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3:9
Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.
3:10
For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.
3:11
And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!”
3:12
But He warned them sternly not to make Him known.
3:13
Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him.
3:14
He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach,
3:15
and to have authority to drive out demons.
3:16
These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (whom He named Peter),
3:17
James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),
3:18
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,
3:19
and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
3:20
Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.
3:21
When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
3:22
And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”
3:23
So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan?
3:24
If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.
3:25
If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand.
3:26
And if Satan is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come.
3:27
Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
3:28
Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter.
3:29
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.”
3:30
Jesus made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
3:31
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to summon Him,
3:32
and a crowd was sitting around Him. “Look,” He was told, “Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for You.”
3:33
But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
3:34
Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!