The Certainty Of Christ's Authority
Book of Luke 6:1-19
What is authority? Authority can be said to be "legal power".
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
The Scribes, which many of them were also Pharisees, for the most part, just read the Scriptures. They taught in a cold and lifeless manner.
They did not have the power of the Holy Spirit!
They taught more about themselves, in their own name, by their own interpretation and by their own authority!
Jesus taught as the Lawgiver.
120 times Jesus used the words "I say unto You" because He had the authority of Heaven and not of men!
Jesus had direct authority and all the power of the Holy Spirit!
Let's begin:
Luk 6:1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
Luk 6:2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
When people speak about religion, they speak of form and ritual, rules and regulations, ceremonies and services.
What does God say?
2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Placing religion above mankind and above the needs of mankind is exactly what the religionists do today!
This is exactly what these Scribes and the Pharisees and even the Sadducees did at the time of Jesus.
True Christianity is knowing that God is meeting the needs of His creation!
***Meeting man's needs is much more important than religion and ritual!
***Doing good and saving life are much more important than religion and ritual!
Jesus came to seek and to save and these things remain the most important things for the Church!
The events of these Scriptures took place on two different Sabbaths.
Luke begins with "real needs" are more important than "religion and rituals".
The disciples that followed Jesus were hungry that morning because they had not eaten since the previous day.
As they were passing a corn field they began to pluck and eat some of the corn.
There was no law against this, for it was permitted by the Laws of Moses to eat some of the corn as they passed by.
Deu 23:25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
Their crime, according to the Pharisees, was rubbing the corn in their hands to remove the husk and silks.
This was twisting the Word of God into a man-made false thing.
BUT, Working on the Sabbath day was a serious offence to these orthodox Jews.
Law after law had been written to govern activities on the Sabbath.
In fact many a person were condemned and actually lost theirs lives for breaking the laws of the Sabbath during the time of the Pharisees.
We should consider that God gave the seventh day, the Sabbath, as a day of rest during creation week.
Our good health demands that we have a day of rest!
To the Jews, it was the Laws of Moses that had kept them together throughout these centuries and all the Law was important to them!
The Temple and the Sabbath became the glue that held that nation together and made them a distinct people from all other people as they remain even in our day.
This is one of the reasons that Jesus was so greatly opposed by the Jewish religious leaders of that day and by all the false religions of today.
When we allow religion and ritual, ceremony and position, and security to become more important than the basic needs of human life, which begin with a personal relationship with God, compassion for all others, true worship and the mercy of God, then we have a false understanding of what God is saying!
Jesus Christ shows the entire world that human needs are far more important to God than religion and religious rules!
We should still consider:
1) We must not ignore the Word of God nor the worship of God but there are some needs that require an immediate solution.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
2) Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath and every other day of the week, and it is He who decides when a need supersedes religious ceremony and He gives us these examples.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
These Pharisees that approached Jesus this day were probably Scribes because of that word "certain".
Many Scribes were also Pharisees but not all Pharisees were Scribes. Some Scribes were also called Lawyers.
Most of these Scribes were committed to the Jewish Faith.
These Scribes had two primary functions:
1) The Scribes made copies of the written Word of God, at that time only the Old Testament.
They were meticulous to keep count of every letter in every word!
They clearly understood that God had given them the Scriptures and those words were the greatest things in the life of the Jewish nation!
To the Jews the Word of God was considered the most precious possession in all the world.
This holds true today for every believer!
The Word of God is the most important thing that we can possess!
2) The Scribes, studied, classified, and taught, the moral law.
It was in this function where the Oral Law began to take it's place.
There was at one time so many oral rules and regulations that they were contained in 50 volumes and these Jews began to place the oral Law above the written Law of God.
Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Mat 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Mat 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
The Scribes began to feel that it was they who produced the oral Law and it was they who had God's final Word.
This is thinking with the exalted mind of man.
This is the way most every false religion has had it's beginnings!
There are to many today who feel like it is their own interpretation of the Word of God that is correct and all others are wrong but that's not what God says.
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, "let God be true, but every man a liar"; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, "that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation".
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled".
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book":
Rev 22:19 And "if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book".
God says what He means and God means what He says and God has never given us the freedom to change the Scriptures He has given to us!
