The Perfect Worshipper
Luke 4:16-21,
If you were to ask most people, “Who is Jesus?” or “What do you think most about Jesus?” or “When you think about Jesus what comes to mind?” People might give back a thousand different things, a million different things they might say. But in terms of the big things, I think they would say something like this: he was a great miracle worker, he was a soul winner, he was a preacher, a teacher, Lord, Savior. But I wonder how many people would say this, “He was a worshiper, he prioritized worship.” And the very first snapshot you have of Jesus, as a young boy, is in the temple. Remember, Luke chapter 2, his parents are frantic and they don't know where he is and they run all around Jerusalem, I'm sure, asking where he is and they finally find him in the temple. And when they ask the question he responds, “Did you not know I would be about my father's business?”
Luke also captures Jesus praying on nine distinct occasions, Luke only. And again, Luke’s gospel also has one of those beautiful snapshots of Jesus as a worshiper, that text that was read by our brother Ryan. Look what it says in verse 16, “He went to Nazareth where he'd been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as was his custom.” So this was a habit of godliness, the habit of Sabbath day worship. Luke distinguished the life of Jesus, he was a worshiper. Again, Luke's gospel emphasizes something else about Jesus as the worshiper. Five distinct times or five controversies with the Pharisees over the Sabbath day: Luke 4 twice, Luke 6, Luke 12, Luke 14. The Pharisees and scribes had taken the beautiful worship day and turned it into a day of bondage. And Jesus comes as a liberator to set it free, to set them free from the bondage of pharisaicalism and legalism and they had chained up the Sabbath day. I believe JC Ryle is right when he says,
And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
If you were to ask most people, “Who is Jesus?” or “What do you think most about Jesus?” or “When you think about Jesus what comes to mind?” People might give back a thousand different things, a million different things they might say. But in terms of the big things, I think they would say something like this: he was a great miracle worker, he was a soul winner, he was a preacher, a teacher, Lord, Savior. But I wonder how many people would say this, “He was a worshiper, he prioritized worship.” And the very first snapshot you have of Jesus, as a young boy, is in the temple. Remember, Luke chapter 2, his parents are frantic and they don't know where he is and they run all around Jerusalem, I'm sure, asking where he is and they finally find him in the temple. And when they ask the question he responds, “Did you not know I would be about my father's business?”
Luke also captures Jesus praying on nine distinct occasions, Luke only. And again, Luke’s gospel also has one of those beautiful snapshots of Jesus as a worshiper, that text that was read by our brother Ryan. Look what it says in verse 16, “He went to Nazareth where he'd been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as was his custom.” So this was a habit of godliness, the habit of Sabbath day worship. Luke distinguished the life of Jesus, he was a worshiper. Again, Luke's gospel emphasizes something else about Jesus as the worshiper. Five distinct times or five controversies with the Pharisees over the Sabbath day: Luke 4 twice, Luke 6, Luke 12, Luke 14. The Pharisees and scribes had taken the beautiful worship day and turned it into a day of bondage. And Jesus comes as a liberator to set it free, to set them free from the bondage of pharisaicalism and legalism and they had chained up the Sabbath day. I believe JC Ryle is right when he says,
"Jesus isn't abolishing the Sabbath, he's reclaiming it."
Remember what he says in Mark chapter 2, “The Sabbath was made for man.” It was made for the good of man, it was made for man's well-being, it was made to help man. The Sabbath was instituted way back in Genesis chapter two and then you have it inscribed in law, the 10 commandments. It was a gift of rest, a day of rest, renewal and communion with God. And the Pharisees, they had turned this beautiful day, this beautiful gift day into a day of bondage and they tortured the conscience and put people on false guilt trips. It was all about what you can't do, not what you can do.
Jesus never tells you what you can't do, he tells you what you can do. What does he tell you? Deeds of piety, mercy and necessity; three big categories of what you can do. It should be the best day of the week. A day of wonderful liberty, mercy, piety. It should be a day we enjoy more than any other day in the week. And in light of the resurrection we shouldn't forget it's a new day. You could call it a new Sabbath day, you could call it a Christian Sabbath, you could call it a resurrection Sabbath, you could call it a Lord's Day, but it's a new day, the first day of the week. And again, remember the words of our Lord, He is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” He had a right to change it. And he does. Think about it. How did the first Sabbath day come into expression? God worked on six days and he rested. Jesus worked, right? He did the work of Calvary, the work of our salvation, and he rested on the seventh day, he rose from the dead. He did a work and a rest pattern just like God in creation.
And we shouldn't forget this either, the Holy Spirit comes on the first day of the week. Going through the book of Acts, Acts chapter 4 on the day of Pentecost. So because of the resurrection and because of the coming of the Spirit, we have a better worship day than the Jews had in Old Testament Judaism. And going back to Jesus, he's both our example, as was his custom, his pattern, he kept the Sabbath day and so are we. But we are to follow his example in corporate worship and in private worship. So as we come to pray, he was a man of prayer, he prayed to his Abba father, and we have the privilege to pray to our Abba Father.
Jesus never tells you what you can't do, he tells you what you can do. What does he tell you? Deeds of piety, mercy and necessity; three big categories of what you can do. It should be the best day of the week. A day of wonderful liberty, mercy, piety. It should be a day we enjoy more than any other day in the week. And in light of the resurrection we shouldn't forget it's a new day. You could call it a new Sabbath day, you could call it a Christian Sabbath, you could call it a resurrection Sabbath, you could call it a Lord's Day, but it's a new day, the first day of the week. And again, remember the words of our Lord, He is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” He had a right to change it. And he does. Think about it. How did the first Sabbath day come into expression? God worked on six days and he rested. Jesus worked, right? He did the work of Calvary, the work of our salvation, and he rested on the seventh day, he rose from the dead. He did a work and a rest pattern just like God in creation.
And we shouldn't forget this either, the Holy Spirit comes on the first day of the week. Going through the book of Acts, Acts chapter 4 on the day of Pentecost. So because of the resurrection and because of the coming of the Spirit, we have a better worship day than the Jews had in Old Testament Judaism. And going back to Jesus, he's both our example, as was his custom, his pattern, he kept the Sabbath day and so are we. But we are to follow his example in corporate worship and in private worship. So as we come to pray, he was a man of prayer, he prayed to his Abba father, and we have the privilege to pray to our Abba Father.
Posted in Pastor Devotional