<p>Today we learn about how Jesus kept the Sabbath and what it really means to “keep the Sabbath holy.” “When we look on the sun and the stars, the trees and the beautiful flowers, we should remember that Christ made them all.”</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Starting with Jesus

Ruthie Reeves

The Story of Jesus

Chapter 1: The Birth of Jesus

Chapter 2: Jesus Presented in the Temple

Chapter 3: The Visit of the Wisemen

Chapter 4: The Flight into Egypt

Chapter 5: Child Life of Jesus

Chapter 6: Days of Conflict

Chapter 7: The Baptism

Chapter 8: The Temptation

Chapter 9: Early Ministry

Chapter 10: Teachings of Christ

Chapter 11: SabbathKeeping

Chapter 12: The Good Shepherd

Chapter 13: Riding into Jerusalem

Chapter 14: Take These Things Hence

Chapter 15: At The Passover Supper

Chapter 16: In Gethsemane

Chapter 17: The Betrayal and Arrest

Chapter 18: Before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin

Chapter 19: Judas

Chapter 20: Before Pilot

Chapter 21: Before Herod

Chapter 22: Condemned by Pilot

Chapter 23: Calvary

Chapter 24: Death of Christ

Chapter 25: In Joseph’s Tomb

Chapter 26: He Is Risen

Chapter 27: Tell My Disciples

Chapter 28: Witnesses

Chapter 29: The Ascension

Chapter 30: Coming Again

Chapter 31: A Day of Judgment

Chapter 32: The Home of the Saved

Hello, boys and girls. Welcome back to the story of Jesus. I'm so glad you're here today. Yesterday we learned about the Sermon on the Mountain and how to live more like Jesus. Today we're going to learn about a special day that Jesus kept and how we can keep it too. So grab a fuzzy blanket and your favorite stuffed animal because it's time to follow Jesus. This is the story of Jesus by Ellen White, chapter 11, Sabbath, keeping the state. You're kept the Sabbath and taught his disciples to keep it. He knew how it should be kept for he himself had made it holy. The Bible says, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day where for the Lord, blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Christ had worked with his father in creating the earth and he had made the Sabbath. The Bible says that all things were made by him. When we look at the sun and the stars, the trees, and the beautiful flowers, we should remember that Christ made them all. And he made the Sabbath to help us keep in mind his love and power. The Jewish teachers had made many rules about the way to keep the Sabbath, and they wanted everyone to obey their rules so that they watched the Savior to see what he would do. One Sabbath as Christ and his disciples were going home from the synagogue, they passed through a field of grain. It was late and the disciples were hungry, so they broke off some of the heads of grain and rubbed them in their hands and ate the kernels. On any other day, one passing through a field or an orchard was allowed to gather what he wanted to eat, but it was not so on the Sabbath. Christ's enemies saw what the disciples were doing and they said to the Savior, behold your disciples do that, which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. But Christ defended his followers. He reminded his accusers of David, who when in need had eaten of the sacred bread of the tabernacle and had given it to his hungry followers. If it was right for David when hungry to eat the sacred bread, then was it not right For the disciples when hungry to pluck the grain on the sacred hours of the Sabbath, the Sabbath was not made to be a burden to man. It was to do him good, to give him peace and rest. Therefore, our Lord said the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 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 and the scribes and Pharisees watched him whether he would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts and said to the man, which had the withered hand rise up and come forward in the midst. And he arose and came forward 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? And when he had looked around about them with anger being grieved for the heartness of their hearts, he said unto the man, stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it out and his hand was restored whole as the other, and they were filled with madness and talked one with another what they might do to Jesus. The Savior showed how unreasonable they were by asking them a question. And he said unto, 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 of it and lift it out? This they could not answer. So he said, how much then is a man better than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. It is lawful. That is, it is according to the law. Christ never reproved the Jews for keeping this law of God or for honoring the Sabbath. On the contrary, he ever upheld the law in all its completeness. Isaiah prophesied of Christ. He will magnify the law and make it honorable to magnify us to make larger, to raise to a higher position. Christ magnified the law by showing in every part its wonderful meaning. He showed that it is to be obeyed not only in the actions which are seen by men, but in the thoughts which are known only to God, to those who claim that he came to set aside the law. He said, think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. To fulfill means to keep or perform. So when he came to be baptized by John the Baptist, he said, thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. To fulfill the law is to obey it perfectly. God's law can never be changed. For Christ said, till heaven and earth pass one shot or one tittle shall in know wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. When he asked the question, is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it? Christ showed that he could read the hearts of the wicked Pharisees who accused him while he was trying to save life by healing the sick. They were trying to destroy life by putting him to death. Was it better to slay upon the Sabbath as they were planning to do than to cure the suffering ones as he had done? Was it better to have murder in the heart on God's holy day than to have love toward all men? Love, which is shown in kindness and deeds of mercy? Many times the Jews charged Christ with breaking the Sabbath. Often they tried to kill him because he did not keep it according to their traditions. But this made no difference with him. He kept the Sabbath as God wanted it to