The Words & Works of Jesus Christ: A Study of the Life of Christ by J. Dwight Pentecost

Author:J. Dwight Pentecost
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2016-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

God, the Owner of the vineyard, had planted Israel as His fruitful tree. Jesus Christ was the Vinedresser. For three years He had been calling Israel to repentance, but Israel had not repented to bring forth the fruit of righteousness. Therefore, Israel was to be cut off, that is, brought under national judgment, and this judgment would fall in A.D. 70, when Titus would destroy the city of Jerusalem and the temple. This did not mean the termination of God’s program for Israel, but indicated that Israel would be set aside. Through a new program God would produce fruit for His glory. Christ revealed this new program in Matthew 16:18 when He was in Caesarea Philippi. Later when in Jerusalem He spoke again of the setting aside of Israel to institute a new program through which God would work in the present age (Matt. 21:43).

8. Concerning Israel’s Need

§ 117

Luke 13:10–17

In what was the last recorded incident in a synagogue, Christ, through the miracle of healing, gave a vivid picture of the state of Israel at that time. He revealed what He was prepared to do for the nation if they would turn in faith to Him. While Jesus was teaching, He noticed a pitiful woman in the synagogue. Crippled for eighteen years, she was bent over and unable to walk erect. This woman graphically portrayed Israel’s condition in the sight of God. The law had been given to that nation to reveal the demands of the holiness of God so that the people might walk uprightly before Him. But Israel had ignored the law, and their walk was displeasing to Him. But that the nation’s condition was not hopeless is seen in what Christ did for this cripple. Calling her to Himself, Christ set her free from her infirmity. He touched her and immediately her stooped, bent body was made straight so that she could stand erect again. Christ had been calling the nation to Himself, even as He had called this woman to Himself. He offered to make the nation whole again so that they could walk uprightly before God. But the nation would not come to Him. Thus this was a revelation of Israel’s need and an indication of how that need could be met.

While the woman glorified God because of the deliverance granted to her, the ruler of the synagogue openly repudiated Christ because He had performed this miracle on the Sabbath Day. Christ revealed the hypocrisy of Pharisaic traditionalism. The Pharisees would untie an ox or a donkey and lead it from its stall to water on the Sabbath. They did not deem this work a violation of the Sabbath, for they recognized that works of necessity could be performed on the Sabbath Day. They felt responsible for their animals and provided for their needs. Christ felt responsible for this daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound for eighteen years. He met her need on the Sabbath Day. This one was a daughter of Abraham, not

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