroy the Lord Jesus because He is doing unlawful things on the Sabbath, but He responds by withdrawing from there and allowing the ones who believe in Him to separate and follow Him. 3) The Lord Jesus heals a demon-oppressed man who is blind and mute. The Pharisees accuse the Lord Jesus of casting out demons not by the Spirit of God. He responds and concludes by saying that there is a judgment day, and we are all responsible for our actions and the words we say. 4) The Pharisees and the scribes ask for a sign. The Pharisees and scribes call the Lord Jesus a teacher, but they do not show respect to Him as a teacher. He responds that no sign will be given to anybody except His bodily resurrection from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion. 5) His mother and brothers stood outside while He spoke to the people. By pointing publicly to His mother and brothers, it was a way to lower the Lord Jesus down as merely a simple man and attack His claims to be the Son of God. The Lord Jesus responds that He has only one Father, who is in heaven, and His brother, sister, and mother are those that glorify the Father and glorify the Lord Jesus as God.

[1] At that season Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields; and His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

Comments Matthew 12:1 From now on, it will be shown who the Lord Jesus is, especially for His disciples. The Lord Jesus did not come to break the Law. He came to complete the Law, and His disciples must learn this. He is the Law for humans, and in Him, all the Law is complete.

[2] And the Pharisees, having seen, said to Him, Behold, Thy disciples are doing which it is not lawful to do on Sabbath.

Comments Matthew 12:2 The Pharisees put the blame on the Lord Jesus that He did not teach His disciples to follow the Law. But the Lord Jesus is the Law to follow. He is the Law; how can you tell the Law to follow the Law?
“Thy disciples are doing which it is not lawful …” In this case, the Pharisees’ accusation is that the process of rubbing the grain heads in their hands to get the grains to eat is work. They put burdens on people, which was not what the Lord wanted the Sabbath to be. The Sabbath keeping was for building faith, not to make the faith go away. That is why the Lord Jesus fulfilled all those laws, to show the mercy of the Lord. The Lord wanted to end the control of the religious leaders, which was so wrong. Men made rules using God as a tool to build up their power to control others. This was not what the Lord wanted for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given to glorify God.

[3] And He said to them, Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and those with him;

[4] how he entered into the house of God, and they ate the loaves of the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, except only the priests?

Comments Matthew 12:3-4 This is an example of the mercy of the Lord. David and his companions were hungry, and the Lord showed mercy and allowed them to eat the showbread without making them guilty. Because they were hungry, the Lord had mercy. What was that bread for, to feed the hungry (David and his men) or not the hungry (the priests)? Those priests did not need to eat the bread, but David and his men were hungry and in need of food. That is why this is the mercy of the Lord.

[5] Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless?

Comments Matthew 12:5 In this chapter, the Pharisees put the priests above the Sabbath. With this question, the Lord made the people think twice if, indeed, the priests were guiltless or not by the law. This is a question that the Lord put for them to make people think twice: do you think they are guiltless, are they or not? However, if the priests make mistakes and do not follow exactly as the law is written, they become guilty of that sin. The Law itself will tell that you must follow the Law exactly to avoid sin; therefore, follow according to the Law, not another. In this time, the Pharisees set many laws for themselves, even if the Law of God did not command it. They did this to make themselves be separate. Some of the things they do are for personal use, but they claim what they do is in the Lord’s will, but that is profanity. Because they are the ones that have been chosen, they consider themselves guiltless by the Law. Here, there is only one Lord of the Sabbath, which they do not recognize, and they think they are guiltless, but they are not. The Lord does not look at the position the person holds; He looks at the heart of the person. That is why the Lord Jesus came to fulfill the Law of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is for people, not for the Lord (when the Lord gives the rules for the Sabbath, we as humans must follow the rules, not changing the rules). The Lord gave the Sabbath rules to follow from the beginning, then these people changed those rules, and the Sabbath became following human rules, not the Sabbath’s rules. If we glorify the Lord Jesus, we do not need to keep the Sabbath because He is the Lord of the Sabbath. They are guilty, not the Lord Jesus.
To further understand verses 3 to 5, read 1 Samuel 21:1-6, Leviticus 24:5-9, 1 Chronicles 9:28-32, and Numbers 28:9.

[6] But I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here.

Comments Matthew 12:6 “A greater than the temple” can be linked to the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus (See John 2:18-22); the Lord Jesus states this because they do not believe in the bodily resurrection. They all believe in a spiritual, not a bodily, resurrection of the dead (See Acts 23:8 and Acts 24:21). The body of the Lord Jesus is the living temple and is greater than the earthly temple. The Lord Jesus has only one body, which we will see at His second coming. His body never faced corruption. And we will see His nail-pierced hands. The earthly temple needs repairs, but the living temple is perfect; it never decays. The living temple is larger than the universe; it has no limit. All those who believe can enter, and it never fills up; there is always room for one more.

