Like Jesus - A Deliverer

Introduction

Luke 13:10–17 NIV

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Not All Disabilities Are Natural

Some Infirmities Are Natural - The Bible is clear that some people are sick or disabled or suffering by no fault of their own. They neither sinned, nor did their parents sin to bring on their current calamity.

Some Infirmities Are Demonic - These infirmities, like the woman in our passage are brought on by demonic oppression. This woman had been bound up in a disability for 18 years and it was all caused by Satan.

“Daughter of Abraham” - Pastor and Theologian Jon Thompson in his book titled Deliverance, says this saying is like us calling someone a Christian. A faith-filled person. In other words, Christians can be oppressed by the demonic.

Some Infirmities Are Our Own Doing - Sometimes we bring bad things onto ourselves. We can be our own worst enemies. In simple terms, let’s just say sometimes we do dumb things. If we smoke cigarettes, we shouldn’t be surprised if we have lung trouble later on in life.

Deliverance Is For All - Whether your infirmity was self-induced or by natural causes or by a demonic spirit, Jesus came to set people free. He came to deliver people from their

Deliverance Is Releasing The Bound

When Jesus says to the woman in this passage, you are “set free” from your infirmity or perhaps your version says “released”, the Greek word in that passage literally means “loosed or untied”.

Deliverance is a ministry that Jesus did quite often and it is quite literally the ministry of setting people free. Many times they were bound up from demonic oppression. This was quite common during Jesus’ time and I believe that it’s quite common today.

Deliverance Is Needed Today

We see in Scripture the start of deliverance ministry. Jesus starts it in earnest. Jesus came as King and consequently, his coming pushed back against the darkness. There were two unique areas of his ministry - deliverance and healing. Throughout the gospels you see him doing both of these things quite often.

After his death and resurrection, this ministry did not end. In fact, it continues through the book of Acts and the New Testament. In other words, demonic forces did not disappear once Jesus left, nor do I believe they disappeared once the apostles died either.

What is Bondage? How Are We Bound?

Areas He Delivers Us:

From Sin

From Shame & Guilt

From Bondage & Captivity

Hypocrites Refuse To Celebrate

Conclusion