Healing on the Sabbath
Notes
Transcript
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Introduction
Today, we are thinking about the Sabbath. This is the third and final Sabbath healing controversy in Luke, so it seems like a good time to dwell on the concept. Think about this: Israel leaves slavery, where they worked 7 days a week, and God immediately tells them to rest every seventh day. Won’t they starve? Isn’t there plenty of work to do? But God provides manna - a double portion on Friday - so there is enough for Saturday. What a radical gift to God’s people. You can rest because I am still working.
So it is strange that this good thing has been twisted into a burden. They tried to use it as an excuse to trap Jesus instead of a blessing to be enjoyed, like Anastasia trying not to take a nap. Look at the basic tension as we read Luke 14:1-6 together.
And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
And they could not answer him again to these things.
Me - I have a problem resting sometimes. Rest is an act of trust.
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows: For so he giveth his beloved sleep.
We - We all struggle with rest.
We Are Not Under the 10 Commandments
Explain: The Law was the Old Covenant, Jesus introduces us into the New Covenant. 9 of the 10 commandments are the same.
Illustrate: If I move from Louisiana to Texas, a lot of the laws are the same (don’t murder, don’t steal), but some are different. I have changed jurisdictions.
Apply: The one commandment that is not repeated is the Sabbath. We enter into God’s rest in a different way - the Sabbath was a shadow - Christ is the reality.
God - God provides real rest, because He has done all of the work. The Sabbath was a shadow - the substance is Christ. When we have faith, we enter into the rest of God.
Illustrate: It is the difference in riding in the front seat with a 15 year old or the back of a plane on a long haul flight. On one you can sleep!
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
You: What if you had this kind of rest in God? It is not about following the “rest rules” well enough to impress God. That’s not rest! On the other hand, it is hard work to rest. We always fall back into self-righteousness and fear. We have to strive to quit striving. We have to work to rest.
When Jesus sat down, it was not because He was tired, but because He was finished. He is on a throne, not a rocking chair.
Many things in life die if you squeeze them. What are you not trusting God with? Your eternity is the obvious one, but what about your job? Trying to hard to get ahead and forgetting that God provides all of your needs.
In some ways, it looks like more work as you move from constantly calculating “what must I do” to looking for “what can I do” in love.
We: What does a church that has entered into rest look like? Free
Bet the call is to enter to it today.