SDA Sabbath Sch. Lesson 5-Second Quarter 2015-Christ as the Lord of the Sabbath

[Wally]

 Lesson 5 April 25-May 1

Christ as the Lord of the Sabbath

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week's Study: Mark 1:21,6:2; Luke 4:17-19,31-37; 2 Cor. 5:17; Luke 6:1-11; 13:10-16.

Memory Text: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28, NKJV).

Although Luke wrote his Gospel primarily for the Gentiles, it is significant how frequently he refers to the Sabbath. Of the 54 times the Gospels and Acts refer to Sabbath, 17 are in Luke and 9 in Acts; there are 9 in Matthew, and 10 in Mark and 9 in John. As a Gentile convert, Luke certainly believed in the seventh-day Sabbath for Jews, as well as Gentiles. The first coming of Christ made no difference concerning the keeping of the Sabbath.

Indeed, "Christ, during His earthly ministry, emphasized the binding claims of the Sabbath; in all His teaching He showed reverence for the institution He Himself had given. In His day, the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of God. Christ set aside the false teaching by which those who claimed to know God had misrepresented Him."-Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 183.

This week's lesson turns to Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath: how He observed it and how He set an example for us to follow. The practice of observing the first day of the week as Sabbath has no sanction either in Christ or in the New Testament.

Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 2.

Sunday April 26

"As His Custom Was" (Luke 4:16-30; see also Isa. 61:1-2)

"As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day" (Luke 4:16, NKJV). This is a good Adventist text. Most of us use it in evangelistic meetings or in Bible studies in order to emphasize the point that it was the practice of Jesus to keep the Sabbath.

Synagogues played a crucial role in Jewish religious life. During the exile, when the temple no longer existed, synagogues were built for worship and for the schooling of young children. A synagogue could be built wherever there were at least 10 Jewish families. Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus followed the "custom" of going to the synagogue each Sabbath, and now on His first journey to His hometown, the Sabbath finds Him in the synagogue.

Read Mark 1:21,6:2, Luke 4:16-30,6:6-11,13:10-16,14:1-5. What do these texts teach us about Jesus and the Sabbath? As you read them, ask yourself where, if anywhere, you can find indications that Jesus was either abolishing our obligation to keep the Sabbath or pointing to another day to replace it?

Why should we make it our custom to go to church on Sabbath, as Jesus went to the synagogue on Sabbath?

"As His custom was" (Luke 4:16, NKJV). Only Luke uses this phrase: in Luke 4:16, as Jesus attended the synagogue in Nazareth; and in Luke 22:39, as the cross drew near, Jesus "went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives" (RSV). Both times the "custom" had to do with worship and prayer.

First, God is everywhere. He may be worshiped anywhere, but there's something special about getting together in a common place on the day designated at Creation and commanded in His moral law.

Second, it provides a public opportunity to affirm that God is our Creator and Redeemer.

Finally, it gives an opportunity for fellowship and sharing each other's joys and concerns.

Those who accuse us of legalism, or of being in bondage, because we keep the Sabbath have obviously missed out on the great blessing that the Sabbath can bring. In what ways have you experienced just how liberating Sabbath keeping can be?

Monday April 27

Sabbath: Its Message and Meaning
When He had opened the book (Luke 4:17, NKJV). The Sabbath was not only for going to church in order to worship but also to hear God's Word. A life without His Word is not far from the trap of sin: "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You" (Ps. 119:11, NKJV).

Read Luke 4:17-19. Today, looking back upon what we know about Jesus, about who He was and what He has accomplished for us, how do we understand the meaning of these words? How have you experienced the reality of His Messianic claims in your own walk with the Lord?

After reading from Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (Luke 4:21, NKJV). The word today deserves note. The Jews expected the kingdom of God to come at some time in the future in a dramatic, militaristic way, uprooting an alien regime from Judea and ushering in the Davidic throne. But Jesus was saying that the kingdom had already come in His person and that He would break the power of sin, crush the devil, and free the oppressed captives of his domain.