Christ Jesus answered them with a simple question!
*****Luk 6:3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
Luk 6:4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
Luk 6:5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
It is real important that we read and study the Word of God "ourselves", so we can know when we are hearing the truth from those who preach and teach!
The "shewbread" in the Temple and in the Tabernacle symbolized the "Presence of God" who is the "Bread of Life"!
There were 12 loaves brought into the House of God and taken to the Holy Place by the Priests and placed on a table before the Lord.
This was intended as a "Thanksgiving Offering" expressing appreciation and praise to God for providing food for the people.
This bread symbolized the everlasting covenant between God and His people.
The bread was to changed every week and the old loaves became food for the priests.
There was great respect for King David for he had brought peace to all of Israel by defeating all her enemies.
The intent of the Words of Jesus was that no ceremonial law was to ever over ride the general principle of God providing for His people!
And Matthew made this thing even more clear, with that actual words of Jesus:
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
The Laws of God were never intended to be a burden!
The Laws of God are to be for our guidance and then our example of striving for perfection.
God is a God of "mercy"!
The Lord Jesus Christ must be our Lord everyday and that includes the Sabbath.
The Sabbath was the seventh day of the Jewish week and from Friday at 6 PM until Saturday at 6 PM it was to be a time of rest.
Works of necessity were always allowable on that Sabbath, after all the Sabbath was to be spent in the service and to honor the Lord of the Sabbath.
For instance, the shepherds had to work 7 days a week and the super religious despised them for this because they could not keep the oral laws they had put in place.
As Christians the seventh day is Sunday because Sunday was the day that Jesus Christ arose from the tomb and is therefore the Lord's Day!
The blessings of Jesus Christ are promised to the suffering saints who live by the Word of God and the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Woe to all those who trust in the riches of this world and show contempt to God's people!
Those who were so super religious ignored the Word of God and condemned the Lord and Savior who is the fulfillment of all the Word of God that they so boasted about.
*****Luk 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
Luk 6:7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
Luk 6:8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
Luk 6:9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
Luk 6:10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Luk 6:11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Jesus first showed the religionists that "real needs" are more important than religion and rituals.
Now Jesus will show them that "doing good and saving life" are much more important that religious rituals.
The truth is a one handed man has a major disability even in our day but in that day of Jesus it was a serious disability. This man would not be able to take care of his own needs.
Those who were super religious and had placed the oral Law above the written Word of God were like hawks ready to attack, if Jesus made an attempt to heal this man's hand.
They were not watching for another miracle, they were watching that they may accuse Him of ignoring their precious "man-made oral Laws"!
Healing on the Sabbath was considered to be work!
Our God is "omniscient", knowing all things, but He did not need that power to know what those religionists were doing this day!
Jesus was causing them to be honest in their conclusions and be willing to understand the truth of God!
To do good and save a life will always supersede religious rituals!
That's what salvation is all about, doing good and saving lives!
Why preach the Word of God if salvation is of so little importance!
Salvation is the ultimate healing, the ultimate saving of life!
As it was on this day that this man stood before the Lord:
2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
In fact there is no better day to do good than on a day of worship!
If we refuse to help those in need, when we are able, no matter the day, then we are doing evil.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
And as religionists do, they became very mad, they were filled with madness!
We must consider that the nation of Israel was based upon the Word of God.
The Ten Commandments and the Books of Moses were the laws of Israel from their beginning.
It was these religionists who were causing these things to change and not the things that Jesus did.
America was founded on the principles of the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and it is the Liberals and the Religionists who are changing everything we stand for and not the Word of God.
Extreme legalism and extreme devotion, were the two major traits of the Pharisees and most of the Scribes.
Those Sadducees were even more liberal than the Pharisees were legalistic!
These traits, when attached to someone with a self-centered heart will lead to abuse!
Legalism takes away from the "Mercy" and the "Forgiveness" of God.
God detests a "holier than thou are" attitude!
Pride is also a hindrance to every Christian!
There is no such thing as perfect obedience to the Word of God and any of us can easily become hypocritical!
Personal achievements do not influence the hand of God and nor does seeking recognition!
We must walk the talk. We cannot teach one thing and practice another thing in our lives!
