Did Jesus Break the Sabbath in John 5?

Did Jesus break the Sabbath in John 518. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity high on Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is a radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. We would love to hear from you. Here's her phone number is 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites course you can always email us at questions at core, Christianity.com burst up today let's go to Eric calling him from Iowa Falls, Iowa. Eric what your question for Pastor Israel hey Eric doing well. How are you bird program line question questions churches reported they give you pictures line churches that into line.

Another question I have if you have a Leica tolerance delete locator use a non-nine wafers.

Thank you so much for that question yet.

I mean, the different churches have different practices, generally speaking, with regard to the cop ID. I do think alike at our church we use use wine.

Jesus instituted the meal with wine and typically I say can.

We want to stick with what Jesus did, it's not.

It's not up to us to to change those things around now. People make the case.

Tina will grape juice is still the fruit of the vine and in one sense of the notes and it's you know not alcoholic has been fermented. It's not the drink of celebration really like you getting in the prophets and in the Gospels, which is part of what's been depicted there in the Lord's supper is that you know this this this is the, the, the drink officially go to wedding and typically you know they have bought a line at the table not have bottles of bridge why because it's a celebration it's a feast as it is a time of joy and of course there there is that imagery in the Scripture associated with with wine but but I think that will lead a church that that is using grape juice in there approaching the table with you know that the fate that the God calls us to have in places like prescriptions 11 in a partaking of the Lord supper I don't I don't think God is is rejecting them for those believers and so and so yeah them and then with regard to business is interesting in in the ancient church and still to this day there there disagreements on this unit between the East and the West. For example in that in the church.

There was, I would like we can use unleavened bread, and there are others who are saying you can't use unleavened bread were using leavened bread because you know Jesus Christ is risen from that had that kind would think this is something that Christians of ever really split over at various times and in the history of the church, but there again I don't think that there's anything wrong with having gluten-free bread for those who have intolerance that we do it at the church that now I pastor and so that's what I would say whether I want my concerns and in you.

You hear this on the broadcast is is illicitly answer questions about the Lord's supper from time to time is just that were not warned were not just neglecting what Jesus said were not what I just knows or setting that aside and making it up as we go in Scripture that usually if you know a bad idea, especially when it comes to worship but to give Nate Avina by who in Leviticus chapter chapter 10 regulate their approach the Lord and offer strange fire to the Lord and God strikes them down.

Got got just care that he's worshiped friends, but he cares about how he's worshiped is what Hebrews chapter 12's as you know we we are receiving a kingdom we need, we need to worship God with reverence and all. And that's something I would really love to see the recovered more and more in our churches is that sense of reverence, essence of all that sense of we are coming before a holy God to worship him and to receive the gifts that he's he's giving to us according to his word. I think we need that and and so that's that's something that I'm I'm concerned with. But with regard to your questions and and bread and you know gluten-free bread and grape juice and and whatnot. I think the important thing specifically here is that were approaching God in faith in the Lord's supper and so thank you Eric for your question you may the Lord bless you your listing to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez that you have a question for you can always send us an email at questions at core, Christianity.com or you can leave us a voicemail as well. 833. The core is our number, let's go to Maisie calling in from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Maisie what your question for atrial.

I really appreciate it. I am just wondering. It's probably a pretty basic question about cremation versus burial want to be cremated and what what with the implication that yeah well you know it it's a question that we get with some frequency. Maisie and and so it's not a bad question on this is something that people are really concerned about. I think it's it's it's important for us to get to the bottom of it because you know what were talking about life are talking about death or tongue, but wanted to honor God in one thing I'll say Scripture does have a high view of the body. Sometimes we can have this this false dichotomy the sense that you know like word we when we die, we just go to heaven and were freed from the shackles of our bodies and we get to exist for all eternity in this sort of spiritual state no longer weighed down by by my mild body and and so we can have very negative view of of the body. We can be overly spiritual at times and in Christian circles, but the reality is our our bodies were created by God and ultimately are to be raised again this is this what we hope for this we believe as Christians were not to be in heaven for all eternity in a disembodied state but that were going to be in heaven for a period of time it apart from our bodies, we refer to as the intermediate state and then on the last day, the day of resurrection. God is going to raise us up. All of us and in working to receive new and glorified bodies and live on a new heavens and the new earth then and worship the Lord for for all eternity there in that reality.

