Satan, Sabbath, & Stretching

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you Deuteronomy five twelve. Heavenly Father, as we reflect on the commandment to rest, our, minds are drawn to the deeper rest you offer through Jesus Christ, our true Sabbath. In Him, we find rest from the striving of our souls in the restless pace of life. Help us to slow down to recognize the need for rest in you. Teach us to set aside this sacred time to pause, reflect on your goodness and appreciate the work you have done in our lives. May the Sabbath be for us a day to disconnect from the world's demands and connect more deeply with You, our source of life and peace. Encourage us to use this time to recharge, not only physically but spiritually, preparing our hearts for the mission you have entrusted to us. Let this day of rest remind us of the ultimate rest we have in Christ, and may it be a testament to our trust in You to provide for our every need. In Jesus's name, Amen, thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast Dramatic Stories of hope and redemption. Remain here for the story of Jesus walking on water, stepping over the very trials that consume us. If you're wondering how to support this podcast, follow and share with a friend. Jesus leaned on the dais, preparing to preach a word from the Law of Moses. Although the Pharisees hated him, he was still a respected teacher among many local rabbis. A small crowd had formed in the synagogue to listen to him. His voice traveled along the marble spires and lofty archways. It was the Sabbath, a day for rest and contemplation, so Jesus spoke from Deuteronomy, affirming the law of Moses. 00:02:25 Speaker 2: Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from all peoples and given us his Torah. Blessed are you, Lord, Giver of the Torah. Thus says the word of our God through Moses. You shall remember that you are a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath. 00:03:01 Speaker 1: Day Jesus roll up the scroll and handed it to the attendant. He spoke with authority and calm, saying. 00:03:10 Speaker 2: Sabbath is a day to remember freedom, freedom from slavery in Egypt. Yes, but there is something greater upon us. The Lord of the Sabbath is here to bring ultimate freedom, freedom from sin. 00:03:25 Speaker 1: The Pharisees and scribes in attendants winced at jesus words. Of all the things Jesus did to annoy them, working on the Sabbath was at the top of their list. They stalked him like predators on the Sabbath, waiting for moments to strike. Ironically, they treated it like a job, diligently following him to see what Sabbath rules he would break next. They murmured to themselves, Of course Jesus did obey the law of Moses, he just didn't adhere to the pharisees ridiculous additions. Jesus continued to teach, but was interrupted by a slight shriek from the back of the room. It came from a woman, but the additional quality to her voice revealed something else was at work in her. A demon was present. Life can bring all sorts of reasons to be tired. There's work, school, family, church events, whatever. How many times have you responded to the question how are you with Ah, I'm tired. It's good to be honest with yourself and actively seek out rest. How can you find rest in the midst of the busyness of life? Though, It's not like you could just take a break from your kids. It's not like you can just take an endless vacation from your job. When Moses is speaking with the Lord about leading his people, the Lord tells him in Exodus thirty three, my presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. No matter where we are and what's going on in life, God's presence is with us, and he will give us rest. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast, a year's story showcasing the depth of christ love through storytelling and the glory of God's truth through honest reflection. I'm Zach your host from pray dot Com. Thanks for returning for another captivating story. Be sure to follow this podcast as we work our way through the miracles of the Messiah. Today's story highlights another miracle of Jesus taking place on the Sabbath. It will begin with Jesus teaching in the synagogue, but we'll quickly turn into an important lesson for the religious leaders. Let's go. Eva shuddered against the wall, arms curled over her stomach and back bent forward over her knees. She shrieked again in pain, noise bouncing off the polished stone walls. Stop, she shouted to herself, trying to resist her own body launching her forward. She walked beside the wall with a bird like stride, unable to move correctly. Her voice cracked under the weight of pain its step. Eva fought against herself but couldn't keep her body upright. The demon within her was dragging her down. It was as if there were invisible chains bound around her neck. For fourteen years she had been forced to hunch over. She withheld another shriek, replacing her impulses with heavy breathing. Eva felt so ashamed. She hadn't come in to make a scene. She just wanted to see Jesus, but now every eye was on her. Eva turned to leave, but then she heard the voice of her creator, beckoning. 