First Page
53
Last Page
69
Abstract
The earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ was the full incarnation of his divine identity and mission. However, certain events and situations became windows that allowed his relationship with his Father and his divine mission to be revealed with clarity to those around him. In particular, Jesus saw in the Sabbath a unique and regular opportunity to reveal both his identity and his mission. Likewise, his opponents understood, with almost surprising accuracy and clarity, what he was communicating about himself from his religiously non-conforming actions on Sabbath. However, this was not just a minor ethical scuffle between a well-studied Jesus and some slightly ignorant teachers of the law. Jesus was contending against forces that were actively misrepresenting God. In short, the healing ministry that the Gospels record Jesus performing on Sabbath sheds much light on both Christology and missiology and is a conscious effort to dispel the darkness that had accumulated with regards to the character and work of God.
If it is true, though, that our Christology should inform our missiology and ecclesiology, then the question arises as to whether there is any ecclesiological meaning in Jesus’ Sabbath miracles that would guide our vision and realization of a biblically true and culturally relevant ecclesiology in the 21st century. Since the church is now the body of Jesus, which is spiritually animated by the one and same Holy Spirit to carry out even greater works of the same fundamental nature, it would be natural to assume that Jesus’ Sabbath healings provide ecclesiological precedents for us today in an embryonic form.
Recommended Citation
Östring, Sven
(2024)
"Ecclesiological Meaning in Jesus’ Sabbath Healings,"
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies:
Vol. 20:
No.
1, 53-69.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32597/1553-9881.1556
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jams/vol20/iss1/8
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.32597/1553-9881.1556