And, God does not need our permission to work in someone's life!
Doing good and saving lives is what God intends for us all to do!
God is still in the life saving business!
Mic 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, "but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God"?
What is the will of God?
It is the will of God that we all be more like His Son Jesus!
Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
If what we do makes the Liberals and the Pharisees of today mad, then we should also be like Jesus in this and continue on in the work of the Lord.
So what if they get mad, they will always be this way!
*****Luk 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Jesus was the perfect Son of God, so we must remember Jesus did not have to pray for forgiveness. In reality Jesus was always praying for His people, the lost and the saved!
It is a fact the God uses people to get His message of salvation into this world!
It does not matter about their size, their shape, their color, or their nationality, God is no respecter of persons!
So how does God choose His people?
1) Jesus chose His people after prayerful consideration!
Here we see that Jesus continued all night in prayer.
Most of the time we can count the time we pray all day in minutes and we are usually making requests for ourselves and then for the people we know.
We forget that prayer is also a great means of developing our personal relationship with the Lord!
God wants to hear from us, everything about our day!
We pray for the arm of God and forget to pray for the face of God!
When we climb in our closet and get alone with God it is then that we can just talk as friends talk.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
All other times as we go about our daily task, if we are aware of God's constant presence, we will be talking to Him rather than talking to ourselves!
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Thinking of and talking to God is fellowship prayer and any improvement in our relationship with the Lord is always beneficial.
But we also need that consecrated closet prayer.
We need some time alone with God!
It was time for Jesus to pick those who would be the first messengers of the New Testament church and Jesus needed much closet prayer!
*****Luk 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Luk 6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
Luk 6:15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
Luk 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Our Lord Jesus prepared all night for the decisions He made on this day!
A great example for us all!
Jesus had to be willing to choose those His Father had chosen!
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: "those that thou gavest me I have kept", and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Did Jesus pray long and hard before He chose Judas, sure He did!
Joh 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
There many disciples following Jesus at that time.
The term "Disciple" means "to learn", "a learner", and it always means a pupil of someone else!
In the day of Jesus, a disciple would attach themselves to a teacher and follow that teacher wherever they went.
They not only learned from what that teacher taught but they learned from that teacher's life!
After the ascension of Jesus back to Heaven, the disciples are all those who confess Jesus as the Messiah!
Act 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Jesus Christ chose twelve men in which 11 of those would be Apostles.
The term "Apostle" means a disciple "who is sent".
An Apostle was a man chosen directly by the Lord Jesus and under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus even said He was an Apostle sent by His Father:
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Jesus is called the Apostle and High Priest of our profession of faith, which is Christianity!
Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
There may have been others that were called apostles but there is a distinct difference between these and the ones that Jesus chose.
There were 12 Apostles chosen specifically by the Lord.
There were 12 Apostles trained by the Lord.
There were 12 Apostles that saw Jesus after His resurrection.
There were 12 Apostles that were to carry forth the message of Jesus Christ which came from His own mouth.
The Apostles are the foundation of the Church with Jesus being the Head Cornerstone!
When we stray from the teachings of the Apostles we stray from the "Gospel of Jesus Christ".
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
What was the Apostles statement of faith?
A belief in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate, and buried; the third day He arose from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost; the holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; the life everlasting.
To vary from this statement is to distance yourself from the Church of the Living God!
To believe these things is to acknowledge Jesus as God and to know that there is only one God and He is the God of the Bible and all religions simply do not worship the same God!
My God is Jesus and I am an ambassador for Christ!
I am a Christian only if I try to be like Jesus Christ!
And, It should not astound me that my Lord will choose some people for a special calling!
It should also not astound me that my Lord will choose people with very diverse personalities!
Many of the Apostles were fishermen but at least three were also businessmen. Peter James and John.
One was probably a rich man, Matthew.
One was a political Zealot and would have been an enemy of Matthew, Simon Zelotes.
It was the zealot's goal to overthrow the Roman government and all Jews who worked with them, and Matthew was a tax collector.
One was deeply religious, Nathanael, his name meaning "gift of God" and also called Bartholomew.
All the Apostles were given to edify the Church:
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The twelve that were chosen that day who were still called disciples were these.
1) Simon who is also called Peter, Simon Peter, and Cephas.
