Introduction

Good morning, dear family of faith. We're going to dive right into the Word today from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 14, verses 1-6.

I love how Charles Spurgeon put it: "The Gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage." So, let's unleash the Gospel this morning and let it roar in our hearts.

Let's read our passage now:

"One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched. There in front of Him was a man suffering from swelling of the body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?' But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, He healed him and sent him on his way. Then He asked them, 'If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?' And they had nothing to say." (NIV)

We're going to dig deep into this passage to understand the true Lordship of Christ over the Sabbath, to observe how the religious leaders scrutinized Jesus, and to challenge ourselves on whether we are obeying human standards rather than God's laws.

But before we do, let's bow our heads and hearts before our loving Father.

Dear Lord, we thank You for this time together, where we gather to study Your Word and seek Your wisdom. Open our hearts and minds to the truth of the Gospel and help us to understand what You want us to learn today. Guide us, Lord, to live our lives according to Your commandments and not by the standards of this world. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Lord Over Sabbath

In this passage, we see Jesus boldly asserting His Lordship over the Sabbath, a concept that was both revolutionary and controversial in His time.

The Sabbath: A day set apart by God in the Old Testament as a day of rest and worship. It was a sacred day, a day where work was forbidden, and strict rules were observed. However, Jesus, in His divine wisdom and authority, challenges these rigid interpretations and demonstrates that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

The Pharisees: The religious leaders of the time had created a legalistic system around the observance of the Sabbath. They had a long list of what could and could not be done, and they used this system to exert control and maintain a sense of self-righteousness. But Jesus, in His interaction with the man suffering from swelling, shows us that the Sabbath is not about legalistic observance, but about love, mercy, and compassion.

Jesus' question to the Pharisees: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" was not asked out of ignorance. He knew the law, but He wanted to expose the Pharisees' hypocrisy and their misunderstanding of God's law. When they remained silent, Jesus healed the man, demonstrating that doing good and showing love and compassion was not in violation of the Sabbath. Instead, it was the very essence of what the Sabbath was meant to be.

He asked the Pharisees another question: "If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?" Here, Jesus is highlighting the inconsistency in their beliefs. They would break their own rules if it meant saving their child or even their ox, but they were willing to let a man suffer because it was the Sabbath. This shows that their understanding of the Sabbath was not only flawed but also lacked compassion and love.

Jesus is not doing away with the Sabbath: Instead, He is redefining it, shifting the focus from a list of do's and don'ts to a day of rest, worship, and doing good. He is showing us that the Sabbath is not a burden, but a blessing, a day to cease our labors and focus on God and on loving others.

Challenges us to examine our own understanding of the Sabbath: Are we, like the Pharisees, focused on the rules and regulations, or are we, like Jesus, focused on love, mercy, and compassion? Are we using the Sabbath as a day to rest in the Lord and to do good, or are we using it as a day to promote our own self-righteousness?

Jesus is not only the Lord of our lives but also the Lord of our rest: He is the one who gives us rest, who refreshes us, and who enables us to do good. He is the one who sets us free from the bondage of legalism and invites us to experience the true rest that comes from a relationship with Him.

Pastor, here would be a good place to share a personal story about if/how you observe the Sabbath. If you do, how has it affected your life and your faith?

The Religious Leaders' Observation

The religious leaders' observation of Jesus in this passage is a critical point to consider ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO