Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

“He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21

1. Jesus preached healing on the Sabbath day.

2. The acceptable year of the Lord is the Sabbath of Sabbaths - Jubilee

3. Jesus announced Jubilee on the Sabbath.

4. The Church Age is perpetual Jubilee.

5. He said, “this day (Sabbath) this scripture is fulfilled.”

Jesus Delighted to Heal on the Sabbath

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

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.”

The Lord then answered him and said, “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? 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?” 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.” Luke 13:10-17

1. The Pharisees could never heal on any day.

2. Jesus never broke laws. He broke religious traditions.

Jesus Purposely Healed on the Sabbath

1. Matthew 12:1-13, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-10 - Jesus picked corn and healed the sick on the Sabbath

   a. It is not against the law to eat corn or anything from a field on the Sabbath.

   b. It was against the law to harvest on the Sabbath.

   c. Your field was to be open to the poor and hungry to pick some fruit or grain to eat.

2. Mark 3:1-5 - Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda. The man was persecuted by the Pharisees for carrying his bed on the Sabbath.

3. John 5:1-15 Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda. He was persecuted by the Pharisees for carrying his bed on the Sabbath.

4. John 7:21-23 Jesus condemns them on the Sabbath for keeping the law of circumcision but not wanting anyone to be heled on that day. Both were for health.

5. John 9:13-16 - Jesus healed the blind man with spit and clay on the Sabbath.

6. Mark 2:27 - “man was made for the Sabbath, not the Sabbath for man.”

7. Mark 2:28 - “The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath day.”

8. Hebrews 4:9 - There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

   a. “Rest” - Sabbath

   b. Healing or meeting any need is acceptable on any day because Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.

“Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched (scrutinized) Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before (in front of )Him who had dropsy (“hudropikos” - hydro - filled with fluids, kidney failure).  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

1. Pharisees put the man in front of Jesus as a trap.

2. They knew Jesus would heal him, and wanted to discredit him publicly.

But they kept silent. And He took (seized) him and healed (cured) him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox (the Greek adds - “or a son”) that has fallen (stumbled)into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things.” Luke 14:1-6

1. Religion loves animals more than people.

   Matthew 12:12 - How much is a man better than a sheep?

   Matthew 6:25 - Are you not better than they (birds)?

2. Religion loves their own children more than others.

3. Sickness is a dark pit.

   a. You stumbled in.

   b. You cannot pull yourself out.

   c. You are separated from the rest of the world.

4. You need someone outside the pit to pull you out.

5. God is there and wants to pull you out.

6. Today, and every day is the Sabbath. Jubilee is forever.