Simon Barjona or Simon son of John. Fisherman and Business man.
2) Andrew, the younger brother of Peter who spent most of his time in the background but whenever we see him, he is always bringing someone to Jesus.
3) James the son of Zebedee, fisherman and business man but also bold and full of energy. James was the first Apostle to die for the Lord.
4) John, younger brother of James, fisherman, business man, he said he was the disciple that Jesus loved and the only apostle who died of old age.
5) Philip lived in the same city of Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida. Philip"s best response when asked if Jesus was the real Messiah, was "come and see" for yourself.
6) Bartholomew also called Nathanael, "the Israelite with no guile". Nathanael was from Cana and tradition says it was Nathanael who was the bridegroom at the wedding of Cana.
7) Matthew, son of Alphaeus. The Tax collector and also a rich man. He was also called Levi and hated by the Jews and called Matthew the publican which meant to the Jews that he was a worthless man.
8) Thomas, sometimes called Didymus which signifies he had a twin. Thomas is often seen as the doubter.
9) James, son of Alphaeus but not considered to be the brother of Matthew. Probably a cousin or at least a kinsman of the Lord Jesus.
Called James the less probably because he was short.
Some believe that Mary had another sister named Mary or Miriam and it was she that was married to this Alphaeus.
The Bible also says that Mary herself had a son named James and a son named Joses and one named Jude and a son named Simon, along with some other children.
10) Simon called Zelotes. Also called Simon the Canaanite. Before he was called by the Lord he was a member of a fanatical sect of religionists, that we may even say was a terrorist in our day.
11) Judas the brother of James the Less. Also called Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus.
12) Judas Iscariot, the traitor. Judas the man from Kerioth, also had a father named Simon.
Jesus chose men from all walks of life and a lot can be said about Judas Iscariot but the main thing we see is that God will give everyone a chance to repent even when He knows they will not.
No one that faces the Lord on Judgment Day, can say they did not get a fair chance.
Everyone that ended up in Hell and that will end up there, had to stumble over Jesus Christ to get there!
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
There will be no excuses accepted on Judgement Day!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
Book of Luke 6:1-19
What is authority? Authority can be said to be "legal power".
Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
The Scribes, which many of them were also Pharisees, for the most part, just read the Scriptures. They taught in a cold and lifeless manner.
They did not have the power of the Holy Spirit!
They taught more about themselves, in their own name, by their own interpretation and by their own authority!
Jesus taught as the Lawgiver.
120 times Jesus used the words "I say unto You" because He had the authority of Heaven and not of men!
Jesus had direct authority and all the power of the Holy Spirit!
Let's begin:
Luk 6:1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
Luk 6:2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
When people speak about religion, they speak of form and ritual, rules and regulations, ceremonies and services.
What does God say?
2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Placing religion above mankind and above the needs of mankind is exactly what the religionists do today!
This is exactly what these Scribes and the Pharisees and even the Sadducees did at the time of Jesus.
True Christianity is knowing that God is meeting the needs of His creation!
***Meeting man's needs is much more important than religion and ritual!
***Doing good and saving life are much more important than religion and ritual!
Jesus came to seek and to save and these things remain the most important things for the Church!
The events of these Scriptures took place on two different Sabbaths.
Luke begins with "real needs" are more important than "religion and rituals".
The disciples that followed Jesus were hungry that morning because they had not eaten since the previous day.
As they were passing a corn field they began to pluck and eat some of the corn.
There was no law against this, for it was permitted by the Laws of Moses to eat some of the corn as they passed by.
Deu 23:25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
Their crime, according to the Pharisees, was rubbing the corn in their hands to remove the husk and silks.
This was twisting the Word of God into a man-made false thing.
BUT, Working on the Sabbath day was a serious offence to these orthodox Jews.
Law after law had been written to govern activities on the Sabbath.
In fact many a person were condemned and actually lost theirs lives for breaking the laws of the Sabbath during the time of the Pharisees.
We should consider that God gave the seventh day, the Sabbath, as a day of rest during creation week.
Our good health demands that we have a day of rest!
To the Jews, it was the Laws of Moses that had kept them together throughout these centuries and all the Law was important to them!