[7] However, if you had known what is, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Comments Matthew 12:7 “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” The Lord condemns the fact that there was no mercy and people would bring the best things for sacrifices but would ignore the lack of their brothers. Then and now, people do not look out for each other’s needs but just for themselves alone. The Lord wants unity between brothers and wants to see brothers helping each other. He wants all to join together to bring sacrifices to the Lord and do things together peacefully. There should be no jealousy between each other, no lifting up of one over another, no backbiting. As Christians, we all must be one in Christ, as the Lord is One (The Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit).
“You would not have condemned the guiltless.” The guiltless refers to the Lord Jesus only.

[8] For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

[9] And having departed from there, He went into their synagogue.

Comments Matthew 12:9 The synagogue is a place where all the Jews gather together. The Lord was there and taught them on that Sabbath day for them to see the Lord’s way. The Lord Jesus did not come to follow their law, but He came to teach them the Lord’s Law. But they refused His teaching and did not accept Him. However, in the Bible, we see that they call Him a teacher. If they call Him a teacher, but they do not believe what He teaches, then their guilt remains. We need not be like them; we must listen and obey the Lord’s teaching.

[10] And behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths? So that they might accuse Him.

Comments Matthew 12:10 "And behold ... hand." The man's hand couldn't stretch open; he couldn't stretch out his fingers. In his heart, all he wanted was that he could open his hand to worship the Lord. Note that this man came to the temple. A beggar who cannot open his hand cannot ask people for mercy, but with his palm closed, he can still ask the Lord for mercy.
"And they asked ... accuse Him." Here, it shows how people are. The Pharisees use their own laws to set traps to be able to make accusations and destroy the Lord Jesus. When they see that one does good, they set the trap to destroy that one (See Verse 14).

[11] And He said to them, What man will there be among you, who will have one sheep, and if this falls into a pit on the Sabbaths, will he not lay hold of it, and lift it up?

[12] How much then is a man more valuable than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbaths.

[13] Then He says to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored sound, as the other.

Comments Matthew 12:11-13 People make many laws for themselves and claim them to be the law of God for their own benefit. The Sabbath is for man, not for God. Here, God performs His Sabbath, but people cannot accept God to do His work (to do good) on the Sabbath. They come asking things on the Sabbath, and if God does it, they do not accept it. Their anger blinds their heart. We are supposed to do good on the Sabbath, but we, as Christians, do not keep the Sabbath anymore. For us, each day is a Sabbath day because we have Christ in us, and He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Charity is considered good work for the Lord. So, do good every day, and it will count. Do not harm anyone, believers or non-believers. Think of yourself before you do something to someone.

[14] Now the Pharisees went out and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Comments Matthew 12:14 Setting the trap was not enough for them. Now, they start plotting to make the trap work to destroy the Lord Jesus and interrupt His work.

[15] And Jesus having known withdrew from there. And many followed Him; and He healed them all,

Comments Matthew 12:15 “And Jesus, ... from there.” The Lord can hear the heart and knows what it is in the heart.
“And many followed Him.” The ones who in their heart want to follow the Lord will come out and follow. The Lord is like a light in the dark. All His sheep saw the light and followed.
“And He healed them all.” Here, we can understand that the Lord healed the hearts of those who followed Him. The word healed here may be better understood as renewed.

[16] and warned them that they should not make Him known:

Comments Matthew 12:16 The Lord Jesus did not come to be famous. He came to heal the brokenhearted that no one cared about. They were healed through the mercy of God to strengthen their faith in the Father. The Lord Jesus wanted them to talk about how merciful God is. He came to glorify the Father, not Himself.

[17] so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

[18] Behold, My servant whom I have chosen;
My beloved in whom My soul has found delight.
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

Comments Matthew 12:18 The Lord Jesus is one hundred percent Man and one hundred percent God. Here, the Lord Jesus is portrayed as the servant and the beloved Son of God the Father, who is anointed by the Holy Spirit.

[19] He will not quarrel, nor cry aloud;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.

Comments Matthew 12:19 The Lord Jesus is a teacher, and He is the most Holy teacher. Our heart is His temple, and He speaks straight to our heart. He did not walk around the streets and teach. If our heart cries for Him, He comes right away to His synagogue. It is a personal conviction between the heart and the Lord. The Lord will never force Himself on anyone. Willingness is the key for the Word to enter into the heart of a man or a woman.

