Seven Sabbath Miracles

Over the centuries, the Jewish religious leaders had added rule after rule to God’s law. For example, God’s law said the sabbath is a day of rest (Exod. 20:10-11), but the religious leaders added to that law, creating one that said, “You cannot heal on the Sabbath” because it is work.

Seven times Jesus healed on the Sabbath. In doing this, He was challenging these religious leaders to look beyond their rules to their true purpose – to honour God by helping those in need. Would God have been pleased if Jesus ignored these people?

Here are the seven distinct Sabbath miracles:

1. Jesus sends a demon out of a man – Mark 1:21-28
2. Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law – Mark 1:29-31
3. Jesus heals a lame man by the pool of Bethesda – John 5:1-18
4. Jesus heals a man with a deformed hand – Mark 3:1-6
5. Jesus restores a crippled woman – Luke 13:10-17
6. Jesus heals a man with dropsy – Luke 14:1-6
7. Jesus heals a man born blind – John 9:1-16

Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

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The Problem: we all have done things that are wrong, and we have failed to obey God’s laws. Because of this we have been separated from God our Creator. Separation from God is death; but, by ourselves, we can do nothing to become united with God.

Why Jesus Could Help: Jesus was not only a man; He was God’s unique Son. Because He never disobeyed God and never sinned, only He can bridge the gap between the sinless God and sinful mankind.

The Solution: Jesus freely offered His life for us, dying on the cross in our place, taking all our wrongdoing upon Himself, and saving us from the consequences of sin – including God’s judgment and death.

The Results: Jesus took our present and future sins upon Himself so that we could have new life. Because all our wrongdoing is forgiven, we are reconciled to God. Furthermore, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the proof that His substitory sacrifice on the cross was acceptable to God, and His resurrection has become the source of new life for whoever believes that Jesus is the Son of God. All who believe in Him may have this new life in union with Him.

God's Unusual Communication Methods

One of the best ways to understand God’s willingness to communicate to people is to note the various methods, some of them quite unexpected, that He has used to give His message. Following is a sample of them and the people He contacted:

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Jacob, Zechariah, Mary, Shepherds — contacted by angels — Genesis 32:22-32, Luke 1:13, 30, 2:10

Jacob, Joseph, Baker, Cup-Bearer, Pharaoh, Isaiah, Joseph, Magi — contacted in dreams — Gen. 28:10-22, 37:5-10, 40:5, 41:7-8, Is. 1:1, Matt. 1:20, 2:12-13

Belshazzar — contacted via writing on the wall — Dan. 5:5-9

Balaam — contacted through talking Donkey — Numb, 22:21-35

People of Israel — contacted through pillar of cloud/fire — Exod 13:21-22

Jonah — contacted through being swallowed by a fish — Jonah 2

Abraham, Moses, Jesus at His baptism, Paul — verbal contact — Gen. 12:1-4, Exod. 7:8, Matt. 3:13-17, Acts 18:9

Moses — contacted through fire in bush — Exod. 3:2

People of God today — contacted through God’s Son — Heb. 1:1-2