A Sabbath Made For Man

Introduction

I remember when I was in basic training, down in Fort Benning Georgia, a beautiful place. I began basic training towards the end of the summer and moving into fall, it was beautiful there, surrounded by nothing but tall trees and forested land. But, as nice as it was, I was not there for vacation or to take in all the scenery. I was there to be transformed into a soldier and that was not an easy task.

Basic training was meant to be hard and because it was hard, we would try all kinds of things to get out of cleaning or training for even just a day. Just a single day of rest is all we wanted. One of the ways we did this was to go to church on Sunday (I can feel the judgement now). The drill instructor would come down screaming at us, asking who wanted to go to church and a whole group of young men would line up ready to go in there Sunday best PT uniforms.

Now, the drill Sargents were not blind to what was happening, but they could not deny us our time in church, so long as we were not in the field for training exercises. So, for many of us, it was a day of rest, but for all the wrong reasons, it was selfish and had nothing to do with God. So, before we get into todays text, I want us to take a moment and look at what the Sabbath actually is and why the Pharisees seem to make a big deal out of it.

What is the Sabbath?

Lets go back to Genesis 2:1-3 for just a moment and see the very first instance of the Sabbath day.

Genesis 2:1–3 ESV

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The Sabbath day is a day, instituted and consecrated by God for God, where man was to find rest with God from all their works. This was generally observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening. In the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, the Sabbath day is described like this.

The Sabbath served the twofold purpose of being a day set apart for the worship of God (Exod. 31:13–17) as well as for the rest and recreation of man, esp. slaves, and cattle (Deut. 5:14).

F. L. Cross; E. A. Livingstone

It was a good and holy day created for mankind and like all good things, after the fall, we corrupted it with our own sinfulness. We took what was good and holy, and overtime began to place our own laws and traditions on top of it.

Let us fast forward a bit to Exodus 31:14 and we will see a law given to Moses by God, because man had taken what God gave them and corrupted it.

Exodus 31:14 ESV

You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Because the Sabbath day was holy, to break it was a capital offense. Now, over time the religious leaders began to make their own laws, in an attempt to protect the holy day. In their own zealous way, the Pharisees were following their own precepts, sometimes at the expense of life and mercy, which in no way jeopardized the Sabbath but rather dignifies the Sabbath by keeping with the true essence of the day. In the Mishna, a Jewish book sort of like a catechism, there are about 39 specific acts forbidden on the Sabbath. For example, you were not allowed to travel more than a 1,000 cubits on the Sabbath, you could not dust your house, and women were not even allowed to wear perfume or else they would be in violation of breaking the Sabbath. The Jews would selfishly even use the Sabbath to get out of military exercises, just like I did in the army. Because it was a holy day, no one could deny them the opportunity to observe the Sabbath. But, these were not laws given by God, they were mans attempt at keeping what God had already made holy, holy.

What we are going to see in todays text is that Jesus is Lord even over the Sabbath. What I men by that, is that if Jesus is Lord, than He is our holy Sabbath. So let’s begin moving through our text today and see this work out.

Read the first portion of the text. Mark 2:23-28

Mark 2:23–28 ESV

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus and the disciples are accused.

What was happening?

Jesus and the disciples were walking to the synagogue on the Sabbath.

As we move into chapter three we will see that Jesus and the disciples are most likely walking to the synagogue, being it was on the Sabbath. It is also probably late summer time as the grain fields seem to be ripe for harvest.

They were picking heads of grain to eat on their way.

Since the grain fields were ripe, the disciples were picking heads of grain, probably to eat, on their way to the synagogue. It is important to understand here that the disciples were well within the law at this point. Let us look at Deuteronomy 23:25 (it should be on the screen for you)

Deuteronomy 23:25 ESV

If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.

A Sickle is just a tool used for reaping, or cutting down a crop. The disciples did not have any sickles in their hands and they were not doing any reaping. Therefore, they were will within the boundaries of the law.

The accusation.

The Pharisees see them picking heads of grain and accuse them of breaking the Sabbath by working.