Think, too, about how closely tied the Sabbath is with His Messianic claims. The Sabbath is a day of rest, rest in Christ (Heb. 4:1-4); the Sabbath is a symbol of freedom, of liberation, the freedom and liberation we have in Christ (Rom. 6:6-7); the Sabbath reveals not only God's creation but the promise of re-creation in Christ, as well (2 Cor. 5:17,1 Cor. 15:51-53). It's no coincidence, either, that Jesus chose the Sabbath day to do many of His healings, to free those who had been oppressed and imprisoned by sickness.

The Sabbath day is a weekly reminder, etched in something more immutable than stone (time!), of what we have been given in Jesus.

How has Sabbath keeping helped you better understand salvation by faith alone, in that we can rest in what Christ has done for us, as opposed to seeking to earn our way to heaven?

[Wally]

Tuesday April 28

Sabbath Healings at Capernaum

Rejection at Nazareth sent Jesus back to Capernaum, where He had already ministered before (Matt. 4:13). This important city became the base for Jesus' Galilean ministry. In this city was a synagogue, possibly built by a Roman officer (Luke 7:5), and Jesus, as per His custom, went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.

On this single Sabbath, Jesus' ministry covered a wide range of activities-teaching, healing, preaching. Nothing is said as to what Jesus preached, but the reaction of the people was one of astonishment: "for His word was with authority" (Luke 4:32, NKJV). His teaching stood in contrast to that of the rabbis. No simple palliatives. Here was preaching with authority, rooted in the Scriptures, delivered with the power of the Holy Spirit, calling sin by its right name, and urging repentance.

Read Luke 4:31-37. What powerful truths are revealed in these verses about (1) the great controversy, (2) the reality of demons, (3) the purpose of the Sabbath, and (4) the power of God over evil? What else can you find there?

In Luke 4:31-41 we have the first of five healings on the Sabbath that Luke records (see Luke 4:38-39; 6:6-11; 13:10-16; 14:1-6). In the Nazareth sermon, Jesus announced that it is His mission to relieve, to heal, and to restore those who are brokenhearted and oppressed. Here in Capernaum, on a Sabbath day, when the synagogue was full of worshipers, a demon-possessed man confronted Jesus with a confession: "Let us alone! . . . You, Jesus of Nazareth. . . . I know who You are-the Holy One of God!" (Luke 4:34, NKJV). The demon, being one of the satanic host, and as such a supernatural being, was quick to recognize the Incarnate Savior. In this account, the veil between the seen and unseen world has been pulled aside.

Think of how openly the great controversy was manifested here. Often it's not that obvious. How, though, are you seeing it played out in your own life? What is your only hope of victory in this battle? See also 1 Cor. 15:2.

Wednesday April 29

The Lord of the Sabbath

Luke 6:1-11 provides two accounts of Jesus dealing with the Pharisees over the Sabbath.

Read the first story in Luke 6:1-5. How did Jesus face the accusation that He and His disciples did not care for the Law and the Sabbath?

While walking through a field, the disciples plucked the heads of grain, rubbed them in their palms, and ate them. But the Pharisees twisted the fact to charge the disciples with breaking the Sabbath commandment. Jesus sets the story straight and refers the Pharisees to David, who, when he was hungry, entered the House of God and he and his soldiers ate the shewbread, which only the priests were allowed to eat. By doing this, Jesus was pointing out how the Pharisees, through a long history of legalism, have heaped rule upon rule, tradition upon tradition, and turned the Sabbath from the joy it was supposed to be into a burden instead.

Read the second story in Luke 6:6-11. What lessons about the Sabbath are seen here, as well?

Although all the synoptic Gospels narrate this story, only Luke tells us that the hand that was withered was the man's right hand. Dr. Luke's additional detail helps us understand the serious impact this physical deficiency must have had on the man's ability to carry on a normal life. The occasion stirred two responses: first, the Pharisees waited to charge Jesus with Sabbath breaking in the event He chose to heal the man. Second, Jesus read their hearts and proceeded to show that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the One who created the Sabbath, and that He will not fail in His mission to deliver the broken man from the bondage of the sin-sick world. Thus, He placed Sabbath keeping in its divine perspective: it is lawful on the Sabbath day to do good and to save life (Luke 6:9-11).

Think how blinded these leaders were by their own rules and regulations, which they thought were God's. How can we make sure that we don't fall into the same trap of allowing traditions and human teachings to blind us to deeper divine truths?

