TUESDAY, JANUARY 23
Luke 4:14-21
Matthew 5:3-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

THE SABBATH

Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, honoured this holy day with His presence in the synagogue. His presence was not for the sake of attendance but to read the Scriptures that declared the truth about Him. He expounded the Scriptures and taught the people publicly. They were astonished at His doctrine and wondered at His gracious words. Jesus preached and taught God’s Word, the inspired and inerrant Scripture. Jesus revealed the prophecies about Him from the Scriptures and taught the people how He fulfilled them. It was the acceptable time of the Lord, the time of redemption, which was dependent on the purpose, or good pleasure, of God. It was the time which He willed and fixed for the redemption of His people.

The people were struck by the words of Jesus. The audience were the poor inhabitants of Nazareth. The Bible describes these poor people as the broken, captives, blind, and bruised (Luke 4:18). They were oppressed by so many spiritual miseries, poverty, blindness, slavery, and death. The Lord encouraged them by His life-giving light, to rescue them from the mires of spiritual depravity and the deep abyss of hell. He promised restoration of complete blessedness unto all them who believed in Jesus.

Those whom the Lord rescues are commanded to honour the Lord’s Day by hearing of the Word of God and worshipping Him together with fellow believers (Heb 10:25). Nothing is better than spending the Sabbath Day in God’s house studying God’s Word with God’s people. His Word declares clearly that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Sadly, like the people in those days, the majority today are still rejecting the truth. It is important for Christians to be knowledgeable in God’s Word, that we may be guided and led in this dark and troubled world (Ps 119:105). The Christian needs to be discerning because the devil is doing his best to deceive knowing that his days are numbered.

THOUGHT: Do I worshipfully come to the Lord on His Sabbath?
PRAYER: Father of mercies and abundant grace, keep me mindful always of who I really am when I come to worship Thee.