The approach the Pharisees took regarding the law and more specifically the Sabbath day, was to be overprotective of it and to place their own laws on top of God’s laws. Sometimes, these new laws could be distorted and used for personal gain and sometimes they were held as being more authoritative than God’s own laws. The laws that the religious leaders had made over the years, could be interpreted in a number of ways to meet their agenda. Much like when someone twists Scripture to meet their needs rather than seeking the true meaning of the text.

For example;

Philippians 4:13 ESV

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

We love to put this verse on coffee mugs, t-shirts, and bumper stickers. I even know people who have this verse tattooed on them. But, this verse is not about succeeding in life, it isn’t about being prosperous or having some extraordinary strength within ourselves. This verse, in context, is not about winning football games, it is Paul talking about being content with the life that God has given him to live. Whether that life is prosperous or it is a life in prison for the sake of the gospel, which is where Paul wrote this letter from. Because of Christs strength within us, we can be content in any life situations. Do you see how deceptive we can be with ourselves and others, by not being clear and honest about what we are reading and teaching.

In this same way the Pharisees seen an opportunity to be deceptive and accuse Jesus, along with his disciples, of breaking the Sabbath by way of working. And now lets move on and we will see Jesus’ response to the Pharisees.

Jesus uses David as an example.

Jesus reminds the Pharisees of a story about David breaking the Sabbath.

Turn to 1 Samuel 21:1-6 and we will read this portion of David’s story.

1 Samuel 21:1–6 ESV

Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

David and his men were running from Saul, who wanted them dead, and they were probably starving. David goes to Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech gives him the holy bread, the bread of the presence which only the priests were allowed to eat on the Sabbath. What Ahimelech had just done, even though it was on the Sabbath, was an act of mercy toward David and his men. So, Jesus acknowledges that David, according to the law, had broken the Sabbath. But according to the true spirit and essence of the Sabbath, David and the priest did nothing wrong. Then Jesus makes this important statement. Mark 2:27

Mark 2:27 ESV

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Jesus makes an important theological statement about the Sabbath.

Remember that in the beginning God consecrated the seventh day as a day of rest, in which man could enter a time of peace and rest with their God. It was a day, made for man, in which man could find refreshment with God. Ironically, for the Pharisees, the day of rest was no longer a day of rest; but one of works by keeping a bunch of laws. David and disciples, in true essence of the Sabbath, did nothing wrong. Here Jesus is reminding the Pharisees about the true nature and essence of keeping the Sabbath, “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” The Sabbath was not a means to restrict man, but to be a blessing for man.

God made the Sabbath for you and for me. God rested on the seventh day and He demands that we step back and rest with Him.

Have you ever just had one of those moments, it was super stressful and when it is was over, you could just step back, take a deep breath and fill the weight of it all just lift off your shoulders. The Sabbath is Gods way of allowing His people to step out of their work and just take a breath; with Him.

Listen, God wants you to rest. That doesn't necessarily mean sleeping for 24 hours. But, it should be a time spent with God, reflecting on what has taken place during the week, what God has done, being thankful and worshipping God in peace; being refreshed for the week ahead.

Now verse 28 we are going to come back to in just a little bit, so we are going to move on to chapter 3 verses 1-6.

Read Mark 3:1-6

Mark 3:1–6 ESV

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Jesus heals on the Sabbath.

Whats happening?

Jesus and his disciples make it to the synagogue and notice a man with a withered hand.

So, imagine with me for a moment. Jesus and the disciples come into the synagogue, the disciples have a seat up front and Jesus makes his way to the front so that he can teach. The same group of Pharisees that just accused them in the fields are now standing at the back of the room, plotting and waiting for Jesus to say or do something, so that they could accuse him. Then you have this man, with some sort of withered hand sitting in the crowd and Jesus calls him forward.

Jesus calls a man forward and presents a question.

Now, it is highly probable that Jesus knows the hearts of these Pharisees and what they are doing. So, Jesus calls this man with a withered hand forward.

This would be like me calling my wife to come up here and stand next to me, because I am going to make an example out of her. Now I would never do that to her, but it is the same happening with the man in this story.

Jesus is calling this man to the front of the synagogue, where only the teachers are allowed, for everyone to see, including the Pharisees. As this man comes forward Jesus asks a vey simple, yet very important, question, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But the Pharisees wouldn't answer. One of the problems with the Pharisees is that they are very hypocritical and to answer this question honestly while attempting to accuse Jesus would have exposed their hypocrisy.

