Daughter of Abraham. Prayer Focus. Luke 13: Make notes on the following: Her character. Her sorrow/heartache. Her joy/redemption

Transcription

1 Make notes on the following: Luke 13:10-17 Her character Her sorrow/heartache Her joy/redemption Write a summary of her story Prayer Focus Spiritual bondage is just as common today as it was int he days Jesus walked the earth. And many of us can relate to this woman s story - maybe that s a reason why her birth name was never mentioned. Jesus is in the business of setting the captives free - those of us who are spiritually trapped and chained. He came to set us free. And we need only one touch from Him for those chains to fall from us. However, many of us don t understand the power Jesus has over the enemy. Come to Him and ask Him to set you free once and for all. And then spend time glorifying God for your freedom. Notes:

2 We are going to look at Daughter a daughter today, the. I want to jump right in with some questions about this passage. Read the story about this woman that is found in Luke 13: The. 1. Who do we usually refer to this woman as? What name does Jesus give to her? _ Here is what I find quite fascinating. Whenever this woman is discussed anywhere these days, she is referred to as the infirm woman. We have just come to know her as the frail and sick woman. That is the identity we have given to her collectively. But that s not who Jesus says she is. He calls her by a different name. He addresses her as the. 2. How have others tried to give you your identity? How is it different than the identity Christ has given to you? _ Who does Jesus say you are? _ 3. Read Genesis 15:5-8. What does a person need in order to be a child of Abraham? _ Faith in God. That s it. What do the children of Abraham receive? Now read Genesis 12:2-3. What promise is given to Abraham? Also see Hebrews 11:8. Abraham and his children are blessed, they have been given an inheritance. Read Galatians 3:28, 29. According to this passage, are you a daughter of Abraham?

3 4. Now that you have a little bit more info on Abraham, bring the 2 elements together (blessings of being Abraham s daughter AND the daughter of Abraham as mentioned in Luke). What are your thoughts on this story? Do you see this woman in a different light now? What is Jesus really saying about her? 5. Let s go back to the beginning of this woman s story. How long had she been infirm? Could she make herself well? I reflect on my own life. I had been spiritually ill for many, many years. I tried to make myself well through relationships, sex, faking it, wearing a mask, pretending to be alright...so many ways. None of them worked. Just like this woman, I could not make myself well. It wasn t until I had an encounter with Jesus that I was able to be raised up. 6. What kind of infirmity did this woman have? She had a spirit of infirmity. Her problem was a spiritual one that manifested physically. Now, not every physical issue we have is the result of a spiritual problem, but we would be foolish to not consider this perspective - it is in Scripture for a reason! This woman was bent over for 18 years. That s a long time to be staring down at the dust. But, really, how many of us are living like this every single day, in a spiritual sense? How many of us walk around in spiritual bondage? How many of us walk around hopeless and in despair? I believe that there is only a very small number of us who truly walk in the freedom of Christ - the freedom He paid for on the Cross. How are you walking these days? 7. Satan is a deceiver. Somehow, he had done quite a number on this woman. Just as he can do to us. He spiritually (and physically) paralyzed her for almost 2 decades! It wasn t until she had an encounter with Jesus that she was set free.

4 Sometimes, we think that freedom takes a considerable amount of time. We doubt the power of Jesus. But it took just one touch from Him for her to be free. Yes, I think we still need to do some work after we are initially set free because our enemy will try to put those chains back on us, but when we are free, we are free indeed! We need to hold fast to that promise. So, my friend, is there something you need to be set free from today? Allow Jesus to lay His healing hand upon you and set you free, once and for all. And then never let go of that freedom - choose to live a life that glorifies Him. _ 8. What issue did the ruler of the synagogue have with what Jesus just did? _ The ruler was upset because it was the Sabbath day and Jesus did work. These Jewish leaders held very close to their rules and customs. Too tightly. 9. What was Jesus response? _ It was kind of like, Are you an idiot? Don t you even let loose your animals to let them have a drink on the Sabbath? Come on, use your head! Jesus was gentle with the woman, but He was not gentle with the ruler! Jesus is not bound by the Jewish traditions, customs, and rules! Thank goodness for that! Jesus longs to show mercy to this woman, unlike the synagogue ruler. When we are bound by rules, religion, and traditions, we fail to display God s mercy. When we are ruled by love, mercy is a natural fruit. How have you seen the battle between these 2 ideas fought out? Also see Luke 4:16-19 for Jesus mission here on earth (and for today). _ 10. Jesus explains the origin of her problem. Who caused her to be infirm? Satan bound her up - 18 years previous. We don t know how or why - we don t know if she fell into sin or if she was sinned against - we just know who the culprit was. Satan. And we know the cure. Jesus. 11. Often times, true meaning gets lost in translation. Jesus used the Greek word for

5 ought when He explained Himself to the ruler. When I think of this word, I think in terms of should be. The Greek word is actually much more intense. It means: it is necessary, is right & proper. A necessity of duty. A necessity established by the counsel and decree of God, especially by that purpose of his which relates to the salvation of men by the intervention of Christ and which is disclosed in the Old Testament prophecies. This word is even used in reference to what Christ endured for our salvation ~ His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. It is the same, urgent ought. How does this new information think about this story differently? How do you see Jesus differently? Do you think that maybe He has the same sense of critical urgency to whatever is holding you back from being who you were created to be? Share your thoughts. 12. Jesus knew she was in bondage for 18 years and He knew exactly who did it to her. She did not tell Him this. How did He know? What does this tell you about your own life? Can anything be hidden from Him? Does He know every single thing about you? Jesus knows every. single. thing. about you. Even that thing you are trying to hide from everyone, including yourself. He already knows. So, why don t you just bring it into the Light of Christ for His healing touch? In the words of the Redeemer: Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. Write down any additional thoughts or insights you might have. Include anything you think the Lord has spoken to you.

6 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Isaiah 61:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. Psalm 91:14-15