The Temple and the Sabbath became the glue that held that nation together and made them a distinct people from all other people as they remain even in our day.
This is one of the reasons that Jesus was so greatly opposed by the Jewish religious leaders of that day and by all the false religions of today.
When we allow religion and ritual, ceremony and position, and security to become more important than the basic needs of human life, which begin with a personal relationship with God, compassion for all others, true worship and the mercy of God, then we have a false understanding of what God is saying!
Jesus Christ shows the entire world that human needs are far more important to God than religion and religious rules!
We should still consider:
1) We must not ignore the Word of God nor the worship of God but there are some needs that require an immediate solution.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
2) Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath and every other day of the week, and it is He who decides when a need supersedes religious ceremony and He gives us these examples.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
These Pharisees that approached Jesus this day were probably Scribes because of that word "certain".
Many Scribes were also Pharisees but not all Pharisees were Scribes. Some Scribes were also called Lawyers.
Most of these Scribes were committed to the Jewish Faith.
These Scribes had two primary functions:
1) The Scribes made copies of the written Word of God, at that time only the Old Testament.
They were meticulous to keep count of every letter in every word!
They clearly understood that God had given them the Scriptures and those words were the greatest things in the life of the Jewish nation!
To the Jews the Word of God was considered the most precious possession in all the world.
This holds true today for every believer!
The Word of God is the most important thing that we can possess!
2) The Scribes, studied, classified, and taught, the moral law.
It was in this function where the Oral Law began to take it's place.
There was at one time so many oral rules and regulations that they were contained in 50 volumes and these Jews began to place the oral Law above the written Law of God.
Mat 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Mat 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
Mat 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
The Scribes began to feel that it was they who produced the oral Law and it was they who had God's final Word.
This is thinking with the exalted mind of man.
This is the way most every false religion has had it's beginnings!
There are to many today who feel like it is their own interpretation of the Word of God that is correct and all others are wrong but that's not what God says.
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, "let God be true, but every man a liar"; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, "that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation".
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled".
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book":
Rev 22:19 And "if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book".
God says what He means and God means what He says and God has never given us the freedom to change the Scriptures He has given to us!
Christ Jesus answered them with a simple question!
*****Luk 6:3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
Luk 6:4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
Luk 6:5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
It is real important that we read and study the Word of God "ourselves", so we can know when we are hearing the truth from those who preach and teach!
The "shewbread" in the Temple and in the Tabernacle symbolized the "Presence of God" who is the "Bread of Life"!
There were 12 loaves brought into the House of God and taken to the Holy Place by the Priests and placed on a table before the Lord.
This was intended as a "Thanksgiving Offering" expressing appreciation and praise to God for providing food for the people.
This bread symbolized the everlasting covenant between God and His people.
The bread was to changed every week and the old loaves became food for the priests.
There was great respect for King David for he had brought peace to all of Israel by defeating all her enemies.
The intent of the Words of Jesus was that no ceremonial law was to ever over ride the general principle of God providing for His people!
And Matthew made this thing even more clear, with that actual words of Jesus:
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
The Laws of God were never intended to be a burden!
The Laws of God are to be for our guidance and then our example of striving for perfection.
God is a God of "mercy"!
The Lord Jesus Christ must be our Lord everyday and that includes the Sabbath.
The Sabbath was the seventh day of the Jewish week and from Friday at 6 PM until Saturday at 6 PM it was to be a time of rest.
Works of necessity were always allowable on that Sabbath, after all the Sabbath was to be spent in the service and to honor the Lord of the Sabbath.
For instance, the shepherds had to work 7 days a week and the super religious despised them for this because they could not keep the oral laws they had put in place.
As Christians the seventh day is Sunday because Sunday was the day that Jesus Christ arose from the tomb and is therefore the Lord's Day!
The blessings of Jesus Christ are promised to the suffering saints who live by the Word of God and the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Woe to all those who trust in the riches of this world and show contempt to God's people!
Those who were so super religious ignored the Word of God and condemned the Lord and Savior who is the fulfillment of all the Word of God that they so boasted about.
*****Luk 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
Luk 6:7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
Luk 6:8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
Luk 6:9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
Luk 6:10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Luk 6:11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
Jesus first showed the religionists that "real needs" are more important than religion and rituals.