[20] A crushed reed He will not break,
And a smoldering flax He will not quench,
Until He brings forth justice to victory.

Comments Matthew 12:20 “Crushed reed” refers to those who are double-minded and weak in faith. Faith has many levels; some believe that their faith is the right faith. Our duty is to tell, not judge, as we have no right to judge anyone. If we judge, we break the soul of a person. The reed here is the soul itself. The judgment is at the end, and it is the Lord’s duty.
“Smoldering flax” refers to those who believe they understand the Bible, but they are simply using their own judgment and do not ask the Lord for understanding. This also applies to the teachers of the Bible, who teach from their own understanding and never ask the Lord for understanding. The Lord will not bring someone to publicly shame them for what they understand, even if their understanding is wrong. It is not the Lord’s will to hurt anyone’s feelings; if you want to correct someone, do it privately, not in public, so as not to shame them (See Acts 18:24-28).
“Until He brings forth justice to victory.” See the Book of Revelation chapter 4.

[21] And in His name the Gentiles will hope.

Comments Matthew 12:21 This verse applies when the Word is preached all over the world to the Gentiles. There are still more people that have never heard about the Lord Jesus. The Lord supports missionary work to go out and tell the Word.

[22] Then was brought to Him one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, and He healed him, so then the mute spoke and saw.

Comments Matthew 12:22 In this case, it was not a physical disability. There was nothing abnormal in the body. The disability was related to the sin of the man.
“and He healed him …” The Lord’s mercy is greater than all. The sin the man had has been lifted up. The man did not come to ask by word but by his heart; he was asking for mercy, and mercy has been poured out on him. The mercy that has no ending from the Lord continues forever for those who are searching with a true heart.

[23] And all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the Son of David?

[24] And the Pharisees having heard, said, This does not cast out demons, if not by Beelzebub the chief of the demons.

Comments Matthew 12:23-24 At the time, it was well known among the people that the Pharisees were the ones who had the authority to cast out evils, not someone else. And the Lord Jesus was not part of their group, so in their view, He did not have that authority, but the Lord Jesus repeatedly proved that He had this authority.

[25] Now knowing their deliberations He said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

Comments Matthew 12:25 “Knowing their deliberations ...” The Lord hears the heart and knows the thoughts of men. Nothing is hidden; even the most secret thing is open in front of the Lord. He sees through all things.

[26] And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?

[27] And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? On account of this they will be your judges.

Comments Matthew 12:26-27 “By whom do your sons cast them out?” In these verses, we understand that the older generation passed on the teaching of casting out evils from the previous generation. But now their children’s generation is corrupt. The old way of their practice has been changed; the new generation cannot cast out demons anymore (See Acts 19:13-20). Nobody out of their group rose up to have the duty as the old generation did. And now, the Lord Jesus has the power and authority over the evil spirits, but He is not part of their group. The Pharisees fear the shifting of authority away from them. For people to see that someone outside of their group can perform the authority over evils, they can’t let this happen. For them, the shift of authority has to be stopped, and the Lord Jesus must be destroyed.

[28] However, if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Comments Matthew 12:28 Even when the Lord tells them straight, they can’t believe it. Darkness covers their eyes. When you serve the dark, you cannot see the light. The conclusion of verses 24 to 29 is that the Lord wants them (the Pharisees) to admit that their children do not use the power of God to do their work (they lost the authority) and acknowledge that the power and authority over the spirits belong to the Lord Jesus. They lost the power, and when they saw the Lord’s power, they did not recognize the Lord Jesus; they walked parallel with God, not with God anymore. That is why they can’t see the authority the Lord has shown among the people.

[29] Or how can one enter into the house of the mighty, and plunder his goods, except he first binds the mighty? And then he will plunder his house.

Comments Matthew 12:29 This verse is straightforward. However, you can also apply it to the heart of the man. If you let the wishes of this world be the main thing that occupies your mind, then it is, as the Bible says, they have tied you up, and all the bad thoughts enter into you. Therefore, do not occupy your mind with things to build treasures on earth that you cannot take with you; rather, stay in prayer and invite the Lord to be with you in your daily living.

[30] The one being not with Me is against Me, and the one not gathering with Me scatters.

Comments Matthew 12:30 This verse relates to the baptism in water, in the name of the Father, Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus has been an example for us, and He has been baptized in water. Only accepting the Lord Jesus is not enough to secure a place to be close to the Lord; we need to be baptized in water. When we do that, we acknowledge the Lord in public and become children of God. And, when we immerse under the water, we go through the gate of this world and enter the gate of heaven with Christ.