God is gonna restore his whole creation. That's were looking forward to and so we as Christians have a high view of the physical world and of the body, because we know that it's the object of God's redemption just just like the soul, and so the question that people have is is it dishonoring to my body and to God to be cremated, as opposed to Deberry. Does that have any bearing even on my internal state and I would say that the answer to that is is no I don't but I don't believe that it is I don't believe that it's you know a desecration of the body thing. This is a wisdom issue for for families to consider and to think about and an end to do you know whatever you feel like is best for for your family and you can do that with a clear conscience were raised again, not on the basis of how we were married, but on the basis of who we trusted and what we were alive noted to have faith in Jesus and my United to him a participant in his death and resurrection. A recipient of his death and resurrection life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That's the most important question in in other religions other civilizations, you know, there was this, this sense of boy. The way that I'm buried as this bearing on my eternal existence you think about the ancient Egyptians, for example, there's this museum here where I live in San Diego I was called the Museum of man for for the longest time and they change the name of it but I love going to it as a child because you would you could see these these mummies to these ancient Egyptian mummies that were there and I was just fascinated by by these mummies need to be information. You know, beneath the beneath the exhibit about their burial practices and how they would be buried with all of these things these trinkets that they hope to take with them in in the afterlife, but the reality is we can't take any of that with us. It's not how were buried that matters. First and foremost, it's whether or not we know the one who is buried and rose again from the dead for our life. And so the other stuff is I think a wisdom issue for you and your family to consider my God.

May God bless you and give you wisdom in this calling is Maisie Meza.

We actually have a free download for you on that topic. It's so cold can a Christian be cremated if you go to core Christianity.com/downloads you can find that so something to help you out as you discuss that issue with your family.

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Let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our listeners. This came in earlier this week from one of her listeners named David do with the word whenever I talk to people God is a person, the person of God. It brings up the problem where people seem to save it will persevere as a human being and so we speak about the three persons of the trip to the house of God whose spirit is a person is person, always relevant to being equal being thank you that question yet getting into some technical language about the Trinity were talking about persons with regard to Trinity were talking about what distinguishes the father the son and the Holy Spirit. So very carefully.

We don't we don't try to directly associate like I got in our human thinking and in how we would define a person or personhood for us as creatures, as human beings and assertive carry that over to God. In fact, that we can't, God is in a different category altogether then then then we are so or doing week when we come up with this language that the language that we have related to the doctor the Trinity 11 God when essence three distinct persons is retaking the revelation of God found in holy Scripture and were trying to were trying to come up with words to describe it in a way that's faithful to God's revelation and and coherent and and make sense and so that the Christians have done for for 2000 years, and in this we get this language from you know that God being three distinct persons, father, son and Holy Spirit one divine essence and throughout the history of the church. The idea of personhood as it relates to God has has been defined in in various ways, but really some some simple definitions that are out there is one individual who talked about the divine person is an individual substance of a rational nature sorting about someone here and it in terms of personhood, and in particular within the Trinity relations between these three persons. The father the son and in the Holy Spirit that communicate to us that there is there's distinction, there's there's a difference with regard to personhood, we can still talk about oneness or unity when were talking about essence power, glory, and again were were were just trying to make sense of what Scripture teaches of the revelation it's given to us in Scripture about God and it's clear when reading the Bible. When we read to the New Testament we read the Gospels even think about the baptism of Jesus were his baptizer, the voice of the father. This is my beloved son, with whom I will please you think that the Holy Spirit hovering over him, and in the form of a dove were told that you have these three distinct persons, who are you, these were nothing but the same person here who are in relation to each other and yet there one God. This is why Jesus is we baptize in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, God baptized into the name of a creature of a created being that were baptized into God, the holy Trinity and so and so we have to be careful that we don't we don't assume that just because we we use that word in our everyday language and speech and talking about humans and creatures that the work work were saying about human beings is is the same is the exaction as when we talk about God. We were talking about something distinct when we talk about the Lord that that the persons of the holy Trinity is that that's that's what I want to say about that and and I would I was saying we think about the Trinity is easy to try to create analogies and illustrations for for you know how to explain the Trinity but but it really is a mystery that's revealed to us in Scripture something called someone write the three persons of holy Trinity were called to adore and worship not to speculate about.

And that's we see also in in Scripture.

So I got help us as Christians and as churches to worship God, the holy Trinity faithfully father son and Holy Spirit, one in essence and undivided.

God bless MM this is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez, we do receive emails here and you can send us your question by email anytime. Here's the email address its questions at core, Christianity.com here's one from a listener named Jason and Israel. He says this did Jesus break the Sabbath in John 518 yeah so you know, turning over to John chapter 5 Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath day. Soon as repeat stories in the Gospels, really Jesus knows that when he does this, we heal somebody on the Sabbath at it.

People are getting upset. In particular, the religious leaders, but he keeps on doing it and then in verse 18 we read. This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God.

The Sabbath commandment is the fourth commandment of the Decalogue given to us as as a people, let me to say that the Bible makes it Apsley clear that Jesus never broke any of the commandments of God, that he was sinless, perfect in his obedience to the law of God. Tempted always. As we are the author of Hebrews says. And yet without sin.

This is what makes Jesus the perfect substitute for us that the that the perfect propitiation for us and for our sins, that he never said he was sinless in through his perfect obedience. We received week we receive salvation. The free gift of God's grace and and mercy and so know Jesus was not breaking the Sabbath he was upsetting the religious leaders though using one of the problems was a religious leaders essentially exalted the law in the ceremonies and Israel above just caring for people, loving people, and Jesus highlights this in other places easily know which of your fear. If your occipital falls into a ditch on the Sabbath. Your child falls into a ditch.