[Wally]

Thursday April 30

The Sabbath: The Sick Versus the Ox and the Donkey

Of the three synoptic Gospels, only Luke records these two Sabbath healings of Jesus (Luke 13:10-16,14:1-5). The first caused the ruler of the synagogue to be indignant with Jesus; the second put the Pharisees to silence. In either case, the enemies of Jesus were using their misinterpretation of the law to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath.

Read Luke 13:10-16 and 14:1-6. What important truths are revealed here about how easy it is to pervert crucial biblical truths?

Consider the crippled woman. She belonged to a gender that was looked down upon by the Pharisees; she was crippled for 18 years, long enough to test anyone's patience and to multiply in her a sense of life's meaninglessness; and, finally, she was totally unable to free herself.

To her comes divine grace personified. Jesus sees her, calls her to come near Him, speaks to her in order that she may be healed, lays His hands on her, and "immediately she was made straight" (Luke 13:13, NKJV). Eighteen-year-old agony suddenly gives way to a moment of undiluted joy, and she "glorified God" (Luke 13:13). Each verb that Luke used is Inspiration's way of recognizing the worth and dignity of the woman and, indeed, the worth and dignity of every despised individual, regardless of that person's situation.

In the second miracle (Luke 14:1-6), Jesus-on His way to a Pharisee's home for a meal on the Sabbath-heals a man who suffered from dropsy. Anticipating the objections from the leaders who were watching Him closely, Jesus raised two questions: first, on the purpose of the law ("Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" [Luke 14:3]); second, on the worth of a human being ("Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?" [Luke 14:5, NKJV]). His point should have been obvious; in fact, it was, because according to Luke they had no answer to what He had said. Jesus revealed their hypocrisy, the worst kind because it came under a veil of supposed holiness and righteous indignation over what they perceived to be an egregious violation of God's holy law.

How careful we need to be.

Friday May 1

Further Study: "God could not for a moment stay His hand, or man would faint and die. And man also has a work to perform on this [the Sabbath] day. The necessities of life must be attended to, the sick must be cared for, the wants of the needy must be supplied. He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God's holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour's pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day."-Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 207.

"No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as His worshipers. It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ."-Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, page 283.

Discussion Questions:

    Isn't it amazing just how clear the Bible is about Jesus and the Sabbath? And yet, millions of churchgoers around the world still insist that the seventh-day Sabbath is no longer binding or that it doesn't matter or that keeping it is tantamount to legalism. What should this tell us about why unwavering fealty and obedience to the Word of God is so important? On something as foundational as God's holy law, the masses are so deceived. What crucial warning does Jesus give us in Mark 13:22?

    Look at how Satan has worked so hard to destroy the Sabbath: either he used the leaders in Israel to turn it into a heavy burden, all but denuding it of so much of what it was supposed to mean and be; or he used, and still uses, leaders in the church to dismiss it as antiquated, legalistic, or a mere Jewish tradition. What is it about the Sabbath, and what it entails, that would make it such a target of Satan's enmity?

    Jesus is the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Luke 6:5, NKJV). What implications does this statement have for Christians and their attitude toward the Sabbath?

[Ed Sutton]

Satan can not be like "the most high" in the minds of humans as long as The Creator's Sabbath reminds them Who their Creator / redeemer actually is.   

Like the existence of Job, a just and perfect man, by his loyalty to the True and Living God rightly called Satan's words a lie as he claimed to be the new owner of Earth. 

The Day of Nimrod, Mithra, and Babylon serves Satan's purposes much better.

[Richard Myers]

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week's Study: Mark 1:21,6:2; Luke 4:17-19,31-37; 2 Cor. 5:17; Luke 6:1-11; 13:10-16.

Memory Text: "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." Mark 2:27-28

Although Luke wrote his Gospel primarily for the Gentiles, it is significant how frequently he refers to the Sabbath. Of the 54 times the Gospels and Acts refer to Sabbath, 17 are in Luke and 9 in Acts; there are 9 in Matthew, and 10 in Mark and 9 in John. As a Gentile convert, Luke certainly believed in the seventh-day Sabbath for Jews, as well as Gentiles. The first coming of Christ made no difference concerning the keeping of the Sabbath.

