Grace Found Me

Theme: GRACE FOUND ME:

Sub-Theme: My Bent-Over Days Are Over

Text: Luke 13:10–17

Text: Luke 13:10–17

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way [a]raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord then answered him and said, [b]“Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

INTRODUCTION

Luke 13:10–17 presents one of the most touching demonstrations of the grace and compassion of Jesus Christ. In this passage, Luke records the account of a woman who had been bent over and bound by an infirmity for eighteen years. For nearly two decades she carried a burden she could not remove, endured a condition she could not change, and lived beneath limitations she could not overcome.

Yet in one divine encounter, everything changed.

The Gospel of Luke, written by Luke the beloved physician and companion of Paul, paints a beautiful portrait of Jesus as the compassionate Savior who came to seek and save the lost. Throughout his Gospel, Luke repeatedly highlights those whom society overlooked—the poor, the broken, the rejected, the sick, and the marginalized—and shows how Jesus intentionally reached for them with mercy and grace.

Luke reveals Jesus as fully God and fully man—possessing both divine power and human compassion

That compassion is evident in our text today.

Because before this woman found healing, grace found her.

What is grace? Grace is God's unmerited favor—His loving kindness freely given to undeserving people.

This account is one of Grace being extended…..

And perhaps this relates to you… because maybe you are not physically bent over but Life has a way of bending people some are bent by Fear anxiety, financial pressoure, grief

But the good news of this passage is this: No matter what has bent you, grace can lift you. No matter how long you've carried it, Jesus sees you.

As we examine the text firstly we will look – Grace Found her in the house of God

I. GRACE FOUND HER

Grace Found Her in the House of God

Luke 13:10–11

This woman had suffered for eighteen long years.

She had a spirit that caused sickness/ weakness infirmity of the body.

She herself could not reverse this She could not unbend herself

Imagine:

Eighteen years of pain, frustration, limitation, humiliation.

Every day she woke up carrying the same burden. There is something remarkable about this woman , despite her suffering she was still in the synagogue.

She was bent—but she was present. She was hurting—but she was worshipping.

She was struggling—but she was seeking God.

Many people would have stopped coming. Many would have quit.

Many would have allowed disappointment to separate them from the presence of God.

But she kept showing up. And on this particular Sabbath, grace found her.

Never underestimate what God can do in one service. What if she had stayed home?

What if she had allowed discouragement to win? What if she had quit before her breakthrough arrived? The enemy wants you to quit before your miracle comes.

But if you keep showing up, grace has a way of finding you.

Sometimes your greatest act of faith is simply to keep coming in the midst of everything.

You don't know which service contains your breakthrough. You don't know which prayer contains your answer. You don't know which moment contains your miracle.

Just stay connected to God. Because grace is looking for you and will find you in God’s presence.  GRACE FOUND HER……………… Secondly not only did grace find her in the presence of God but Grace also Focused on her

II. GRACE FOCUSED ON HER

Grace Saw Her When Nobody Else Did

Luke 13:12

"And when Jesus saw her..."

These may be the most powerful words in this entire account.

Jesus saw her.

She did not interrupt the teaching. She did not announce her pain.

She Came, there is nothing simple about her coming it is a statement of intent, an act of war.

Jesus saw her. Among all the worshippers... Among all the religious leaders...

Among all the activity in the synagogue...Jesus saw one bent woman.

The crowd saw her condition. Jesus saw her value.

The people saw a crippled woman. Jesus saw a daughter of Abraham.

Grace sees what others overlook.

Perhaps you've felt invisible. Perhaps people missed your pain. Perhaps they overlooked your sacrifices. Perhaps nobody understands the burden you've been carrying.

Jesus sees what others miss.

JESUS Sees you---battles you fight silently, the persistent prayer, the burdens you are carrying

Once Jesus sees you, everything changes. Not only did Jesus see her and focus on her But Grace called her forward

III. GRACE CALLED HER FORWARD

Grace Called Her Out of the Shadows

Luke 13:12

"He called her to Him..."

This is one of the most beautiful moments in the passage. Jesus initiated the encounter.  Example ME……..I could Identify with this woman

She did not have to ask, Jesus called her.

Imagine her moving through the crowd. People must have wondered:

"Why is Jesus calling her?" Jesus interrupted His teaching to focus on one individual that needed a touch from him how many times in scripture do we see Jesus focusing on one person

Example 1- Woman at the well

John 4:4 – "But He needed to go through Samaria."

When John tells us that Jesus "needed" to go through Samaria, he is revealing more than a travel route—he is revealing a divine appointment.

Most Jews avoided Samaria because of deep-rooted ethnic and religious hostility. They often chose a longer and more difficult journey rather than walk through Samaritan territory. But Jesus was not governed by prejudice, tradition, or human custom. He was governed by the will of His Father.

The Greek word for "needed" (edei) speaks of divine necessity. Jesus was compelled by God's purpose.

Why did He have to go through Samaria?

Because there was one woman waiting at a well.

Jesus crossed geographical barriers for one person.

