Scripture to Read: John 9:13–17
When God works miraculously, there will always be people who doubt what God has done. After Jesus had healed the blind man, the people who had been questioning him decided to bring him before the Pharisees. Since it was a Sabbath, the Pharisees immediately proclaimed that Jesus could not be from God because He didn’t keep the Sabbath. But the Pharisees placed heavy burdens on the Jews and totally misinterpreted Scripture to benefit themselves. Jesus made it clear in Mark 2:27–28, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” This ties directly to God’s Word in Exodus 23:12 and Deuteronomy 5:14, where God clearly states that the Sabbath was a day to cease from labor so people could be refreshed and renewed in Him from their normal workload. The Sabbath was never intended to be a day where people did nothing at all. God even had Paul reiterate this fact in Colossians 2:16–17, Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is our Sabbath, for He is our Peace and Rest (Matthew 11:28, Jeremiah 31:25). The religious always miss Christ and settle for their religion. Even the man who had been healed of blindness physically also saw clearly spiritually.
Challenge & Application
• Why do people today still rely more on their religion than they do on a vibrant relationship with God through Christ?
• How do you guard against religious rules and truly enjoy your walk with Christ our Lord?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!