00:06:50 Speaker 2: Her, dear woman, come forward. 00:06:54 Speaker 1: His command was gentle to Eva's ears, but demanding to the demon within her. Eva's head turned to the crowd's judgmental gaze, but Jesus called out again to get her attention. 00:07:08 Speaker 2: Sweet child, look over. 00:07:10 Speaker 1: Here, Jesus made sure her gaze was fixed on him and no one else. She strode forward, legs forced to stretch far to the side to keep her upright. Her ailment had ravaged the rest of her body, forcing her hips out and back forward. Every inch of her body ached. Eva made her way to the dais, doing her best to ignore the crowd. Jesus leaned forward and touched her shoulder. 00:07:43 Speaker 2: I've spoken about freedom here this morning, did you hear? 00:07:49 Speaker 1: Yes? 00:07:50 Speaker 3: Lord Ah, I'm sorry I interrupted Aphah. 00:07:57 Speaker 2: To day you are free from your disability. 00:08:00 Speaker 1: At first, there was silence, then a loud pop bounced off the walls. Eva gave out a loud gasp. Then there was another sound. Her shoulders cracked back below her ears. Each vertebrae in her spine cracked into place one by one. Eva's eyes widened. She looked up at Jesus with a glimmer in her eye. Then slowly she lengthened her body upward, reaching her neck up to the sky. Her back followed, holding her upright. Eva cried out in relief, her eyes filled with light. Then she arched her back again and swung from side to side. Her muscles moved effortlessly from side to side, and her bones locked into place, firm and straw. Ah. 00:09:03 Speaker 4: I feel like a mountain has been removed from my shoulders. 00:09:08 Speaker 3: Ah, I'm You're. 00:09:11 Speaker 1: Free, Jesus interrupted, touching her straightened shoulders. 00:09:16 Speaker 2: Rest in the deliverance of God today, go in peace. 00:09:20 Speaker 1: Eva inhaled deeply, breathing in the first full breath of air in eighteen years. She turned to the crowd and laughed, Praise. I don't I praise the Lord for healing me. 00:09:38 Speaker 4: Do you see what is possible with God? 00:09:43 Speaker 1: A Eva skipped and sang. A cacophony of praise, worships, scoffs, and murmurs filled the room. The ruler of the synagogue watched the entire thing with utter disgust. Jesus, the miracle was like a sip of sour wine. The taste showed on his face. His nose scrunched upward, and his lips curled behind his beard. He stood up, hands gripping his ambulant. Some other religious leaders stood up behind him. All of the more faces of self righteous anger. The rabbi wagged his finger at Eva and scolded her, you hypocrites. Jesus interrupted with a shout. His voice boomed against the walls. The room fell silent. Jesus' anger was palpable, pulsating from him like heat from a furnace. The air shifted, and everyone tensed with fear and reverence. At this moment, it was clear to everyone in the room that Jesus wasn't a mere man. He was in command. He was the Lord. He stepped from the dais toward the rulers and said, it's the Sabbath. 00:11:06 Speaker 3: Do you refuse to untie your ox and your donkey and leave them to water? Do you let them go thirsty because you couldn't manage an ounce of effort. You wouldn't let your animals go parched? 00:11:17 Speaker 2: How much more precious is this woman? A daughter of Abraham, a daughter of God? 00:11:25 Speaker 1: He pointed to her, trying to draw some humanity from the religious rulers. 00:11:29 Speaker 2: Look at her, Look at her. Satan has bound this woman for eighteen years, but now her bonds are loosened. On the Sabbath, today, of all days, should be for such an act for it is on this day we celebrate bonds being broken. 