It is not that they didn't know the answer and therefore kept silent, rather they knew answer but they were not in the business of exposing themselves to everyone else. Jesus just beat them at their own game. Because, according to the Mishna, “whenever there is doubt whether life is in danger this overrides the Sabbath” (m. Yoma 8:6; cf. CD 11:9–10; m. Šabb. 14:3–4).”

Jesus heals the man and the plot thickens.

In verse 5 Jesus is both angered and grieved at the Pharisees. Jesus has done nothing to harm anyone, he has not broken any of the laws, and yet the Pharisees continue to attack and accuse him. And we see this play out in more detail after Jesus heals the man, and the Pharisees go out and link up with the Herodians to find a way to destroy Jesus.

Who are the Herodians?

Many of you may be wondering “who are these Herodians?” The Herodians were a religious group, much like the Pharisees, but rather than being followers of God they were devout followers of the Herod dynasty. When you think of king Herod you can think of the Herodians. Their religion was deeply motivated by political greatness and Jesus would not have been good for their agendas. R. Kent Hughes says this about both parties.

The Pharisees hated him because he was disrupting their religious agenda, the Herodians because he threatened their political arrangement. They both wanted him dead.

R. Kent Hughes

Jesus was a common enemy in the eyes of the Pharisees and Herodians. So, knowing all of this, the Pharisees decide to link arms with the Herodians and plot a way to kill Jesus.

Now we are not done just yet. Remember we are going back to Mark 2:28 which says,

Mark 2:28 LSB

“Consequently the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Conclusion

Jesus is our Sabbath rest.

Jesus came to fulfill that which we could not fulfill for ourselves.

In Matthew 5:17 (you don’t have to turn there) Jesus says, “

Matthew 5:17 LSB

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Jesus fulfills any and every law that has been put in place, even the Sabbath laws. This is why Jesus can say “come to me all who are burdened and heavy laden, and you will find rest.” For the Christian, Jesus is our rest, on the Sabbath and every other day. Christian, are you finding rest in your Savior or are you still trying to pull yourself up out of the gutter? Are you still trying to earn favor with God by doing or are you stepping back, taking a deep breadth and remembering that Christ has finished the work for you? Charles Haddon Spurgeon says this about the Sabbath for Christians.

785The change which our Lord has made in the Sabbath is indicative of the change which he has made in our life. The law says, “Work six days and then observe the seventh as the Sabbath.” But under the gospel the arrangement is, “Rest on the first day before you have done a stroke of work. Just as the week begins, take your rest, and after that, in the strength derived from it, and from the grateful motives which arise out of that one blessed day of rest, give to the Lord the six days of the week.” There is a change from law to gospel indicated in that very change. So let it be with you.—49.243

Charles Spurgeon

As Christians we work, not to earn favor with God or man, but out of thanksgiving for what Christ has done for us. Christ did not die on the cross so that we could remain slaves to the law. Christ died so that we could be set free from the law. The author of Hebrews reminds of this in Hebrews 4:9-11

Hebrews 4:9–11 ESV

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

We still observe the Sabbath, as a way of remembering what Christ has done for us. May we strive to enter that rest, not by way of legalism which is disobedience, but as sons and daughters, freed from the law. This is the difference between the law and the gospel. Where the law says “do this and earn favor,” the gospel says “it is finished, now rest.” And, this is why we gather on Sunday morning, to remember what God has done in Christ on our behalf, to rest, be refreshed, and to worship God for that work. We gather with Gods people and we remember where we get our rest and we prepare to glorify God for the next six days. Amen?

Invite the band up.

This is the invitation that Christ has given us. To come to him with all our “to do’s,” all of our frustrations, all the weight on our shoulders and to find rest in Him. For those of you that know your in Christ, then find your rest and strength in Him alone. For those that aren’t in Christ, or are just unsure, come to Him. Bring all the ugliness, sin, and weight of this world and lay it on Christ. This is the work that He completed for us on that cross, dying the death we deserve, and at this moment is sitting at the right hand of the Father. So come to Him, repent and lay your burdens down at His feet, and for your rest in Him.

I’ll be in the back of the room if anyone needs to talk or just needs some prayer.

Let’s pray and continue to worship our mighty God.