Was Jesus a lawbreaker? Did He violate the Sabbath? What exactly was the Sabbath designed for, and how should we observe it? This will be our focus this weekend and next. The conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders is heating up. Today we make four observations about the Sabbath.

I. The Sabbath Was a Benchmark (v. 23)

II. The Sabbath Became a Burden (vv. 23-24)

III. The Sabbath Needs a Balance (vv. 25-26)

IV. The Sabbath Should Be a Blessing (v. 27)

Learn Your Bible: Read Psalm 37 and meditate on verse 7 as you intentionally choose to “rest in the Lord” this week.

Love Your Neighbor: Ask God to soften the hearts of your unbelieving friends and family members, and invite them to join you at Freedom Celebration next Saturday.

Live in Freedom: Ask the Lord to reveal areas of your life in which you’re anxious and striving rather than resting in His plan and purpose for you.

Jesus was not a religious leader. He was a righteous Leader and a relational Leader. But He was often confronted by the religious leaders of His day because of the obvious differences in both substance and style. It seems that religious people are the hardest to reach with the gospel. Let’s discover why.

I. The Religious Question (v. 18)

II. The Reasonable Explanation (vv. 19-20)

III. The Real Consideration (vv. 21-22)

Learn Your Bible: Using your favorite Bible dictionary or concordance, dive deeper into the parable of the wineskins and “the new covenant in [His] blood” (Luke 22:20).

Love Your Neighbor: Do you know someone who views Christianity as rules, rituals, or religious performance? How can you demonstrate Jesus’ loving heart to them this week?

Live in Freedom: Meditate on Galatians 5:1-6 and ask the Lord to reveal areas of your walk that have become a religious practice rather than a reflection of your relationship with Him.