Indeed, "Christ, during His earthly ministry, emphasized the binding claims of the Sabbath; in all His teaching He showed reverence for the institution He Himself had given. In His day, the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of God. Christ set aside the false teaching by which those who claimed to know God had misrepresented Him."-Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 183.

This week's lesson turns to Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath: how He observed it and how He set an example for us to follow. The practice of observing the first day of the week as Sabbath has no sanction either in Christ or in the New Testament.

Amen! It is one of the ten commandments. The  law has not been done away with, not the moral law. The ceremonial law has been fulfilled and the civil laws apply to a theocracy. There is no longer a theocracy after Israel was cut off.

When Jesus died, it put an end to the sacrificial system. The Sacrifice that the ceremonial law pointed to had been made. Jesus was the "Lamb of God" which taketh away the sins of the world. Yet, we find Christians still keeping the Sabbath after Christ was murdered.   "And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:56. If the Sabbath Day was only a "shadow" then they would not have been resting the day after Christ died, nor would Luke have stated that they were resting "according the commandment". Thank you, Luke, for adding this  important fact that today those who want  to know truth, may understand. Soon the Sabbath commandment  will be the last test to come to world before Jesus returns. There will be only two classes of people, those who keep the commandments of God, and those who would rather follow the commandments of man.

[Richard Myers]

Sunday April 26

"As His Custom Was" (Luke 4:16-30; see also Isa. 61:1-2)


4:16   And 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 for to read. 
 4:17   And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 
 4:18   The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
 4:19   To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 
 4:20   And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 
 4:21   And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 
 4:22   And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 
 4:23   And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 
 4:24   And he said, Verily, I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 
 4:25   But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 
 4:26   But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, [a city] of Sidon, unto a woman [that was] a widow. 
 4:27   And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 
 4:28   And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 
 4:29   And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
 4:30   But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 

 61:1   The spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound; 
 61:2   To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 

"As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day," Luke 4:16.[/color] This is a good Adventist text. Most of us use it in evangelistic meetings or in Bible studies in order to emphasize the point that it was the practice of Jesus to keep the Sabbath.

It is a good text to show that Jesus, as God, knew which  day was the seventh day. The Sabbath had  been kept from the beginning and the day was not lost.

Synagogues played a crucial role in Jewish religious life. During the exile, when the temple no longer existed, synagogues were built for worship and for the schooling of young children. A synagogue could be built wherever there were at least 10 Jewish families. Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus followed the "custom" of going to the synagogue each Sabbath, and now on His first journey to His hometown, the Sabbath finds Him in the synagogue.

Read Mark 1:21,6:2, Luke 4:16-30,6:6-11,13:10-16,14:1-5.

1:21   And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 
 6:2   And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing [him] were astonished, saying, From whence hath this [man] these things? and what wisdom [is] this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 

 4:16   And 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 for to read. 
 4:17   And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 
 4:18   The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
 4:19   To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 
 4:20   And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 
 4:21   And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 
 4:22   And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 
 4:23   And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 
 4:24   And he said, Verily, I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 
 4:25   But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 
 4:26   But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, [a city] of Sidon, unto a woman [that was] a widow. 
 4:27   And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 
 4:28   And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 
 4:29   And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
 4:30   But he passing through the midst of them went his way, 

 6:6   And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 
 6:7   And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 
 6:8   But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 
 6:9   Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy [it]? 
 6:10   And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 
 6:11   And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. 

 13:10   And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 
 13:11   And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up [herself]. 
 13:12   And when Jesus saw her, he called [her to him], and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 
 13:13   And he laid [his] hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 
 13:14   And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 
 13:15   The Lord then answered him, and said, [Thou] hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or [his] ass from the stall, and lead [him] away to watering? 
 13:16   And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 

 14:1   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. 
 14:2   And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 
 14:3   And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 
 14:4   And they held their peace. And he took [him], and healed him, and let him go; 
 14:5   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? 

What do these texts teach us about Jesus and the Sabbath? As you read them, ask yourself where, if anywhere, you can find indications that Jesus was either abolishing our obligation to keep the Sabbath or pointing to another day to replace it?

Why should we make it our custom to go to church on Sabbath, as Jesus went to the synagogue on Sabbath?