[31] Because of this I say to you, Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to people; however, blasphemy of the Spirit will not be forgiven.

[32] And whoever may speak a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever may speak against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in the coming.

Comments Matthew 12:31-32 In this particular case, the Pharisees accused the Lord Jesus as per verse 24, which is why the Lord spoke this way. “This age” refers here to the time when the Lord Jesus was on earth. “The coming” refers here to the time after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. After the crucifixion, the earth goes on according to the love of the Son. The mercy and love of the Son sustain the earth from the wrath of the Father.

[33] Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree worthless, and its fruit worthless; for the tree is known by the fruit.

Comments Matthew 12:33 The tree here represents humans. Humans have free choice. What you choose, that is what you live by. If you choose light, you will walk in the light of the Lord. If you do not choose the light, you will reap the fruits of the darkness. The Lord Jesus is the true light; come to Him. The duty of the Lord Jesus is to lead the children of God to glorify the Father.

[34] Offsprings of vipers, how are you able, being evil, to speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Comments Matthew 12:34 “Offsprings of vipers” in those days applied to the Pharisees. But now, amongst us, we have worse than the vipers. They come in many forms, mainly bringing joy and fun to life. The Pharisees of the past believed in God and did think about God. But people nowadays do not think anymore about God. So, the Pharisees of the past have converted themselves to be the atheists of today.
“For out ... speaks.” Talk with them, and you will know what is really in their hearts. What is in their hearts will come out. The blasphemous words are on the tips of their tongues. They hang evil like a golden chain around their necks.

[35] The good person out of the good treasure brings forth the good; and the bad person out of the bad treasure brings out the bad.

[36] And I say to you, that every idle word that people will speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment.

Comments Matthew 12:35-36 These verses talk about the individual book of life, which has been written since we were born. All the careless words we say are written in it. The book of life has two parts: before we are baptized in water and after we are baptized in water. The moment we baptize in water, our book of life has been destroyed. A new book of life starts at the time of our baptism, and this book of life will be used to judge Christians. There is no turning back; we cannot go to be baptized again. The baptism in water is important. If you want to be baptized in water, you will find water. If you do not want to be baptized, you will not do it even if there is water. The Lord Jesus has been baptized in the water. If the Lord of your life was baptized, how can you find a reason not to?

[37] For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

[38] Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, Teacher, we wish to see a sign from Thee.

Comments Matthew 12:38 The duty of the teacher is to teach, show love and patience, and also punish those who do not obey the rules of the teacher. We, as Christians, are different; we are not students but brothers with the Lord Jesus. We come to have the same Father with our Lord Jesus.
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from Thee.” They call the Lord Jesus “Teacher” but have no respect for Him. The power to decide and judge belongs to the teacher. The teacher does not need to prove that he has power and authority. They have to prove themselves worthy to be taught. We, as Christians, must be different; we just need to accept what the Lord Jesus has done for us.

[39] And answering, He said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Comments Matthew 12:39 It is not just that generation, but every generation, that seeks for a sign. Even now, always the Lord is asked to show signs. If you believe, you believe, no sign or miracle will be given. We should come with a humble heart and acknowledge that we are just dust. We should not come bargaining with the Lord, as with a merchant for selling things. The Lord does not sell things; He has created all things. Come and glorify the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

[40] For just 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.

Comments Matthew 12:40 See comments in Chapters 27 and 28 about the Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection.

[41] The people of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah here!

Comments Matthew 12:41 “The people of Nineveh …” This verse only shows that the generation of people living in Nineveh has repented at the preaching of Jonah, but the generation that saw the Lord Jesus did not repent at the preaching of the Lord Jesus. It is not to be taken literally that the Nineveh generation will judge this generation.
“Greater than Jonah” refers to the teachings that the Lord Jesus gives. This portion of the verse is not about the person of the Lord Jesus but about His teaching. Those who came before brought a message only to a specific group, but the Lord Jesus has the living Word to the whole world. The message of the Lord Jesus has no barriers; it is for every culture, color, and language. His message to all people is salvation by grace, not by works.

[42] The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, greater than Solomon here!

Comments Matthew 12:42 “Greater than Solomon” refers to wisdom. Solomon’s wisdom is how to be with the people. The Lord Jesus’ wisdom is about how to be pleasing to the Father, which the world is not interested in.

[43] And when the unclean spirit is gone out from the human, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find.

Comments Matthew 12:43 “Waterless places.” Our soul is a living water place for evil to feed on. “The unclean spirit” refers to the spirit of the antichrist (See 1 John 2:18-19 and 22-25). When this spirit leaves the house, which is the soul, because the person tries to join with the Lord and cleans up their own act, it goes into waterless places. But if it needs to extend its life, it will try to come back to take over the old place. When it comes back, it will not be alone; it will be more violent, and it will fight to take over again. Don’t leave the house empty. Stay in prayer and read the Word, for only the Word of God can help and fill the house. The Word is the eternal food for our souls.

[44] Then it says, I will return to my house from where I came out; and having come, it finds it being unoccupied, and swept, and put in order.

Comments Matthew 12:44 “It finds it being unoccupied, and swept, and put in order.” House here refers to the soul of a person. People believe that the house is the heart, but the heart is just an organ of the body (think of the heart in two dimensions as well: one dimension of the heart is an organ for the body, and another dimension of the heart is for the soul). An evil spirit does not need the heart, but it needs the soul to feed on. As humans, we try to use a human way to keep ourselves clean. You sweep the soul clean when you try to cut off something useless in life. But if you do not come to the Lord Jesus and read the Word, you leave the soul empty, and it becomes a temptation for an evil spirit to dwell in. Before we become Christians, we try to be clean, to change, and to become a new person. But if we do not fill up the soul with the Word, the change will not last long. The empty house will collapse down. Also, as Christians, if we slack off from the Word, we make empty rooms in our souls to be tempted. Human nature, and especially the laziness of human nature, makes us vulnerable. If we call ourselves Christians, we need to read the Word. Only the Word of God can be used to fill and shield the soul.

[45] Then it goes and takes with itself seven other spirits more evil than itself, and having entered in, they dwell there; and the last of that human becomes worse than the first. Thus, it will be also to this evil generation.

Comments Matthew 12:45 “Then it goes …” As a Christian, the soul is precious living water, and that is why your soul becomes a temptation for evil to latch on. Once you know the Word of God and turn away from the Word, you will be attacked more. You have to cling on to the Word of God because the Word is the shield of protection for your soul.
“and having entered in, they dwell there …” This passage refers to those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior and then deny Him as their God because of the troubles of this life. And then they blame Him and claim that all troubles are from Him. Accepting the Lord does not mean that there will be no troubles in life. But no suffering on this earth can be compared with the eternal damnation. There is no second chance for those persons who betray the Lord Jesus.
“Thus, it will be also to this evil generation.” This evil or wicked generation refers here to the generation that denied the Lord Jesus when He was on earth.

[46] While He was speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.

Comments Matthew 12:46 This passage is here to let us see that the Lord Jesus Himself has cut off from everything except from those who followed the Father. Those who follow the Father become His family. Everything is for the Father; nothing else on earth is more important than listening and obeying the Father.

[47] And someone said to Him, Behold, Thy mother and Thy brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to Thee.

[48] He answered and said to the one telling Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?

Comments Matthew 12:48 As humans, can we love someone else before those who are inside our earthly family? We fail this test all the time because our eyes are always fixed on the things we can see. Because we cannot see the Lord, we cannot give up everything for the Lord. There is no visual or physical exchange between humans and God, so only faith can carry us through.

[49] And having stretched out His hand towards His disciples, He said, Behold, My mother and My brothers!

Comments Matthew 12:49 Remember where your true home is. There, you have the true family, and you will be forever with them. If you want the family of this earth to be there, speak the Word of the Lord Jesus to them. Make them meditate on the Word of God.

[50] For whoever may do the will of My Father in the heavens, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.

Comments Matthew 12:50 The Lord Jesus has only one Father who is in heaven. Brother, sister, and mother are those who glorify the Father and believe in the Lord Jesus. Those that are just spectators are not included in the family. The ones counted in the family are only those that glorify the Father and glorify the Lord Jesus as God.

Life and Faith Applications. 1) For us Christians, each day is a Sabbath day because we have Christ in us, and He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Charity is considered good work for the Lord. So, we should do good deeds each day, and it will count. 2) The baptism in the water is an essential step for a Christian. The moment we baptize in the water, our book of life will be destroyed, and a new book of life will start. This new book of life will be used to judge Christians, so we should watch every word we say since they can’t be erased anymore. 3) Keep in prayer and read the Word of God regularly. Only the Word of the Bible can fill our souls and keep us safe from evil attacks. 4) Appreciate the brothers and sisters in Christ. These are part of our true family in heaven, and we will be together for eternity. 5) We do not need to ask for a sign from God to prove Himself to us. The only sign that has been given to us is the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus on the third day after His death on the cross. 6) Ultimately, it is our free choice to do good or evil, and what we choose will determine what we live for.