He crossed cultural barriers for one person.

He crossed religious barriers for one person.

He interrupted the expected route for one person.

While others saw Samaria as a place to avoid, Jesus saw a soul to save. The disciples saw a region; Jesus saw a woman. The crowd saw a Samaritan; Jesus saw a future worshipper and evangelist.

This encounter reminds us of a powerful truth: Jesus values individuals. He does not see people as numbers in a crowd. He sees every person as significant.

The Good Shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to seek one lost sheep. In the same way, Jesus went through Samaria because one broken, thirsty, searching woman mattered to Him.

What looked like an ordinary journey was actually a rescue mission.

Jesus had an entire village in view, but He began with one woman at a well.

That's the heart of our Savior:

Example 2

One of the clearest demonstrations of how much one person matters to Jesus is found in the story of the demon-possessed man of Gadara (Mark 5:1–20; Luke 8:26–39).

Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, enduring a storm along the way, to arrive in a region where there was seemingly only one person waiting for Him—a tormented man living among the tombs.

This man was an outcast.He was rejected by society. He lived isolated among the dead.

He was bound by a legion of demons. People had given up on him. Society saw a hopeless case.

But Jesus saw a soul worth saving.

When Jesus arrived, He immediately confronted the forces that had held the man captive and completely set him free. In a moment, the man who had been naked, violent, and uncontrollable was found "sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind."

He brought a forgotten woman from the back of the synagogue to the center of attention.

The very area of shame became the platform for God's glory. The thing people used to identify her struggle became the testimony that magnified the power of God.

What an amazing Savior. Not only did grace call her forward but Grace Freed her

IV. GRACE FREED HER

Grace Broke Eighteen Years of Bondage

Luke 13:16

Jesus revealed that this woman's issue was deeper than a physical condition.

There was spiritual bondage attached to her suffering. Jesus totally freed her from her two part sickness, physical and spiritual. The word looses means to free fully

Her body was bent. But her spiritual perspective was NOT

When you're bent over, you cannot see ahead, you become trapped by what is directly in front of you. But somehow she had enough within her to see that her greatest need was the presence of God

This lady was held captive by Satan, bound like a prisioner but Jesus Set her free

With one declaration He said: "Woman, thou art loosed."

And instantly eighteen years of bondage shattered.

What doctors could not fix... What time could not fix...

What religion could not fix... What human effort could not fix...

Jesus fixed in a moment. Jesus is able to do it for you in a moment, with one word

GRACE  Freed her and RESTORED HER IDENTITY

She Was More Than Her Condition

Jesus did something remarkable.

He called her: "A daughter of Abraham." Not "the bent woman."

BUT A covenant daughter. A valued daughter. A beloved daughter.

Before Jesus corrected her posture, He affirmed her identity.

Many today define themselves by their pain.

But Jesus is saying

You are My son. You are My daughter. You belong to Me.

Grace reminds you who you are.

Lastly Grace Fought for her

VI. GRACE FOUGHT FOR HER

Grace Silenced the Critics

When the woman was healed, the synagogue ruler became angry.

A woman had just experienced a miracle. Yet religion found a reason to complain.

The ruler saw a violation. Jesus saw liberation.

Jesus exposed the hypocrisy.

If people were willing to untie animals on the Sabbath to provide water, how much more should a daughter of Abraham be released from suffering?

The Sabbath was not created to restrict grace.

Don't be distracted by critics. The woman never argued. She never defended herself.

She allowed Jesus to fight for her.  If God be for you who can be against you.

Grace produced gratitude in her Let’s look at her response

VII. HER FIRST RESPONSE WAS PRAISE

Luke 13:13

"And glorified God."

The first thing she did after eighteen years of suffering was worship.

She praised God.

Because she understood something important:

She did not earn this. She did not deserve this. This was grace.

When grace finds you, gratitude follows. The greatest evidence that you understand grace is worship.

What was the turning point of this lady’s life?

VIII. THE TURNING POINT

"WHEN JESUS SAW HER"

Luke 13:12

"When Jesus saw her..." That was the turning point. The turning point came when Jesus saw her.

Your responsibility is positioning. His responsibility is transformation.

Once Jesus sees you—case closed. The enemy's plan was to keep her bent.

But Jesus had already determined to lift her.

Grace reminds you that your story is not over.

CONCLUSION: YOUR BENT-OVER DAYS ARE OVER

Just as Jesus saw that woman with an eighteen-year affliction, He sees you today.

He sees the burden no one knows about. And the same Jesus who called her forward is calling you.

The same Jesus who loosed her can loose you. The same Jesus who lifted her can lift you.

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Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit today:

"Your bent-over days are over."

Not because of your strength. Not because of your efforts.

But because GRACE FOUND YOU. Grace found you in your pain, waiting, in the House of God

Because grace found you, your future is greater than your past.

And no matter how impossible your situation appears, your bent-over days are over because grace has found you.

IT'S TIME TO STAND AGAIN Jesus saw you, Jesus called you, Jesus touched you, and GRACE FOUND YOU.