00:11:50 Speaker 1: As Jesus said these things, the crowd began to clap. Jesus's passion had stirred them up. They were able to see the good and what Jesus had done. At the end of the day, it was hard to deny something purely good for the sake of ceremony. The people irrupted in cheers. Some of the women embraced Eva. The rulers stepped back, flustered and ashamed. None of them relented. Instead, they swiped their robes back and turned their feet away from Jesus. The ruler of the synagogue blushed scarlet. Heat filled his body, and he turned to leave. He paced down the length of the synagogue and a few long hallways. His sandals clacked on the hard stone floors. He passed altar after alter, quickening into the secret back room, until he found the chief priest preparing his white ceremonial garments. And he fought, He said, with a bow. The chief priest wrapped his head in wool and linen scarves. He calls himself a rabbi, doesn't he? The rabbi replied darkly. The chief priest's face coiled in disgust blasphemy. 00:13:16 Speaker 5: Perhaps it's time we did something about this, Jesus of Nazareth, much too early for that. Arrange for a dinner. Invite Jesus. I want our highest ranking officials to see what you have seen. 00:13:34 Speaker 1: We need to be of one mind of going forward. The ruler bowed his head, then turned to conspire against Jesus. 00:13:46 Speaker 4: Do you remember that teacher in high school that made learning fun? They were edgy, cool, making their lessons interactive. This was the type of teacher Jesus was only like a million times better in our story. Today, Jesus is performing his role as a rabbi by teaching, and he's engaging the lesson starts as any other would a reading from the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament in the Bible, sometimes called the Pentituke. But Jesus isn't like any other rabbi. Though he would begin by reading from the scriptures, he would speak of a deeper truth with authority as the word of God, and he would do whatever it took to drive this point home. The Pharisees had many problems with Jesus, but the easiest way for them to catch him in what they considered wrongdoing was to wait for him to do something that they classified as work on the Sabbath. What's ironic is that these Pharisees ended up adding so much mental work in labor into trying to catch Jesus in wrongdoing on the Sabbath. They were adding to the frenetic and anxious energy of the room by accusing Jesus constantly of doing something wrong. If they had been listening at all, they would have found rest for their souls. But instead they were sin sniffers, always seeking something out that's wrong. This is the quality of a legalistic believer. They are often more concerned about adherence to rules than they are truly embodying the character of God. If they were really concerned about the law, if they were really concerned about honoring the Lord, they would be listening to Jesus and truly trying to discover how to act and how to move with the heartbeat of faith. But they were sinsniffers. They were legalistic. All they were concerned about was how many rules they could follow that other people couldn't. Beware of the trap of legalism, my friends, it's an anxious path, because if you are in constant motion trying to adhere to this law, to this law, and follow every single rule to a tee and create all these boundaries for your life, you might find yourself in such a bitter and angry place that you're actually missing the character of God altogether. In contrast to how wound up the Pharisees are, we see this woman who was unwound by Jesus. I want you to imagine for a second what it must have been like for her to be chronically hunched over for this demonic force to keep her downwards. This is what the enemy wants from us. He wants to us punched down. He wants us looking downwards instead of looking up. He wants to hinder our reach upwards towards God by any means possible. Whether it's addiction, whether it's addiction and substance abuse, whether it's pornography, whether it's toxic relationships or constant cycles of greed and workoholism. The enemy wants you looking down. He wants you curled into yourself, unable to look Jesus in the eyes. But Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, gives this woman rest he gives this woman relief. I don't know about you, but when I was listening to this story, I just rolled my shoulders back and thanked God that I was able to actually stand upright. Jesus wants to relieve you of anything that's hindering your reach upward. He wants to loosen all the sinews in your back so that you can walk straight and forward the path that He has before you receive his rest. Stop being hindered by legalism like the Pharisee, and stop being hindered by whatever the enemy is trying to drag you down with step into freedom that the Lord has for you today