"As His custom was" (Luke 4:16). Only Luke uses this phrase: in Luke 4:16, as Jesus attended the synagogue in Nazareth; and in Luke 22:39, as the cross drew near, Jesus "went, as he was wont, to the Mount of Olives". Both times the "custom" had to do with worship and prayer.

First, God is everywhere. He may be worshiped anywhere, but there's something special about getting together in a common place on the day designated at Creation and commanded in His moral law.

Second, it provides a public opportunity to affirm that God is our Creator and Redeemer.

Finally, it gives an opportunity for fellowship and sharing each other's joys and concerns.

Those who accuse us of legalism, or of being in bondage, because we keep the Sabbath have obviously missed out on the great blessing that the Sabbath can bring.

It reveals not only that they have perverted the Sabbath truth, but they also show they do not believe we have to obey God in order to enter heaven. The legalism spoken of by Paul in Scripture does not mean we are free from keeping the moral law. Paul was speaking against a profession of keeping the law when there is no relationship with Jesus. The Jews were "whited sepulchers". They looked good on the outside, but were putrid rotten on the inside. When Jesus converts a person, He cleanses the heart and writes His law there. He empowers us to keep His moral law.

In what ways have you experienced just how liberating Sabbath keeping can be?

How many are like me who would work themselves to death seven days a week if it were not for the Sabbath Day? Do  you experience joy in being in nature on the Sabbath, seeing the object lessons that teach the gospel truth?

I was shown a beautiful truth today. I was looking upon the seedlings planted many weeks ago. They are still in pots and ready to be planted in the ground. It is such a blessing to work with God in growing things. With  the spring sun and rain the plants are growing rapidly. Yet, their daily growth  is imperceptible. We do not see the plant growing. So it is with Christian character. Day by day as we abide in Christ, He is transforming our character. Don't misunderstand what I am saying. When we, like the thief on the cross, make a full surrender to Jesus, He changes us right then and there. He takes possession of the heart and cleanses  it. He also imparts His character to us. We then have holy and pure motives even though we remain ignorant of many things. We may still break the fourth commandment because we do not understand that it is still binding. Day by day, we learn more about God and His ways. We are tested and as we abide in Jesus, we gain strength of character, we  become more patient and we are His witnesses as we walk in His light. We are perfect at the beginning and become more perfect day by day, becoming more like Jesus as we behold Him.

Can you share a Bible verse that illustrates this truth?

[Richard Myers]

Monday April 27

Sabbath: Its Message and Meaning
When He had opened the book (Luke 4:17). The Sabbath was not only for going to church in order to worship but also to hear God's Word. A life without His Word is not far from the trap of sin: "Thy Word have  I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Ps. 119:11.

Read Luke 4:17-19.

 4:17   And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 
 4:18   The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
 4:19   To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 

Today, looking back upon what we know about Jesus, about who He was and what He has accomplished for us, how do we understand the meaning of these words? How have you experienced the reality of His Messianic claims in your own walk with the Lord?

After reading from Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Luke 4:21. The word today deserves note. The Jews expected the kingdom of God to come at some time in the future in a dramatic, militaristic way, uprooting an alien regime from Judea and ushering in the Davidic throne. But Jesus was saying that the kingdom had already come in His person and that He would break the power of sin, crush the devil, and free the oppressed captives of his domain.

And for this, they tried to murder  the Son of God. Why were they so offended? And, would Jesus say the same in our church? If so, why? And, would many be offended today?

Think, too, about how closely tied the Sabbath is with His Messianic claims. The Sabbath is a day of rest, rest in Christ (Heb. 4:1-4); the Sabbath is a symbol of freedom, of liberation, the freedom and liberation we have in Christ (Rom. 6:6-7); the Sabbath reveals not only God's creation but the promise of re-creation in Christ, as well (2 Cor. 5:17,1 Cor. 15:51-53). It's no coincidence, either, that Jesus chose the Sabbath day to do many of His healings, to free those who had been oppressed and imprisoned by sickness.

The Sabbath day is a weekly reminder, etched in something more immutable than stone (time!), of what we have been given in Jesus.

