Luke 6: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

I'll just be focusing on verses 1-10 of Luke 6.

It always amazes me how often in the Bible the Pharisees are just looking for something that they can condemn Jesus for. They take their knowledge of the Bible so seriously, yet they don't put it into practice. That's not how we are supposed to live. Instead of looking down on others and condescending them, we should be constantly looking for ways in which we can build them up. That's what Jesus would do. Sometimes it's hard. I'll be honest, judging people and being prideful is one of the easiest things that we can do, and sometimes I don't even realize that I'm doing it, but it's definitely not how we should be treating others. 

I love how Jesus always has a perfect response to the Pharisees, I just picture them with their mouths hanging open, speechless. The Pharisees were so obsessed over the idea of "not working on the Sabbath" that they even were furious with Jesus when he healed the man's shriveled hand. That's not how the Bible should be interpreted, you can't take everything completely literally, but the Pharisees just wanted to get some leverage on Jesus.

In verses 9-10, Jesus heals the man, and he poses a really good question:

9 "Then Jesus said to them, 'I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?'

10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He did so, and his hand was completely restored."

 

Jesus knows that doing good is important and that if you live by everything literally, trying to be prideful, you won't get yourself anywhere. 

John 17: The Prayers of Jesus (NIV)

This chapter can be divided into three different prayers from Jesus:

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified -

Jesus deserves glory, He sits at the right hand of the throne with His Father, and He came down to earth to finish God's work. He even granted humanity with the chance for eternal life.We don't deserve eternal life one bit, but by God's grace we are saved. What an amazing thing. But pride is a sin that I definitely struggle with. A lot of times I don't give Him the glory that He deserves, and often I even try to take credit for things that weren't of me, but the Holy Spirit.

Verses:

John 17:3 "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."


Jesus Prays for His Disciples - 

Jesus prays for all those who have heard God's word and accepted it. By hearing The Gospel and sharing it with others, we are glorifying Him. He isn't praying for the world, but for those who have accepted Him as their Savior and believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. We will be protected and are reassured that Satan will be the one who is lost, as he will be destroyed when the Scripture is fulfilled. 

Verses: 

John 17:9 "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours."

John 17:10 " All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them."


Jesus Prays for All Believers -

Jesus not only prays for his disciples, but for those who will believe in Him. He wants all who believe to be united, so that they may know God's love for them, just as they know God's love for Jesus. God sent Jesus to the earth, and even though He isn't here now, all who believe know that He was sent here to do God's will, just as we should carry on that work. Jesus wants us to see God's kingdom, experience it with Him, and witness His glory.

Verses:

John 17:22-23 "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

John 17:24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."

John 10: The Good Shepherd and His Sheep (NLT*)

As I worked my way through this chapter, a few things stood out to me. Here they are in brief:

 First, throughout the Bible, there are a lot of analogies, but I think that there are few that are as important to me as the analogy of Jesus being the "Good Shepherd". The more that I think about it, the more ways I realize in which I am like a sheep. I follow the crowd, even if it isn't always good for me. Sometimes I allow myself to be easy prey for a wolf, and I fall back into my habits and recurring sins. Other times, I run away and get lost. But there's one thing that remains common for all my shortcomings: God loves me. And it's not just ordinary love. It's wholehearted, Godly love. How amazing is that? Sometimes I really need to remind myself of God's love for me, I get frustrated when I fall short, I get angry with myself, but God is always there to pick me back up and give me the strength the be set straight again.

Some verses that show how God's love works:

John 10:17 - "The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again."

John 10:9 - "Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures."

Second, Jesus wanted people to help others know Him. He wanted all of the people to be united in one faith, and to spread the good news. That's something that I have really been trying to work on lately, and it's so much easier said than done. Taking steps of faith the spread God's word isn't a small task, but it's so rewarding in the end. How could you not share God's word with others when you have the chance? Otherwise they might not have the opportunity to know Him ever. That's how huge it is. By allowing God to work through you, and being surrendered to the Holy Spirit, you can help someone be completely changed. What an amazing God we have.

Applicable verses: 

John 10:10 - "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."

John 10:16 - "I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd."

As sheep, we must trust God as our shepherd and not be anxious about His plan for us. It will work out in some form or another, even if it isn't exactly what we expect or hope for. His love pours down on us every day and he helps us to follow the path. Part of being His sheep is sharing the opportunity with others, and by doing so we may spread the power of His kingdom and make disciples of all nations.

*New Living Translation