The Sabbath day… vs. 1-8

• 1^st – What is the Sabbath… vs. 1
  • From Creation – Genesis 2:3
    • At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath! 
    • The Sabbath can be very confusing subject – we want to open by looking at THREE things:
    • FIRST – the SABBATH was established in the BEGINNING…
    • After the SIX days of creation there was nothing else to be done – the work was completed…
    • So God rested [שָׁבַת] – SABBATH – a word that means to stop working!
    • Just as God worked SIX days to create the World – we are only to work SIX days a week…
    • The SEVENTH day is to rest – it is known as the SABBATH – the FOURTH commandment!
    • Exodus 20:9-10 – “Six days you shall labor and do all your work – but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work…”
  • The Purpose…
    • SECOND – it was a day that God made HOLY [קָדַשׁ] – set apart to remember the LORD!
    • It used to be that EVERYTHING was closed on Sundays…
    • People could not go to the MALL – or out to EAT – it was a day to think about God!
    • I kind of wish we could go back to those days – because now we have a LOT of distractions…
    • People come to church – but it seems like the service is on a TIMER…
    • We CHECK in so we can say we did our part for God this week – then RUSH out the door…
    • But in our BUSY schedule it can be easy to MISS – we exist to KNOW Him!
    • John 17:3 – “This is eternal life – that we may know Jesus!”
  • Day of the Week…
    • THIRD – Saturday is the Jewish SABBATH – from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday…
    • We still have the word SABBATH in Ilonggo – Sabado means SABBATH [day to rest]!
    • We might ask – then why do we come to church on SUNDAY…
    • In the book of Acts the church gathered together on SUNDAYS – Acts 20:7
    • SUNDAY was the FIRST day of the week on the Jewish calendar…
    • They did this to remember the resurrection of Jesus – FIRST day of the week – Luke 24:1
    • That is why we consider SUNDAY – the FIRST day of the week – to be our day of rest!
• 2^nd – Forbidden to Work… vs. 1-2
  • Hungry… vs. 1
    • Jesus disciples were hungry – and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat!
    • Jesus and his DISCIPLES were walking through a FIELD on the SABBATH…
    • The DISCIPLES were HUNGRY – so they began to pick the CORN and eat it!
    • This was allowed by the Law of Moses – Deuteronomy 23:25
    • Anyone could pick food from ANY field so long as it was eaten immediately…
    • The PROBLEM was they were rubbing [cooking] the grain between their hands – Luke 6:1
  • Not Lawful… vs. 2
    • When the Pharisees saw it – they said to [Jesus]:
    • Look Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!
    • The PHARISEES were watching EVERY move of Jesus and His DISCIPLES…
    • And when they saw them COOKING – they began to COMPLAIN to Jesus…
    • Because the DISCIPLES were doing what was NOT allowed [οὐκ ἔξεστιν] on the SABBATH!
    • It is against the LAW of Moses to WORK on the SABBATH – Exodus 20:9-10
    • And the penalty for going WORK was DEATH – Numbers 15:32
    • When Israel was in the WILDERNESS – a man was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath day…
    • The punishment for his crime was to be stoned to DEATH by the people!
  • Defining Work…
    • The challenge was – the Bible said you could NOT work on the SABBATH…
    • But what constituted WORK – that is where the PHARISEES stepped in…
    • They defined what God MEANT when He said you could NOT work [39 do nots]!
    • The PHARISEES taught that it breaks the Sabbath to – pick your nose [reaping]
    • According to the PHARISEES – even turning on a light [kindling] is breaking the Sabbath!
    • Yet nowhere in the Bible are ANY of these rules given by God…
    • And the problem was these ADDED rules – took away from the SIMPLE truth…
    • The SABBATH was meant to be a day set aside [no work] to focus on the LORD!
• 3^rd – Exceptions for work… vs. 3-6
  • King David… vs. 3-4
    • Have you not read what David did when he was hungry he and those who were with him.
    • How he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat.
    • Nor for those who were with him – but only for the priests!