Just I can't climb in there and pick him up or or rescue him because it's the Sabbath day know there are certain things you do on the Sabbath. We might refer to them as works of necessity or works of of of charity things we did. We just have to do in God's providence is needed. This this happened and I and I need to do this in the situation for this is this is very much a work of charity work of necessity that were Jesus on the Sabbath is healing these people who have been captive to sickness or to Satan even and when he does that. When Jesus rescues these lives. The religious leaders bound up in their hypocrisy they get upset that they're so blinded by their sin that what are they doing in verse 18 that there plotting murder there seeking to kill Jesus.

Why because he's healing people.

He's helping people on the Sabbath.

Do you see how backwards. This is Jesus, and his actions exit fulfilling the law of God. What if one of the summer.

The law of God, love God perfectly. Love your neighbor as yourself is loving his neighbor, if you will. By helping this individual. He's not breaking the law. He's fulfilling the law. Ironically, the ones were breaking the Sabbath there in John five throughout the Gospels when they when the raising of a fuss about what Jesus is doing on the Sabbath. It is these people who could care less about their neighbors about those who are suffering and those who are sick. Jesus is showing us what it really looks like not to follow God and to obey the Sabbath and so know Jesus did not break the Sabbath. He was perfect he was sinless, and thank God for that because we are not and we need a perfectness in the Savior. We sure do.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez interesting email Israel from a listener named Joshua. He says something that keeps me from pursuing ministry in the pulpit is my opinion of the scholarship of pastors.

What I mean is I believe a pastor should be a theologian or at least very well studied scholar as well as a pastor, someone who can answer a multitude of questions apply those answers to modern questions as you do. I feel this way because I'll study a topic thoroughly and then here pastor mention it sometimes incorrectly, and I don't want to be the one to lead someone either astray or into false doctrine. What are your thoughts honestly.

I'm also frustrated about these things at times I think.

I think there can be a really low view of the pastoral office and of the kind of training and preparation that should go into go into this but I am. I member when I was in when I was in seminary studying to be a pastor.

I went to grade school and oftentimes they would do just emphasize what you need to go to the doctor and you want to entrust the care of your body to someone who knows what they're talking about.

To someone who has studied physical health right or if you're going to have surgery. You don't want your surgeon to have learned how to do surgery on YouTube.

You know through watching YouTube videos or just sort of reading random sources it that he or she found on their own.

You want someone who has been trained on why because your ear and trusting your body to them well in in the life of the church were in a church in one sense, where entrusting our souls to the care of these shepherds to these pastors and teachers, and elders.

In effect, is what the New Testament says and so these individuals should know what they're talking about when it comes to the Scriptures when it comes to Christian theology when it comes to church history, and that requires I think I think time requires training. It requires diligence and so II done but it's sad. It's is a sad reality that for many people. Just recall themselves of the ministry and and they don't take the time to do those things and oftentimes you will have a situation or somebody in the churches is maybe just a little bit more theological reading than the pastor begins to see things in the church that that better actually, you know, not good. Maybe not in line with Scripture, not in line with the with the Christian faith and begins to ask questions and oftentimes I can get shut down because those pastors who haven't studied very much feel very defensive.

Then SOI I've seen this go poorly. There was an article that I read years ago never forgot it was an NP article.

This is the title. I just I just pulled up as American with no medical training. Ran Center for malnourished Ugandan kids, 105, died it was it was this article I read was an American missionary or somebody who just begs I want to be a missionary and help these kids in Uganda right is sort of romanticized view of missions and go out there and and save people which you know it seems noble, put it in one sense it's a sort of exposes something about our power that the way we view ourselves oftentimes is Americans using fix everything and everyone which which is a promise present. No medical training, and they go out. They want us with one save people, but in the end, because in with her doing its devastating that same thing can happen in the ministry and visit. I just have these these big high views of myself and plans to change the world for Jesus and out and I'm going out there and I'm wielding the sword of the Spirit that to help people, but if you don't know what you're doing. You can actually end up putting folks up pretty bad and so it's so important for us meeting about what will Paul told Timothy study to show yourself approved, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, and so friends as pastors we need to have a very high view of the Scriptures of what it means to study the Scriptures and to present the Scriptures to others were always learning what were never to be perfect, but it is a sobering thing. This is why why James says in James chapter 3 verse one let not many of you be teachers brothers. Knowing that will receive district a stricter judgment. And so God takes us seriously we should take it seriously and we should hold our pastors to a high standard in in terms of you know what what they're teaching because ultimately they are called to steward the mysteries of God, and I pray that you friends are in churches where you have a faithful pastor who's doing that. Who knows what he's talking about is preaching the word faithfully and you should be in the pulpit and if you don't find a church where that is the case that bless thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together