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March 31, 2019

Luke 13:10-17 - Glorious things done by Jesus

Luke 13:10-17
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,
11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”
13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?
16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

I. Background

    A. Less than six months away from the cross
    B. Opposition to Him especially from the Jewish religious leaders is growing.
    C. Jesus probably still attended different synagogues to worship His Father despite this increasing opposition, but it doesn’t appear any synagogue rulers allowed Jesus to teach in their assemblies anymore.

II. How the world treated Jesus is how it will treat you.

    A. Three Catholic Schools in the news  over the severance of certain employees because of the employees’ failure to follow moral codes of conduct.
    B. Catholic Church in this case should be commended for taking a stand against everything that violates God’s plan for marriage. Heterosexual sins and homosexual sins are both sins.
    C. The media and these three former Catholic School employees are determined to drag these Catholic Schools through the mud simply for standing on what the Bible says.
    D. And this is what a sinful world often does. It praises evil and criticizes what is good.
    E. Don’t look for the world’s affirmation. Instead live with Christ in mind. Strive in such a way so that you will hear Him say the words of Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

III. “Spirit of infirmity”

    A. Although the inability to stand up straight can be caused by various medical conditions, in this case, the crippling condition was caused by a spirit.
    B. Everyone is vulnerable to moral and natural evils, and therefore all of us need to repent in order to avoid dying and going to hell. Our sin also opens us up to supernatural evil as well.
    C. Believers are delivered from the power of darkness and into the kingdom according to Colossians 1:13; which among other things means that no demon can possess us. However as was the case with Job demons can still oppress us.

IV. The power to save from evil

    A. Jesus sees this crippled woman. He calls her over. He lays His hands upon her and says to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” (the word “woman” as used here is a sign of respect similar to our word “ma’am.”)
    B. “immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
    C. God has the power to deliver us from evil! And in the Lord’s Prayer we’re even instructed to ask Him to do so.
    D. However we need to remember the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from Daniel 3:17-18.
        1. After being threatened with death by fire for not worshiping an idol, they say,
17  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
18  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.        2. They make it very clear that while God is able to deliver them from earthly tragedy, He has no obligation to do so.
            (a) The only righteousness we have is from Him.
            (b) All we contribute is the sin nature that makes us vulnerable to evil in the first place.
        3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego make it clear that whether God saves them or not they are going to remain faithful to Him.
            (a) God never guarantees deliverance from earthly trouble
            (b) He does promise all believers that He will deliver us from death into eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:9-10). And that is what we all need the most.

V. Earthly deliverance in Luke 13

    A. Jesus delivers her by His grace alone and not because of anything this woman has done. Such is the nature of salvation.
    Ephesians 2:8-9 says,
8  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9  not of works, lest anyone should boast.
    B. When you experience this completely undeserved grace from God it should make you glorify Him

worshiping hand on blue

VI. Response to God’s grace

    A. In the text, the synagogue ruler says, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
        1. Accuses this formerly crippled woman of coming to synagogue in hopes of being healed by Jesus  - shows disdain for woman, also shows disdain for Christ.
            (a) Probably thought she was a worse sinner since she was crippled (again see Luke 13:1-5).
            (b) Disdain for Christ because Jesus healed her on the Sabbath and the synagogue ruler considered that unlawful work.
    B. Jesus responds, “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?
        1. We also live in a culture that in many ways sinfully values animals over people.
        2. The Jewish religious leaders treated animals better than people as well.
            (a) would water and take care of their animals on the Sabbath day
            (b) wouldn’t lift a finger to help a person in need.
    C. Jesus looks at the Law in Matthew 12:12 and rightly concludes that “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
    D. And if it’s lawful to treat your animals well on the Sabbath how much better should we treat human beings who unlike the animals are made in the image and likeness of God?


VII. Sabbath

    A. In saying and doing all these things Jesus is fulfilling the Sabbath and changing its emphasis.
    B. Jews looked at the Saturday Sabbath and thought of it as a day in which certain things were not to be done.
    C. In Christ the Saturday Sabbath gives way to Resurrection Sunday or the Lord’s Day, but not only that Jesus also changes the emphasis away from things we shouldn’t do on this day to what good things we should do on this day.
        1. The good things we should do on this day aren’t just helping animals, but helping our neighbors, and most important of all worshiping God.
        2. The New Testament is clear that doing what is good is how we keep this day holy. And we can’t keep it holy without glorifying God as this woman does here.

Conclusion:


While Christ’s words in Luke 13:15-16 may have shamed His adversaries, verse 17 also says that it caused the rest of the multitudes to rejoice “for all the glorious things that were done by Him.” Jesus Christ deserves your praise, honor, and glory. And He deserves it for the great salvation He brings: salvation from sin, death, and hell. So glorify Jesus Christ this day and always.

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Glorious things done by Jesus - Luke 13:10-17
March 31, 2019




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