Fresh Bread

Guest (Male): You are listening to Fresh Bread, Dr. Harry Reeder's daily devotional from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Harry Reeder: Chapter 6 of the Gospel of Luke and we've got another Sabbath day event. That's what we just looked at yesterday. Now we've got another Sabbath day event and what is it that we learn on this day about ministry, about Jesus, about us, and about the Sabbath, which in the New Covenant is the first day of the week to commemorate Jesus' work? He was sacrificed on the day before the Sabbath, he rested in the grave on Saturday, and then he came forth on the first day of the week to redeem us from our sins and to set before us the New Covenant Sabbath, which becomes known as the Lord's Day.

In chapter 6 and verse 6, on another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts and he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come and stand here." And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to him, "I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?" And after looking around at them all, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

If I saw a man who healed a blind man, if I saw a man who healed a leper, I wouldn't be talking about what I wanted to do to him. I'd be a little worried about what he might do to me. This is a man who is manifesting the power of the kingdom of God, the signs and wonders and miracles of the Messiah, prophet, priest, and king. He is revealing himself as the Messiah with these miracles, and he's also giving some lessons because not only is it permissible to minister on the Sabbath and to take care of your food on the Sabbath, that is works of necessity, it's also okay to do works of ministry.

He says, "Should I kill or should I save life on the Sabbath?" On the Sabbath, would you say, "Hey, it's the Sabbath, you can't do any work so don't save that life. Hey, it's the Sabbath, you can't do any work so don't take care of that person's need." No, he's making it abundantly clear that the Lord's Day, while it is set aside for the sacred cause of resting from your normal labor, being committed to worship and refreshment, revival, recalibration, and renewal in your life, it is permissible to do works of necessity as they fixed the grain so they could eat it from the field, and now works of ministry and mercy.

Here is an act of ministry and here is an act of mercy that is done. And he basically puts this before them and says, "Well, the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath and now the Lord of the Sabbath has not only instructed you that you can do that which is of necessity on the Sabbath, he has also instructed you that it is lawful to do good, and it is good to do no harm. It is good and lawful to save life. It is good and lawful to take care of life." And therefore, he healed him. They were filled with fury. They would rather this man suffer than to have God's grace and mercy revealed on a Sabbath day.

And that's why it is the evidence that they don't know the Lord of the Sabbath. The Lord of the Sabbath is Jesus. He has the right to determine what's done on the Sabbath. And he has just shown us in two separate instances it is right to do works of necessity on the Lord's Day. It is right to do works of ministry and mercy on the Lord's Day. How do I know? The Lord of the Sabbath has told me and the Lord of the Sabbath has showed me. Now you be with the Lord's people to praise him this Lord's Day and join me back here again next Monday for another slice of Fresh Bread.

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