How has Sabbath keeping helped you better understand salvation by faith alone, in that we can rest in what Christ has done for us, as opposed to seeking to earn our way to heaven?

In today's church, salvation is not by faith alone. We understand what Paul meant, but it is not what is often taught about "by faith alone". We cannot work our way to heaven, our good works are  not sufficient to gain heaven. James saw the heresy made out of "by faith alone" and corrected the false teaching. "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:24-26. Poor Martin Luther did not understand very well even though God used him mightily. He did not appreciate James' thoughts on this.

The truth in regards to salvation has been perverted to allow for sinners to believe they are saved  in sin. We must guard against such a teaching.

     Let my brethren be very careful how they present the subject of faith and works before the people, lest minds become confused. The people need to be urged to diligence in good works. They should be shown how to be successful, how to be purified, and their offerings may be fragrant before God. It is by virtue of the blood of Christ. Messages of a decided character must be borne to the people. Men must go forth reproving, rebuking every manner of evil.
     If there is given to the angel of any church a commission like unto that given to the angel of the church of Ephesus, let the message be heard through human agents rebuking carelessness, backsliding, and sin, that the people may be brought to repentance and confession of sin. Never seek to cover sin; for in the message of rebuke, Christ is to be proclaimed as the first and the last, He who is all in all to the soul.
     His power awaits the demand of those who would overcome. The reprover is to animate his hearers so that they shall strive for the mastery. He is to encourage them to struggle for deliverance from every sinful practice, to be free from every corrupt habit, even if his denial of self is like taking the right eye, or separating the right arm from the body. No concession or compromise is to be made to evil habits or sinful practices.--Manuscript 26a, 1892. 

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday April 28

Sabbath Healings at Capernaum

Rejection at Nazareth sent Jesus back to Capernaum, where He had already ministered before (Matt. 4:13). This important city became the base for Jesus' Galilean ministry. In this city was a synagogue, possibly built by a Roman officer (Luke 7:5), and Jesus, as per His custom, went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.

On this single Sabbath, Jesus' ministry covered a wide range of activities-teaching, healing, preaching. Nothing is said as to what Jesus preached, but the reaction of the people was one of astonishment: "for His word was with power" (Luke 4:32). His teaching stood in contrast to that of the rabbis. No simple palliatives. Here was preaching with authority, rooted in the Scriptures, delivered with the power of the Holy Spirit, calling sin by its right name, and urging repentance.

Read Luke 4:31-37.

4:31   And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 
 4:32   And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 
 4:33   And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 
 4:34   Saying, Let [us] alone; what have we to do with thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 
 4:35   And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 
 4:36   And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word [is] this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 
 4:37   And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 

What powerful truths are revealed in these verses about (1) the great controversy, (2) the reality of demons, (3) the purpose of the Sabbath, and (4) the power of God over evil? What else can you find there?

In Luke 4:31-41 we have the first of five healings on the Sabbath that Luke records (see Luke 4:38-39; 6:6-11; 13:10-16; 14:1-6). In the Nazareth sermon, Jesus announced that it is His mission to relieve, to heal, and to restore those who are brokenhearted and oppressed. Here in Capernaum, on a Sabbath day, when the synagogue was full of worshipers, a demon-possessed man confronted Jesus with a confession:  "Let [us] alone; what have we to do with thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God." (Luke 4:34). The demon, being one of the satanic host, and as such a supernatural being, was quick to recognize the Incarnate Savior. In this account, the veil between the seen and unseen world has been pulled aside.

Think of how openly the great controversy was manifested here. Often it's not that obvious. How, though, are you seeing it played out in your own life? What is your only hope of victory in this battle? See also 1 Cor. 15:2.

15:1   Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 
 15:2   By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

How are we to keep in memory the gospel that Jesus preached? Where ought we find that gospel message? Is there danger in going to man for that gospel message? Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." John 6:53-58.

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday April 29

The Lord of the Sabbath

Luke 6:1-11 provides two accounts of Jesus dealing with the Pharisees over the Sabbath.

Read the first story in Luke 6:1-5.

6:1   And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing [them] in [their] hands. 
 6:2   And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? 
 6:3   And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungered, and they which were with him; 
 6:4   How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? 
 6:5   And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. 

