Jesus Heals On the Sabbath. (sermon: Mark 3:1-6) | 02/15/26

Jesus Heals On the Sabbath. (sermon: Mark 3:1-6) | Pax Christian Church 02/15/26 – PAX Christian Church Sermons

This is from the Sunday Gathering worship service at 9AM at PAX Christian Church on 02/15/26We are a non-denominational church in Gardnerville, NV.This week's message is "Jesus Heals On the Sabbath." (sermon: Mark 3:1-6)Speaker: Brian Lucas | Co-Lead Pastor Find out more about PAX: http://paxchristian.church

NOTES:

Mark 3:1-6 NIV

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

JESUS IS LORD OF ALL.
DO GOOD FOR HIS GLORY.

Mark 3:1-2 NIV

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.

THE SABBATH IS MEANT FOR REST AND WORSHIP.

THIS INCLUDES DOING GOOD.

Exodus 31:14 NIV

“ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.

Ezekiel 20:12 NIV

Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy.

THE KEY WORD HERE IS “HOLY”

The root idea of holiness is that of “separation” or “withdrawal.” It is a divine quality, part of the intrinsic nature of God, but absent from a fallen world, perhaps best described as “alienness” in a religious or divine sense. The basic theological problem is that this holy God desires to have fellowship with sinful humans living in a fallen world. Since God cannot become less holy in order to fellowship with humans, they must become more holy (“sanctified”); once gained, holiness may be lessened or contaminated by contact with various proscribed substances (“uncleanness”) and by feeling, thinking, or acting in ways that God has forbidden (“sinfulness”).
…
Yahweh revealed holiness to be his chief attribute (Exod. 15:11; 1 Sam. 2:2; Isa. 6:3; cf. Rev. 4:8) and wanted his followers likewise to be holy. The command to “be holy as I am holy” (Lev. 11:44–45; cf. 1 Pet. 1:15–16) was for all Israelites, not just the priests. The people of Israel were to be separate from the world, a “priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:6; cf. 1 Pet. 2:9). They were to limit their contact with uncleanness and adhere to the commandments of the Mosaic covenant. The Law provided for sacrifices to atone for their sins (Lev. 5:5ff.) and cleansing rituals to remove any uncleanness (e.g., Lev. 14). Holiness was to extend to the tithe, the firstborn and anything else voluntarily dedicated to God (Lev. 27:14–32).
Timothy P. Jenney, “Holiness, Holy,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000), 598–599.

Mark 3:3-4 NIV

Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

Nehemiah 13:15-22 NIV

In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day?Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath.Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

NEHEMIAH STATIONED GUARDS AT THE GATES ON THE SABBATH.
DOING GOOD & PROTECTING AGAINST EVIL IS GOOD ON THE SABBATH.

THE PHARISEES ARE DOING EVIL. = PLOTTING/SCHEMING.
JESUS IS DOING GOOD. = HEALING/SANCTIFYING

Mark 3:5 NIV

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

JESUS IS ANGRY.
Righteous indignation at the Pharisees’ refusal to see the healing as a work of the LORD.

BUT MORE, JESUS IS MOVED WITH COMPASSION.

Mark 3:6 NIV

Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

THEIR SUSPICIONS CONFIRMED, THE PHARISEES NOW SEEK TO KILL JESUS.

TWO RESPONSES TO JESUS:
REJECT AND DENY HIM //OR// WORSHIP AND FOLLOW HIM.

Hebrews 4:9-11 NIV

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of Godfor anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godnot by works, so that no one can boast.For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masterssince you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

JESUS IS LORD OF ALL.
DO GOOD FOR HIS GLORY.

REFLECT: How is God speaking to you through his word today?