==Why Did Jesus Heal On The Sabbath? (John 5:1-18)==
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">“Jesus healed on the Sabbath because God the Father works every day,” says Marissa, 10. “Since Jesus is his son, he works every day, too. Just think what would happen if God just took a day off!”</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Apart from Jesus claiming to be the Messiah, the issue of Sabbath observance produced more conflict with religious leaders than anything else. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Why all the fuss? Perhaps a little background on the Sabbath would be helpful.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Although not mentioned by name in the Genesis record of creation, the idea of the Sabbath is presented. After God created the heavens and the Earth, he rested on the seventh day (Saturday). The fourth of the Ten Commandments says to refrain from work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">During the time of Israel’s wanderings in the desert, God supplied them with manna from heaven to eat. On day six of every week, he gave them enough manna for two days so they wouldn’t have to work to gather it on the seventh day.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">God instituted the Sabbath in Israel to give his people a day of rest in which they could focus on him. Religious leaders had too much time on their hands and started making rules about what constituted work. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Don’t think this is ancient history. I’ve been in modern Israel and seen an orthodox Jew dressed in black shake his finger at me because I rode in a taxi on Saturday. My Jewish taxi driver wasn’t impressed with the finger-wagging man in black.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">When religious leaders accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath because his disciples plucked some grain and ate it as they walked through a field, he said: “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).By creating many laws that defined work, religious leaders made the Sabbath a burden instead of a blessing. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus healed a man who had been unable to walk for 38 years (John 5:1-18). Jesus told the lame man to pick up his bed and walk. The Sabbath rule enforcers were waiting to pounce. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Sabbath enforcers didn’t care that a man who had been crippled for 38 years had been healed. Their focus on rules blinded them to Jesus’ miracle. They wanted to know who told the healed man to break one of their rules.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">“It made them especially mad when Jesus told them that he was God’s son, and since God worked on the Sabbath, he could, too,” says Margo, 10. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Jesus purposely called God “my Father,” instead of “our Father.” He sent a strong message to his critics, and they got it. They were furious. They wanted to kill Jesus because he broke the Sabbath by breaking one of their rules and made himself equal with God (John 5:18).</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">For the Christian, Jesus is our rest or Sabbath. They rest in Christ and his finished work on the cross for their salvation. To see this argument in full, read Hebrews 4.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Think about this: Let Jesus become your Sabbath. Trust in him alone and his work on the cross as the final payment for your sins.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Memorize this truth: “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:10). </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Ask these questions: Have you ceased trying to work your way into God’s favor? Have you trusted or rested in Jesus’ final payment for your sins on the cross?</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: medium;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">____________</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: small;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Listen to a talking book, download the "Kids Color Me Bible" for free, watch Kid TV Interviews and the Mission Explorers Documentary at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: small;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">Bible quotations are from the New King James Version. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN style="font-size: small;"><SPAN style="font-family: Verdana;">COPYRIGHT 2013 CAREY KINSOLVING</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
[[Category:For Children"]]