Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Opening Scripture

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” Psalm 92:12-15

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, as we continue in this Lenten season of self-reflection and sincere repentance, I pray that you would create a pure heart and a steadfast spirit within me. Help me delight to do your will. May the joy of the Lord be my strength. I give myself and this day to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

John 5:16-30

So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

Reflection  

Clearly, Jesus’ understanding of what the Sabbath was all about differed greatly from the Jewish leaders. They were threatened by His flaunting of their powerlessness to force His compliance with their rules. A typically proud group, the religious leaders’ public humiliation fueled their growing desire to kill Jesus.

The Sabbath disagreement was enough to cause them to hate Jesus, but His claim to be equal with God pushed them over the edge. In their minds, Jesus’ words constituted profound blasphemy. The penalty could be nothing but death.

Jesus explained that He was not operating independently of God. He was only doing what the Father had given the Son to do. Even more than the miracle of healing Jesus had performed, the fullest expression of His Deity is His absolute authority over life and death. Just as Jesus can pick a man out of a disabled crowd to heal, He can raise to life any from among the dead.

Jesus’ explicit claims here leave no room for misunderstanding or partial agreement. He is either the Son of God – equal with the Father – or He’s not. In the words of C.S. Lewis, Jesus’ statements present a trilemma. Jesus must either be a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. If He is not God, He is either deceiving others (liar) or is deluded Himself (lunatic). If neither of those is true, then He is who he says He is.

The greatest question in life is the one Jesus asks in Matthew 16:15 … “Who do you say that I am?” Our answer is the difference between life and death.

Flourishing Habit

Happiness and Life Satisfaction

Once again, the Jewish religious leaders were more concerned about Jesus “breaking the rules” than what God was doing through Him. They were diligent in their effort to ensure that no good deed by Jesus went unpunished. Often, the conflict centered on “keeping the Sabbath.”

Our Opening Scripture, Psalm 92, is designated as “a psalm for the Sabbath day.” The imagery of flourishing – staying fresh and green, bearing fruit – into old age speaks to the benefit and blessing of “keeping the Sabbath.”

The Mosaic Law required that God’s people refrain from work on the seventh day. Over the years, Jewish authorities added additional rules that became extremely complicated and burdensome. Eventually, God’s divine intention was totally obscured by human tradition.

Eugene Peterson emphasized “keeping the Sabbath” through praying and playing. He maintained that the point is to set aside unique time for physical and spiritual renewal. The God who created us and knows us best designed us for a healthy rhythm of work and rest in which Sabbath-keeping plays a crucial role.

The Sabbath is more than a day off. It involves orienting ourselves toward God. It’s time set apart to contemplate and appreciate the Creator and His creation. There should be a joyful “playfulness” about it, not onerous rules and regulations. To ignore the fourth commandment is to miss out on God’s nurturing design for His people.

How do you “remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy”?

Have you neglected the God-given rhythm of setting aside time each week to “pray and play” as part of following The Jesus Way?

Ask God to give you a better understanding of – and fresh appreciation for – the blessing of the Sabbath.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!