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Putting God first assures us that we will be ushered into restoration, edification, stability, and tranquility...R.E.S.T.
Regardless of which day a person observes their Sabbath day of rest, it must be had constantly and consistently, week to week. In the last blog I wrote about what the Sabbath Day represents and how it is intended to be observed from person to person. Each individual honors the Lord in the day of rest they choose to cease from working; in turn, receiving a fresh revelation from God, as well as physical restoration. The Bible is full of scripture that alludes to the Sabbath Day, but what does Jesus Christ Himself say about this special day?
Compassion, value, and Restoration
What does Jesus Himself say about the day of Sabbath? Let’s observe a few scriptures that shed some light on His idea of what the Sabbath truly is and does.
Sidenote: In the New American Standard Bible (NASB), an asterisk indicates a verb that was originally a historical present in Greek but was translated to a past tense in English to conform to modern usage.
Matthew 12:1-13
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions— 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? 6 But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Lord of the Sabbath
8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might bring charges against Him. 11 But He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. (NASB)
Now let’s compare this to an abbreviated version which is in Mark 2:23-28 & Luke 6:6-11.
Mark 2:23-28
23 And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.” (NASB)
Luke 6:6-11
6 On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught; and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 Now the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse Him. 8 But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. 11 But they themselves were filled with senseless rage, and began discussing together what they might do to Jesus. (NASB)
Scriptural Reflection
According to Mosaic Law, intentionally working on the Sabbath was a capital offense punishable by death by stoning. Exodus 31:14 declares Sabbath desecration as a capital offense, and Numbers 15:32-36 recounts the stoning of a man for gathering wood on the Sabbath. Exodus 20:8-11 emphasizes that the Sabbath is a gift from God, and no work should be done on that day. Rubbing grain in their hands was one of these violations of work on the Sabbath.
However, Jesus shifts the narrative, ushering in a new covenant of grace and mercy, rather than death with this statement in verse 7: “But if you had known what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” With the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, being the Lord of the Sabbath - He is declaring the gospel of a new age, one of redemption and value.
In verse 10, Jesus is asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Jesus’ response not only obliviates not doing work on the Sabbath but adds value to mankind with this statement in verse 12, “How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Jesus makes it clear that “doing good”, even if it’s considered work, is not only permissible but expected under His law of love. Jesus’ law of love trumps the Old Testaments laws of labor.
As the Lord of the Sabbath, this language presents us with the true motive behind Jesus’ “labor of love” in the synagogues on the Sabbath. We see often that Jesus enters the synagogues on the weekly Sabbath day and performs some speech or act of truth and restoration. As the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus has become the Sabbath, for the weekly Sabbath day was just a shadow of Jesus Christ, Who is the believers Sabbath today.
Luke's account in chapter 6 and Mark’s account in chapter 3 concerning these events took it a step further. We see that Jesus asks the scribes and Pharisees a question that shamed them and drove them to “senseless rage”: “And Jesus said to them, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” When attempting to trap Jesus in the penalty of the law, Jesus offers a living testimony to His sovereignty over the true rest of the Sabbath.
The Fulfillment of the Sabbath Exists only in Christ
Jesus reveals Himself to be One Who intends to give life and not destroy it. Though they attempted to entrap Jesus and take His life, He continued seeking ways to produce restoration and abundance of life. Anything we do in Christ, we do in the Sabbath Himself. Therefore, it is lawful to do good at all times, regardless of the day because we’ve entered the life-giving rest of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, Savior, and Sabbath.
Luke 4:16-21
16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,And recovery of sight to the blind,To set free those who are oppressed,
19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
20 And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. 21 Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (NASB)
Scriptural Reflection
Again, it was Jesus’ custom to enter the synagogue on the Sabbath. On this particular Sabbath, He makes the connection between Him being the Messiah and being the Sabbath. It’s amazing how Jesus operated within the Old Testament covenant of the Sabbath to bring about the New Testament covenant of the Sabbath. Jesus proclaimed on this Synagogue Sabbath Saturday the rest that He began and would rise to perfectly fulfill eternally on Resurrection Sunday.
God Desires our Restoration to him & Healing of the Nations
John 5:1-18
8 Jesus *said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.
Now it was a Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is a Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14 Afterward, Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and informed the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
Jesus’ Equality with God
18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. (NASB)
Scriptural Reflection
Time and time again, Jesus makes it clear that the Sabbath is a time of healing. Anytime the Lord is present, access to His power is not only available but evident. Not only does the Lord heal but He instructs. The rest this crippled man walked into was a cure. Jesus told him not to sin anymore so that nothing worse would happen to him. The crippled man was made well, instructed, mobilized, and sent off to spread the good news that our Heavenly Father is working.
What does this mean for us today? As believers in Jesus Christ, we currently dwell in this Day of the Lord, an age of rest that foreshadows the perfected rest we’ll obtain in eternity through our glorification in Christ at the end of this age. Not only has Jesus given us the Word and power to be cured today but He has also instructed us on what to do with that healing. Just like the man who was crippled but was made whole, we are forgiven of our sins, instructed to turn away from wickedness, and transition away from the circumstances that once bound us in slavery to sin.
Jesus said that the Father is working now! Jesus Himself is working now! With His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we should be working now! How? Working in the rest of the Lord. This is a day-to-day operation of active rest. Now it makes sense what Jesus said in John 9:4, “4 We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” As Christ enables us to see Him as God’s manifested glory, we can lead the lost who are blinded by sin to the light of the Lord’s redemption.
2 Corinthians 9:8 assures us that we can abound in good works due to the abundance of grace God provides for us. Matthew 6:34 encourages us to rely fully on the Lord from day to day by not worrying about tomorrow because the grace we’ve been given is for the day at hand. We can rest assured that the Lord is keeping us as we perpetually rest in the ongoing power of Jesus Christ, as our everlasting Sabbath.
Thoughts For the Road
With each verse we’ve reviewed, we see how Jesus Himself has given us insight concerning the true nature of the Sabbath. Jesus is the embodiment of the Sabbath. This means that we cease from all work so that we can seek His face, balance our equilibrium, and gain all the nutritional values we need in order to thrive in the will of the Lord. The momentum of our success and livelihood is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Make sure to stay tuned in for this next blog post so you don't miss out on your word of encouragement...In my next and final blog in this R.E.S.T. series, we'll further evaluate how to intimately engage with the Lord during our Sabbath's. In order to remain whole, healed, honorable, and productive, we must observe and hold fast to the confidence needed in Christ to enter His rest boldly. Thank you and God bless!
Scripture of Emphasis:
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
Thank You and God Bless!
Thank you for reading this blog. Your support and contribution is treasured here. Please continue to share this content so that God may work through us to be a benefit to others. I invite you to leave a comment and stay tuned in for the next blog. I pray that this blesses you and honor’s God. Let’s continue growing together as Kingdom Citizens in Christ. Show love, be kind, and trust in God. Thank you and God bless.
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