How did Jesus face the accusation that He and His disciples did not care for the Law and the Sabbath?

While walking through a field, the disciples plucked the heads of grain, rubbed them in their palms, and ate them. But the Pharisees twisted the fact to charge the disciples with breaking the Sabbath commandment. Jesus sets the story straight and refers the Pharisees to David, who, when he was hungry, entered the House of God and he and his soldiers ate the shewbread, which only the priests were allowed to eat. By doing this, Jesus was pointing out how the Pharisees, through a long history of legalism, have heaped rule upon rule, tradition upon tradition, and turned the Sabbath from the joy it was supposed to be into a burden instead.

Read the second story in Luke 6:6-11.

6:6   And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. 
 6:7   And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 
 6:8   But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. 
 6:9   Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy [it]? 
 6:10   And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 
 6:11   And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. 

What lessons about the Sabbath are seen here, as well?

Although all the synoptic Gospels narrate this story, only Luke tells us that the hand that was withered was the man's right hand. Dr. Luke's additional detail helps us understand the serious impact this physical deficiency must have had on the man's ability to carry on a normal life. The occasion stirred two responses: first, the Pharisees waited to charge Jesus with Sabbath breaking in the event He chose to heal the man. Second, Jesus read their hearts and proceeded to show that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the One who created the Sabbath, and that He will not fail in His mission to deliver the broken man from the bondage of the sin-sick world. Thus, He placed Sabbath keeping in its divine perspective: it is lawful on the Sabbath day to do good and to save life (Luke 6:9-11).

Think how blinded these leaders were by their own rules and regulations, which they thought were God's. How can we make sure that we don't fall into the same trap of allowing traditions and human teachings to blind us to deeper divine truths?

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Some interpret these verses to mean they ought to paint houses for the poor on the Sabbath Day. How can we have spiritual discernment? Jesus told Nicodemus he did not have this discernment. What did He tell Nicodemus to do that he might gain this experience (conversion)?

Jesus also tells us today what we can do to heal our blindness.

 3:17   Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 
 3:18   I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 
 3:19   As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 
 3:20   Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 
 3:21   To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 
 3:22   He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

[Richard Myers]

Thursday April 30

The Sabbath: The Sick Versus the Ox and the Donkey

Of the three synoptic Gospels, only Luke records these two Sabbath healings of Jesus (Luke 13:10-16,14:1-5). The first caused the ruler of the synagogue to be indignant with Jesus; the second put the Pharisees to silence. In either case, the enemies of Jesus were using their misinterpretation of the law to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath.

Read Luke 13:10-16 and 14:1-6.

13:10   And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 
 13:11   And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up [herself]. 
 13:12   And when Jesus saw her, he called [her to him], and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 
 13:13   And he laid [his] hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 
 13:14   And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 
 13:15   The Lord then answered him, and said, [Thou] hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or [his] ass from the stall, and lead [him] away to watering? 
 13:16   And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 

 14:1   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. 
 14:2   And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 
 14:3   And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 
 14:4   And they held their peace. And he took [him], and healed him, and let him go; 
 14:5   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? 
 14:6   And they could not answer him again to these things. 

What important truths are revealed here about how easy it is to pervert crucial biblical truths?

Consider the crippled woman. She belonged to a gender that was looked down upon by the Pharisees; she was crippled for 18 years, long enough to test anyone's patience and to multiply in her a sense of life's meaninglessness; and, finally, she was totally unable to free herself.

To her comes divine grace personified. Jesus sees her, calls her to come near Him, speaks to her in order that she may be healed, lays His hands on her, and "immediately she was made straight" (Luke 13:13). Eighteen-year-old agony suddenly gives way to a moment of undiluted joy, and she "glorified God" (Luke 13:13). Each verb that Luke used is Inspiration's way of recognizing the worth and dignity of the woman and, indeed, the worth and dignity of every despised individual, regardless of that person's situation.

In the second miracle (Luke 14:1-6), Jesus-on His way to a Pharisee's home for a meal on the Sabbath-heals a man who suffered from dropsy. Anticipating the objections from the leaders who were watching Him closely, Jesus raised two questions: first, on the purpose of the law ("Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" [Luke 14:3]); second, on the worth of a human being ("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?" [Luke 14:5]). His point should have been obvious; in fact, it was, because according to Luke they had no answer to what He had said. Jesus revealed their hypocrisy, the worst kind because it came under a veil of supposed holiness and righteous indignation over what they perceived to be an egregious violation of God's holy law.