Now Jesus will show them that "doing good and saving life" are much more important that religious rituals.
The truth is a one handed man has a major disability even in our day but in that day of Jesus it was a serious disability. This man would not be able to take care of his own needs.
Those who were super religious and had placed the oral Law above the written Word of God were like hawks ready to attack, if Jesus made an attempt to heal this man's hand.
They were not watching for another miracle, they were watching that they may accuse Him of ignoring their precious "man-made oral Laws"!
Healing on the Sabbath was considered to be work!
Our God is "omniscient", knowing all things, but He did not need that power to know what those religionists were doing this day!
Jesus was causing them to be honest in their conclusions and be willing to understand the truth of God!
To do good and save a life will always supersede religious rituals!
That's what salvation is all about, doing good and saving lives!
Why preach the Word of God if salvation is of so little importance!
Salvation is the ultimate healing, the ultimate saving of life!
As it was on this day that this man stood before the Lord:
2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
In fact there is no better day to do good than on a day of worship!
If we refuse to help those in need, when we are able, no matter the day, then we are doing evil.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
And as religionists do, they became very mad, they were filled with madness!
We must consider that the nation of Israel was based upon the Word of God.
The Ten Commandments and the Books of Moses were the laws of Israel from their beginning.
It was these religionists who were causing these things to change and not the things that Jesus did.
America was founded on the principles of the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ and it is the Liberals and the Religionists who are changing everything we stand for and not the Word of God.
Extreme legalism and extreme devotion, were the two major traits of the Pharisees and most of the Scribes.
Those Sadducees were even more liberal than the Pharisees were legalistic!
These traits, when attached to someone with a self-centered heart will lead to abuse!
Legalism takes away from the "Mercy" and the "Forgiveness" of God.
God detests a "holier than thou are" attitude!
Pride is also a hindrance to every Christian!
There is no such thing as perfect obedience to the Word of God and any of us can easily become hypocritical!
Personal achievements do not influence the hand of God and nor does seeking recognition!
We must walk the talk. We cannot teach one thing and practice another thing in our lives!
And, God does not need our permission to work in someone's life!
Doing good and saving lives is what God intends for us all to do!
God is still in the life saving business!
Mic 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, "but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God"?
What is the will of God?
It is the will of God that we all be more like His Son Jesus!
Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
If what we do makes the Liberals and the Pharisees of today mad, then we should also be like Jesus in this and continue on in the work of the Lord.
So what if they get mad, they will always be this way!
*****Luk 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Jesus was the perfect Son of God, so we must remember Jesus did not have to pray for forgiveness. In reality Jesus was always praying for His people, the lost and the saved!
It is a fact the God uses people to get His message of salvation into this world!
It does not matter about their size, their shape, their color, or their nationality, God is no respecter of persons!
So how does God choose His people?
1) Jesus chose His people after prayerful consideration!
Here we see that Jesus continued all night in prayer.
Most of the time we can count the time we pray all day in minutes and we are usually making requests for ourselves and then for the people we know.
We forget that prayer is also a great means of developing our personal relationship with the Lord!
God wants to hear from us, everything about our day!
We pray for the arm of God and forget to pray for the face of God!
When we climb in our closet and get alone with God it is then that we can just talk as friends talk.
Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
All other times as we go about our daily task, if we are aware of God's constant presence, we will be talking to Him rather than talking to ourselves!
1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Thinking of and talking to God is fellowship prayer and any improvement in our relationship with the Lord is always beneficial.
But we also need that consecrated closet prayer.
We need some time alone with God!
It was time for Jesus to pick those who would be the first messengers of the New Testament church and Jesus needed much closet prayer!
*****Luk 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Luk 6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
Luk 6:15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
Luk 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Our Lord Jesus prepared all night for the decisions He made on this day!
A great example for us all!
Jesus had to be willing to choose those His Father had chosen!
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: "those that thou gavest me I have kept", and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Did Jesus pray long and hard before He chose Judas, sure He did!
Joh 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
There many disciples following Jesus at that time.
The term "Disciple" means "to learn", "a learner", and it always means a pupil of someone else!
In the day of Jesus, a disciple would attach themselves to a teacher and follow that teacher wherever they went.