    • Unlike the PHARISEES – who added their OPINION to define what WORK meant [39 do nots]
    • Jesus went back to the WORD of God to find the DEFINITION…
    • He uses THREE examples from the Bible to define what is allowed on the SABBATH…
    • FIRST – did they not KNOW [γινώσκω] what the BIBLE said about David:
    • King David got hungry [like the disciples] – when he was running from Saul
    • He came to the TABERNACLE and asked for FOOD – I Samuel 21:3-6
    • The ONLY food they had were the TWELVE loaves of HOLY [קֹדֶשׁ] Bread [showbread]
    • And ONLY the Priests were allowed to eat the HOLY [קֹדֶשׁ] Bread – Leviticus 24:9
    • Yet in spite of it NOT being allowed [οὐκ ἐξὸν] – David ate the bread because he was Hungry!
    • I am always warry when people give answers by quoting the ideas of MEN…
    • If we want to KNOW what the Bible means – go back to the Bible for the answer…
    • Because the BEST commentary on the Bible – is the BIBLE!
  • The Priests… vs. 5
    • Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple…
    • Profane the Sabbath and are blameless!
    • SECOND – Jesus gave an example from the LAW of Moses…
    • Did the PHARISEES not KNOW [γινώσκω] what the BIBLE said:
    • Numbers 28:10 – “The burnt offering [are] to be presented each Sabbath day.”
    • PRIESTS were required to continue the DAILY offerings – even on the SABBATH…
    • They had to WORK on the SABBATH day – but we INNOCENT [ἀναίτιος] – 2x in NT!
  • Great than the Temple… vs. 6
    • Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple!
    • FIRST – it was OK for DAVID to EAT the Holy [קֹדֶשׁ] Bread from the TEMPLE…
    • SECOND – it was OK for the PRIESTS to WORK on the SABBATH in the TEMPLE…
    • Then the DISCIPLES of Jesus were OK to EAT [work] on the SABBATH…
    • Because Jesus is GREATER than the TEMPLE!
    • The SABBATH was NOT meant to keep men from serving God…
    • It is meant to be a day when they get to FOCUS on the LORD
    • But RELIGION does a good job of taking the BLESSINGS of God and making the BURDENS!
    • RELIGION tells us we HAVE to GIVE [including the amount]
    • Warns us that we must READ [how many chapters] – and go to CHURCH [how many times]
    • But when these things become RULES – we miss the point…
    • It is NOT about what we do for God – it is about knowing a God who did everything for us!
• 4^th – Lord of the Sabbath… vs. 7-8
  • Mercy not sacrifice… vs. 7
    • But if you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.
    • You would not have condemned the guiltless!
    • Jesus gave one LAST example – but this time from the PROPHETS…
    • If the PHARISEES had KNOWN [they did not] what this meant:
    • Hosea 6:6 – “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
    • Then they would NOT have condemned [judged] the INNOCENT [ἀναίτιος]!
  • Straining at a mosquito…
    • Matthew 23:24 – “Blind guides who strain out a [mosquito] and swallow a camel!”
    • The law forbid eating BLOOD – so PHARISEES would gag on a mosquito…
    • They made sure to follow the SMALLEST details of the law…
    • But they missed the MOST important TRUTH of the Word – they missed Jesus!
    • People still JUDGE others over unimportant issues…
    • What DAY of the week someone comes to church – what they WEARS in church…
    • What kind of SONGS they sing at church – or what BIBLE translation they teach from…
    • But what they are MISSING – is that Jesus is what CHURCH should be all about!
    • John 5:39 – “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me.”
  • Son of Man… vs. 8
    • For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath!
    • Jesus is [present] the LORD [κύριος] of the SABBATH [the rest]
    • The PHARISEES thought that the SABBATH was their REST…
    • But the SABBATH was only a SHADOW that was meant to point to the TRUE rest!
    • Colossians 2:16-17 – “Let no one judge you… regarding… sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the substance is of Christ.”
    • If we see the shadow of our best friend do we run up and hug the shadow…
    • But that shadow does tell us our friend is very close!
      
    • It is heavy to my heart to see what some have made church into…
    • A place where people come to learn RULES – and are told WHAT to do…
    • Rather than what it is meant to be – a place to come and MEET Jesus…
    • A place where we can come and find REST for our souls – Matthew 11:29-30

• 2^nd – Breaking the Sabbath… vs. 9-14 
  • 1^st – Testing Jesus… vs. 9-10
    • When He had departed from there He went into their synagogue.
    • Behold there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him saying:
    • Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? – that they might accuse Him!