How careful we need to be.

Amen!  We need to be abiding in Christ, that we do not make a farce out of our religion as did the Jews who murdered the Son of God. How serious it is that we not be blinded to our continual need of Jesus in order that we not sin against God.

[Richard Myers]

Friday May 1

Further Study: "God could not for a moment stay His hand, or man would faint and die. And man also has a work to perform on this [the Sabbath] day. The necessities of life must be attended to, the sick must be cared for, the wants of the needy must be supplied. He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God's holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour's pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day."-Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 207.

Amen! Yet, some will do that which does not have to be done on the Sabbath. Elective surgery that can be done on another day ought  to be done on another day. There are always two ditches on either side of the truth.

"No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as His worshipers. It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ."-Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, page 283.

Here we find a truth that many reject. "Men  must themselves be holy." How careful we must be to not be as the Jews who turned the truth into a lie. Are you are partaker of God's divine nature? Do you believe God can cleanse you from all  sin? Do you believe we must be transformed in order  to enter heaven? Can God cleanse the church?

Discussion Questions:

    Isn't it amazing just how clear the Bible is about Jesus and the Sabbath? And yet, millions of churchgoers around the world still insist that the seventh-day Sabbath is no longer binding or that it doesn't matter or that keeping it is tantamount to legalism. What should this tell us about why unwavering fealty and obedience to the Word of God is so important? On something as foundational as God's holy law, the masses are so deceived. What crucial warning does Jesus give us in Mark 13:22? "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect."

    Look at how Satan has worked so hard to destroy the Sabbath: either he used the leaders in Israel to turn it into a heavy burden, all but denuding it of so much of what it was supposed to mean and be; or he used, and still uses, leaders in the church to dismiss it as antiquated, legalistic, or a mere Jewish tradition. What is it about the Sabbath, and what it entails, that would make it such a target of Satan's enmity?

    Jesus is the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Luke 6:5). What implications does this statement have for Christians and their attitude toward the Sabbath?

Is it hard to understand that the Sabbath is the seventh day? Is it hard to understand that it is one of the ten commandments? Then why is it that so many attend church on the first day of the week? Most are as the Laodiceans. Does this not explain a lot? Those who love God and keep His commandments will not be deceived. They will hear His voice and follow where He leads. That happens to be into His church even if it is as Israel, not walking in the light of His love and grace. God has a people who have been entrusted with the truth. All who want  to serve Him will be able to discern the truth. They will soon be keeping all of the ten  commandments. Others will say they are not under law, but under grace.

The Sabbath  did not begin at Sinai.  It was made holy after the six days of creation. Before there was a Jew there was the Sabbath. Before God gave the ten commandments to Moses, Israel was keeping the  Sabbath.

When the Lord delivered His people Israel from Egypt and committed to them His law, He taught them that by the observance of the Sabbath they were to be distinguished from idolaters. It was this that made the distinction between those who acknowledge the sovereignty of God and those who refuse to accept Him as their Creator and King. "It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever," the Lord said. "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant." Exodus 31:17, 16. CCh 261.

[colporteur]

 While it is true that we cannot work our way to heaven we are to work in a way that shows we are on our way to heaven. If not, we reveal by our work that we are forfeiting heaven and working our way to hell.

Jesus healed on the Sabbath but He did not collect payment for such. Our people that truly need to work in the field of medicine and caretaking on the Sabbath/ Lord's day are to take all the money earned on that day and give it to the church. I have a feeling that if all were required to do this we would find that there would be a lot less necessary work  done on the Sabbath. Today many of our people are doing things on the Sabbath that ought no be done then or any time for that matter. Frequenting Mac Donalds comes to mind.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, cp.  Works testify to the condition of the heart. If we look for the fruits of the Spirit, we see what good works are manifest in the converted Christian filled with the Spirit of Christ. Heathen love those who love them, but a converted Christian loves those who despitefully use them. This is evidence of true Christianity. May Jesus pour out His Spirit upon His people.