They not only learned from what that teacher taught but they learned from that teacher's life!
After the ascension of Jesus back to Heaven, the disciples are all those who confess Jesus as the Messiah!
Act 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Jesus Christ chose twelve men in which 11 of those would be Apostles.
The term "Apostle" means a disciple "who is sent".
An Apostle was a man chosen directly by the Lord Jesus and under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus even said He was an Apostle sent by His Father:
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Jesus is called the Apostle and High Priest of our profession of faith, which is Christianity!
Heb 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
There may have been others that were called apostles but there is a distinct difference between these and the ones that Jesus chose.
There were 12 Apostles chosen specifically by the Lord.
There were 12 Apostles trained by the Lord.
There were 12 Apostles that saw Jesus after His resurrection.
There were 12 Apostles that were to carry forth the message of Jesus Christ which came from His own mouth.
The Apostles are the foundation of the Church with Jesus being the Head Cornerstone!
When we stray from the teachings of the Apostles we stray from the "Gospel of Jesus Christ".
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
What was the Apostles statement of faith?
A belief in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate, and buried; the third day He arose from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost; the holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; the life everlasting.
To vary from this statement is to distance yourself from the Church of the Living God!
To believe these things is to acknowledge Jesus as God and to know that there is only one God and He is the God of the Bible and all religions simply do not worship the same God!
My God is Jesus and I am an ambassador for Christ!
I am a Christian only if I try to be like Jesus Christ!
And, It should not astound me that my Lord will choose some people for a special calling!
It should also not astound me that my Lord will choose people with very diverse personalities!
Many of the Apostles were fishermen but at least three were also businessmen. Peter James and John.
One was probably a rich man, Matthew.
One was a political Zealot and would have been an enemy of Matthew, Simon Zelotes.
It was the zealot's goal to overthrow the Roman government and all Jews who worked with them, and Matthew was a tax collector.
One was deeply religious, Nathanael, his name meaning "gift of God" and also called Bartholomew.
All the Apostles were given to edify the Church:
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
The twelve that were chosen that day who were still called disciples were these.
1) Simon who is also called Peter, Simon Peter, and Cephas.
Simon Barjona or Simon son of John. Fisherman and Business man.
2) Andrew, the younger brother of Peter who spent most of his time in the background but whenever we see him, he is always bringing someone to Jesus.
3) James the son of Zebedee, fisherman and business man but also bold and full of energy. James was the first Apostle to die for the Lord.
4) John, younger brother of James, fisherman, business man, he said he was the disciple that Jesus loved and the only apostle who died of old age.
5) Philip lived in the same city of Peter and Andrew, Bethsaida. Philip"s best response when asked if Jesus was the real Messiah, was "come and see" for yourself.
6) Bartholomew also called Nathanael, "the Israelite with no guile". Nathanael was from Cana and tradition says it was Nathanael who was the bridegroom at the wedding of Cana.
7) Matthew, son of Alphaeus. The Tax collector and also a rich man. He was also called Levi and hated by the Jews and called Matthew the publican which meant to the Jews that he was a worthless man.
8) Thomas, sometimes called Didymus which signifies he had a twin. Thomas is often seen as the doubter.
9) James, son of Alphaeus but not considered to be the brother of Matthew. Probably a cousin or at least a kinsman of the Lord Jesus.
Called James the less probably because he was short.
Some believe that Mary had another sister named Mary or Miriam and it was she that was married to this Alphaeus.
The Bible also says that Mary herself had a son named James and a son named Joses and one named Jude and a son named Simon, along with some other children.
10) Simon called Zelotes. Also called Simon the Canaanite. Before he was called by the Lord he was a member of a fanatical sect of religionists, that we may even say was a terrorist in our day.
11) Judas the brother of James the Less. Also called Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus.
12) Judas Iscariot, the traitor. Judas the man from Kerioth, also had a father named Simon.
Jesus chose men from all walks of life and a lot can be said about Judas Iscariot but the main thing we see is that God will give everyone a chance to repent even when He knows they will not.
No one that faces the Lord on Judgment Day, can say they did not get a fair chance.
Everyone that ended up in Hell and that will end up there, had to stumble over Jesus Christ to get there!
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
There will be no excuses accepted on Judgement Day!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
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