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JANUARY 18

12:8 the Son of Man is Lord even of the 12:15 healed them all. In all of Old Testament
Sabbath. Christ has the prerogative to rule history there was never a time or a person
over not only their man-made sabbatarian who exhibited such extensive healing power.
rules, but also over the Sabbath itself— Physical healings were very rare in the Old
which was designed for worshiping God. Testament.Christ chose to display His deity by
Again, this was an inescapable claim of healing,raising the dead,and liberating people
Deity—and as such it prompted the Pharisees’ from demons. That not only showed the
violent outrage (v. 14). Messiah’s power over the physical and spiritual
realms,but also demonstrated the compassion
of God toward those affected by sin.
5 Or have you not read in the law that on the
Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew
Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you from there. And great multitudes followed
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that in this place there is One greater than the Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned
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temple. But if you had known what this them not to make Him known, that it might
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means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the
would not have condemned the guiltless. For prophet, saying:
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the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
9 Now when He had departed from there, He 18 “Behold! My Servant whom
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went into their synagogue. And behold, there I have chosen,
was a man who had a withered hand. And they My Beloved in whom My soul is well
asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the pleased!
Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. I will put My Spirit upon Him,
11 Then He said to them, “What man is there And He will declare justice
among you who has one sheep, and if it falls to the Gentiles.
into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it 19 He will not quarrel nor cry out,
and lift it out? Of how much more value then Nor will anyone hear His voice in the
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is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to streets.
do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the 20 A bruised reed He will not break,
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man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched And smoking flax He will not quench,
it out, and it was restored as whole as the Till He sends forth justice to victory;
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other. Then the Pharisees went out and plot- 21 And in His name Gentiles
ted against Him, how they might destroy Him. will trust.”
DAY 17:How are we to interpret the Bible when the ancient customs were so different from our own?
Three tools help us in the task of interpreting events that happened so long ago and so far
away: 1) The best interpretive tool in understanding a Bible passage is its immediate context.
Surrounding verses will often yield clues to the observant about foreign or unusual details in a par-
ticular account. 2) One part of the Bible often explains, expands, and comments on another part.
An ever-growing familiarity with all of Scripture will equip a student with significant insight into the
culture of those who lived the history. 3) Some insight can be gained from ancient sources outside
of Scripture, but these only supplement our primary sources in the Bible itself.
Once we are at home in the exotic and unfamiliar contexts of Scripture,we meet people in the
Bible pages who are very much like us.These are not aliens,but our ancestors across the ages.Their
struggles are ours.Their failures are all familiar to us.The God who spoke to them still speaks to us.

January 18 altar there to God, who appeared to you when

you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
2 And Jacob said to his household and to all
Genesis 35:1–36:43
who were with him, “Put away the foreign
Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up gods that are among you, purify yourselves,
35 to Bethel and dwell there; and make an and change your garments. Then let us arise
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