July 18, 2020 - John 5:19 -- Sabbath Delight

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.

John 5:19 English Standard Version

When taking separately a small strand of scripture, such as this verse, it is easy to forget the context. The broader context is Jesus defending the work of healing a man who had been an invalid for 38 years healing him on the Sabbath. The Jewish leadership was accusing Jesus of working on the Sabbath and so breaking the commandments. If Jesus broke the commandments, then He could not be the Lamb without blemish, the One Who would take away the sin of the world.

In responding to this accusation, we need to understand how Jesus answered. First, Jesus limited Himself to doing exactly what the Father did on the Sabbath. Babies are born on the Sabbath. God brings life, even on the Sabbath. Even as a man who had suffered for 38 years is now experiencing new life, so Jesus does the work He sees His Father doing, giving new life, even on or perhaps especially on the Sabbath.

The Father calls on people to exercise their faith on the Sabbath. This man had to believe Jesus and take Him at His word, trusting that Jesus had truly healed him, whether or not he felt the healing first. Believing in Jesus and believing himself to be healed, he had to get on his feet on his own for the first time in 38 years. The Sabbath is very much like that. We trust our Father in heaven has forgiven us in Christ. We trust our lives are not our own but belong fully to Jesus. By the power of the Spirit we are called to exercise our faith in view of all Jesus has done for us.

The Father is demanding that man’s allegiance is first, last and always to Him. We are not to be bound by regulations which violate our walk with God. We are not to honour culture, taboos and man-made laws where they are in violation of God the Father’s work of bringing new life. The Sabbath was created as a sanctuary in time where believers renew their delight in the Living God.

Blessed Jesus, thank You for Your mighty healing work. Spirit thank You for awakening our faith to all that our Father in heaven has given us in Christ—the Father’s beloved Son, our Saviour. Spirit of God may our lives be lived within the glorious boundary lines of doing only what we know our Father commands us to do. Strengthen us for service in Jesus’ powerful Name and direct us into such service for the sake of bringing to Jesus the glory due Him. Amen.