    • Jesus and his disciples left the PHARISEES to go to CHURCH [synagogue]
    • But there was man there who had a useless hand [withered]
    • The PHARISEES [still following Jesus] looking for something to ACCUSE Him of asked:
    • Is it allowed [ἔξεστιν] to HEAL on the SABBATH day!
    • According to their INTERPRETATION of the Law – you could NOT heal on the SABBATH… 
    • The MOST one could do – would be to save a life if someone was dying…
    • Anything more than that – and it would constitute WORK!
  • 2^nd – Hypocrites… vs. 11-12
    • The sheep… vs. 11
      • Then He said to them: What man is there among you who has one sheep.
      • And if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath – will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
      • Jesus answered with an illustration to show the HYPOCRISY of the PHARISEES…
      • If ANY of them had a SHEEP that fell [future] into a PIT on the SABBATH…
      • Even though it would NOT kill the sheep – they could WAIT until the NEXT day…
      • NONE of them would hesitate to WORK – and get their SHEEP out of the pit…
      • Because SHEEP cost MONEY – they were EXPENSIVE!
    • Doing Good… vs. 12
      • Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?
      • Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath!
      • The obvious answer then the QUESTION – can you HEAL on the SABBATH…
      • YES it is lawful [ἔξεστιν] to do GOOD – because a MAN is far more VALUABLE than a sheep…
      • But Jesus was not done – and asked the PHARISEES what they thought – Luke 6:9
      • If Jesus had the POWER to HELP – and did NOT help – would that be GOOD or EVIL…
      • The PHARISEES refused to answer – Mark 3:4
    • Anger…
      • Mark 3:5 – “[Jesus] looked at them with anger – grieved by the hardness of their hearts.”
      • In their attempt to follow their RULES – the religious leaders had lost sight of LOVE…
      • They would leave a man to SUFFER – rather than let Jesus HEAL…
      • Yet His anger was tempered by His grief – because of the hardness of their hearts…
      • It was their RULES that blinded them – made them HARD hearted…
      • They thought they were serving God by NOT healing a man who was suffering!
      • There was a pastor of a large church who put in NEW carpets…
      • The first Sunday some of the elders put up a sign – NO entrance without shoes…
      • Because many of the POOR that were coming to church – were barefoot…
      • When the pastor arrived – he was FURIOUS – rip OUT the carpet…
      • If a new carpet was going to KEEP people from God – he did NOT want the carpet!
        
        
      • Sadly there are MANY churches today who THINK they are serving God…
      • But all of their RULES do NOT bring people to Jesus – they keep them away…
      • Because people do NOT need to be told what to do…
      • People need to meet the God who can give them the power to do it! 
  • 3^rd – Healing on the Sabbath… vs. 13
    • Then He said to the man: Stretch out your hand.
    • And he stretched it out – and it was restored as whole as the other!
    • Jesus commanded [imperative] the man to stretch out his withered hand – and made it whole…
    • In total Jesus healed SEVEN times on the Sabbath – He did it to make a point…
    • Jesus did not come to FOLLOW the rules of MEN – He came to SAVE them!
    • Many in the CHURCH have gotten lost in TRADITIONS and RULES…
    • They go to Church on Sunday [maybe even twice a week]
    • They take communion every month – they read their Bibles and pray…
    • But never stop to CONSIDER why do they do all these things – they have FORGOTTEN Jesus…
    • The question needs to be asked – why are we here this morning…
    • Are we coming to church because we believe it is what we MUST do…
    • Or are we here because we desire to get to KNOW our savior!
  • 4^th – Pushed too far… vs. 14
    • Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him – how they might destroy Him!
    • The PHARISEES left the CHURCH [synagogue] – and gathered together to PLOT…
    • How they might [subjunctive] be able to DESTROY [ἀπόλλυμι] Jesus…
    • This might seem like an EXTREME reaction to HEALING a man…
    • But Jesus was threatening the very CORE of their power…
    • The RULES of the PHARISEES were how they CONTROLLED the lives men…
    • And Jesus was bringing a message that could set men FREE from their RULES!
    • Too many churches seem to live by the LAW…
    • Pastors from pulpits who tell the people listening the RULES they need to live by…
    • Sadly the motive of many of these pastors is CONTROL…
    • Because the one who makes the RULES – has power over those who FOLLOW them…
    • But the message of the Gospel has the power to set us FREE!
    • John 8:36 – “If the Son makes you free – you shall be free indeed.”