John 7:19-24

John 7:19-24 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

Jesus understood the hearts of the people whenever He dealt with them. When He pointed out that Moses gave them the law, He felt safe in his conclusion that not one of you keeps the law. He knew the governing body even wanted to murder him, a violation of the sixth commandment. He also rightly discerned the circumcision of a baby boy on the Sabbath to make him right with God would, under the law, be judged as work. Jesus was implying if circumcision is acceptable on the Sabbath, for it makes a person holy and righteous in God's eyes, why would you not want to restore a man to perfect health on the Sabbath and do away with the effects of sin on his life. Jesus was asking them to make correct judgments about what is good and what is evil. Making a man whole and complete and reclaiming what sin has robbed from him on the Sabbath was a righteous and holy act, not a sinful or evil act according to Christ's judgment.

Once again we see Jesus exposing the law as judgmental rather than efficacious, as a mirror of the sins of mankind and not as an answer or a cure. The law is good, but it does not make a way or provide an answer for doing good. If a person's action violates the letter of the law or even appears to be in violation according to the observers or interpreters of the law, the only answer is judgment, punishment, and rejection of the individual who stands in judgment. Jesus did a good action by healing a man on the Sabbath, yet he was judged harshly by the Pharisees for doing work on the Sabbath. Faced by his accusers, Jesus brought in a new revelation, a new testament: men would no longer live by the letter of the law, which could not make any allowance for doing good or for good intentions or for the attitude of the heart. Following Christ's death and resurrection, believers would live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4) As the writer of Hebrews says, Christ became the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

As Jesus taught God's grace, the Spirit brings this message today: the doctrines of men, the cares of life, selfish desires, and just plain foolishness distract us and lead us astray when God seeks people of the Word, children of the Spirit, not people bound by unbelief, anger, doubt, fear, or a set of rules. Jesus said, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35) As Paul so succiently states: But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6) We are not accountable to the law, but to the Spirit of God who dwells within us. As new creatures through Christ's work on the cross and the power of the resurrection, we are holy containers of his Spirit who live in newness of life. The law no longer binds us to the realm of right or wrong, acceptable or not acceptable. We are bound to Christ, acceptable IN HIM--our hope, our resurrection life. Because of him, we dwell in heavenly places right now and forever. God wants us to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord. He desires the Holy Spirit to have greater freedom in our lives and to touch the lives of others. As Paul reminded the church in Galatia: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25) If you have to get out of bed, jog, run, ride a bike, or catch a bus, keep in step. God loves you. He has good fruit for you today.