During Purim, Jesus started teaching on the temple courts. He successfully cleared away the crowds that were simply seeking miracles and food after the Father fed 5000. Jesus knew it was time to get back to business. In the passage, John really did not focus on the content of Jesus’ message, we only know that the message continued to leave the religious leaders stunned and angry.
Jesus kept pushing the Pharisee’s button on the rule keeping. Healing on the Sabbath was a very tradition based rule infraction. Jesus knew the Pharisees were looking for a “Gotcha” to snag Him, but our Lord wanted the rest of the folks to understand that the Sabbath is sacred, but it is sacred because God knew our predisposition to never let up.
God never intended our rest and restoration to be a reason for angst or fear; so, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead and cleansing lepers should never be a reason to call foul. We should rejoice to see God do amazing things. Adonai’s pouring out His power into the lives of others is the epitome of worship, therefore, Jesus doing great things on the Sabbath, a true act of worship to the Father.
John wanted to highlight the patience and resolve of our Savior to continue to expose the difference between doing works and serving God. Even now, we find ourselves trying to check the boxes of doing Christain acts rather than simply walking daily as a follower of Christ!
As we walk through this week, let’s look at our lives and determine if anything we hold out as a sacred act of Christianity which has become more important to us than simply walking as a Christian. When we choose to simply trust and follow Jesus, our actions reflect our devotion. When we try to do works to improve our standing with God, there are never enough. Further, we use those acts as objects of pride that literally draw us away from the very Lord we are attempting to serve. It is sadly ironic.
God Bless You
14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.
15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.
17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.
22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.
23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?
24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
Walking With God 