be kept in Jerusalem there was a large pool of water called Bethesda. At certain times, this pool was troubled. The people believed that an angel of the Lord went down into it and stirred the waters and that the first one who stepped in after the waters were stirred would be cured of whatever disease he had. Great numbers of people came to the place hoping to be cured, but most of them were disappointed At the moving of the waters. There was such a crowd that many could not even get to the edge of the pool. One Sabbath day, Jesus came to Bethesda. His heart was filled with pity. As he saw the poor sufferers there. One man seemed more wretched than the others. For 38 years, he had been a helpless cripple. No doctor could cure him. Many times he had been brought to Bethesda, but when the waters were troubled, another would step in before him. On this Sabbath, he tried once more to reach the pool. But in vain, Jesus saw him as he cret back to the mat, which was his bed. His strength was almost gone. Unless help should come soon, he must die. As he lay thus now and then lifting his eyes to look at the pool, a loving face bent over him and he heard a voice say, would you be made whole? The man answered Soly. Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool, but while I am coming another step down before me, he did not know that the one beside him could heal. Not one only, but all who should come to him. Christ said to the man, rise, take up your bed and walk. At once he tried to obey the command and strength came to him. He sprained to his feet and found that he could stand and could walk. What a delight it was. He took up his bed and hurried away praising God at every step. Soon he met some of the Pharisees and told them of his wonderful cure. They did not seem glad, but reproved him for carrying his bed on the Sabbath day. The man told them, he that made me whole. The same said to me, take up your bed and walk. Then they were no longer displeased with him, but they blamed the one who told him to carry his bed on the Sabbath day at Jerusalem where the Savior now was. Many of the learned rabbis lived here. Their false ideas about the Sabbath were taught to the people. Great numbers came to the worship at the temple and thus the Rabbi's teachings was spread far and wide. Christ wished to correct these heirs. This was why he healed the man on the Sabbath day and told him to carry his bed. He knew that this act would attract the attention of the rabbis and thus would give him an opportunity to instruct them. So it proved the Pharisees brought Christ before thee. Hedron, the chief counsel of the Jews to answer the charge of Sabbath breaking the Savior declared that his action was in harmony with the Sabbath law. It was in harmony with the will and work of God. My father has been working until now. He said, and I work. God works continually in sustaining every living thing. Was his work to cease upon the Sabbath day? Should God forbid the Son to fulfill its office on the Sabbath, should he cut off its rays from warming the earth and nourishing vegetation? Should the Brooks stay from watering the fields and the waves of the sea, still they're ebbing and flowing? Must the wheat and maze stop growing and the trees and flowers put forth no but or blossom on the Sabbath? Then man would miss the fruits of the earth and the blessings that sustain his life. Nature must continue her work or man would die, and man also has a work to do In this day. The necessities of life must be attended to the sick, must be cared for, and the wants of the needy must be supplied. God does not desire his creatures to suffer an hour's pain that may be relieved on the Sabbath or any other day. Our own work the law forbids us to do on the rest day of the Lord. The toil for our livelihood must cease. No labor for worldly pleasure or prophet is lawful upon that day. But the Sabbath is not to be spent in useless and activity as God ceased from his labor of creating and rested upon the Sabbath. So we are to rest. He bids us, lay aside our daily occupations and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds to be continued. It's time for our questions. Question number one, what should the Sabbath day be spent doing? What should the Sabbath day be spent doing? Question number two was the Sabbath made for man or man for the Sabbath? Question number three. What did Jesus tell the man to do when he healed him at the pool of Bethesda? What did he tell him to do? You can send your answers to us at a place to do something@gmail.com or you can tag us at a place to do something on Instagram or Facebook. We love to see your answers and to see how you are participating in the program. And don't forget to check out the activity for today at a place to do something.com/the story. We hope you've been enjoying 'em and share what you've been doing with us on Instagram or Facebook. You can tag us and show us what you've been doing and make sure to come back tomorrow for the next chapter in the story of Jesus. This audio program was brought to you by a place to do something and narrated by Ruthie Reeves. You can find more programs like this at www.aplacetodosomething.com.

Ellen G. White

Book

The Story of Jesus

Chapter 11: SabbathKeeping

Read by Ruthie Reeves

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Other Teachings in Series

Chapter 1: The Birth of Jesus

Chapter 2: Jesus Presented in the Temple

Chapter 3: The Visit of the Wisemen

Chapter 4: The Flight into Egypt

Chapter 5: Child Life of Jesus

Chapter 6: Days of Conflict

Chapter 7: The Baptism

Chapter 8: The Temptation

Chapter 9: Early Ministry

Chapter 10: Teachings of Christ

Chapter 11: SabbathKeeping

Chapter 12: The Good Shepherd

Chapter 13: Riding into Jerusalem

Chapter 14: Take These Things Hence

Chapter 15: At The Passover Supper

Chapter 16: In Gethsemane

Chapter 17: The Betrayal and Arrest

Chapter 18: Before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin

Chapter 19: Judas

Chapter 20: Before Pilot

Chapter 21: Before Herod

Chapter 22: Condemned by Pilot

Chapter 23: Calvary

Chapter 24: Death of Christ

Chapter 25: In Joseph’s Tomb

Chapter 26: He Is Risen

Chapter 27: Tell My Disciples

Chapter 28: Witnesses

Chapter 29: The Ascension

Chapter 30: Coming Again

Chapter 31: A Day of Judgment

Chapter 32: The Home of the Saved

Sound Doctrine