Jesus Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 2: 23 - 3: 6)
Notes
Transcript
Call to Worship, Prayer
Call to Worship, Prayer
SING: “Holy, Holy, Holy”
SING: “Holy, Holy, Holy”
God’s Law
God’s Law
1 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
3 Do not have other gods besides me.
4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.
5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,
6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.
7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:
9 You are to labor six days and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates.
11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 Do not murder.
14 Do not commit adultery.
15 Do not steal.
16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
18 All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.
19 “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”
SING: “Come you Souls by Sins Afflicted
SING: “Come you Souls by Sins Afflicted
The Lord’s Greeting
The Lord’s Greeting
“Grace to you, and Peace, From God our Father, and from His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah - Amen!
Bible Reading:
Bible Reading:
23 On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain.
24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry—
26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests—and also gave some to his companions?”
27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
1 Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand.
2 In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath.
3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.”
4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
5 After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
((Children to leave for Sunday School - Lindi and Esti))
Sermon
Sermon
A reset:
The Heidelberg Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism 1. Sunday
QUESTION 1. What is thy only comfort in life and in death?
That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.
Heidelberg Catechism 1. Sunday
QUESTION 2. How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou in this comfort mayest live and die happily?
Three things: First, the greatness of my sin and misery. Second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery. Third, how I am to be thankful to God for such redemption.
“God is Love”
“God is Love”
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
If you were called on to write a gospel(the story of the love of Jesus for a fallen world) today - how would you write it?
Amidst all of the identity politics
(Black Lives Matter; Gay Pride; Climate advocates and deniers)
the radical socialism
(Leftist extremism; Right extremism; religious extremism …)
the corruption
Governments on the left and the right, caught with their hand in the taxpayers money, till)
If someone asked you today to make a case for a new system, that would truly harmonise the world - what would you say, or write?
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Mark was moved to do just that, you see!
Yes, he was moved to do so by the Spirit
(but aren’t you - as professing Christians - moved to do the same?
Yes, He had access to first hand experience of the earliest believers
(like Peter, no less, and the women who came upon the empty grave) - but don’t you have that access, too, by the Bible?
Of course, you have to believe that the Bible is God’s Word, as a starting point!
But in essence, what Mark does - and what you are called to DO! - is present the evidence of his observations and deduction, based on first hand reports, that there is a way to live, that will ensure love and harmony between all peoples.
And, B&S, the only way peace and understanding will ever return to this world, is when we come to understand, that Jesus showed us the way
and called on us to follow in His footsteps ...
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Well, we have been doing just that, haven’t we?
We have been following in Jesus’ steps, wanting to see for ourselves whether he was indeed the Messiah, the one who would bring true peace to the world again!
And the way Mark tells the story, is a wonderful, concise reflection on the facts that point to the truth, that Jesus IS our only hope!
And when we have come to understand and accept that, won’t we then turn away from our ingrafted rebellion and self- righteousness, and become disciples of Jesus; proponents of love and forgiveness, just like our Lord was?
Our passage this morning is a continuance for us to come to see who Jesus is, and why , as the well known but seldom accepted verse says
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
is still our only hope!
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Let’s pray for guidance, so that we will truly see, and hear, that God is love, and we are called to love!
As we read the opening verse of our passage, we already, again see, that the world is divided ...
23 On the Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to make their way, picking some heads of grain.
On this day, of all days, their is division among the people.
The disciples (expand)
The Pharisees (expand)
The disciples are hungry (hungry for salvation, longing for relief from their circumstances)
The Pharisees (sticklers for a law which they do not understand and have turned it into a false religion.
(As we are more than capable of doing ourselves, friends …)
What the Sabbath was given for
2/3 of a mile (intended for people to rest!)
What it had become under the Pharisees
The most important rule
A Sabbath’s journey
but turned into a regulation for which you would be condemned.
Conflict/ superiority / all the time, an agenda
(They were watching
Jesus response
25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry—
and effort to lead them back to understanding the Law!
Rest! Enjoy the Lord, who looks after you (Manna)
A Lesson in humility (if you have read, you have not understood)
“Let me explain”
Not only do you not understand the Law of God
you do not know what the promise of the Sabbath was - and is!
JESUS! RESTORATION - REST
27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
Amidst this suffering, instead of following the Law like slaves
live the Law
(Anyone can sometimes follow the law, but to live the law is difficult
You can break up the law into its components, and keep a scorecard
or you can wake up in the morning, and by your daily routine, set out to do the Law - you will soon see which is easier!
And now I tell you, soon you will understand that that is what all events of history point to!
God is love // He sends his Son to demonstrate it to them
Jesus Demonstrates love by His death on the Cross
(Love married to Justice) // Love without Justice is just a feeling!
True Love will overcome Hate
Is it better to do good or evil!
1 Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand.
Why did the man come?
And what were the Pharisees doing?
2 In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath.
A moment of anger!
True anger!
An example?
5 After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
The next chapter, so to speak, is about to start
This was exactly the circumstances in which the disciples found themselves ...
They were being poured out … in those days ...Like Paul, in
16 At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
But here’s the rub, friends...
We will hardly understand anything which we do not really want to understand;
and to really understand - or get to know … anything … we will have to apply our minds as well as our emotions, our feelings - and get involved!
Can you see that that means that our faith is more than just a feeling?
It starts with a feeling, yes! But, the feeling should soon turn into a question: “I really feel like I should know more about this!”
And so we join a church, join the Prayer Group; join a Bible Study group, go through Catechism, bring our children to Sunday School, all the time travelling together, as we get to know Jesus all the better - understand who He is _ and become more and more like Him in this World, according to His commandments!
Mark, in his way and in his day, introduces us to a collection of people,
who had come to understand that nothing in which they had placed their confidence for lasting peace, was working.
Until now, they had trusted in the Law of God, but they were still left with a feeling of unrest!
(Like Martin Luther, perhaps … who had come to see God as a tyrannical, punishing God, who demanded all, and who seemed to only ever demand mre and more)
Like the Pharisees!
And the people had not come understood that the law of God is a command to love, not to be seen as being super disciplined, hypocritically pious, the law abiding elite!
They were seeking a God of forgiveness, but were left with feelings of inadequacy to achieve rigteousness!
Until they heard Jesus start preaching, teaching them, showing them … the way!
It is the account of this setting off on a journey with Jesus, to get to know the way we are to live. That is why Mark writes this account!
And very specifically, he writes this account so that people would get to know The One who would lead us on this Way: Jesus!
And immediately - and still - we find that travelling in the footsteps of Jesus, - following in His way - leads to persecution and suffering, maybe, even death!
But staying the course, staying the Way, leads to Life in abundance, and Peace!
(That is why Christians were - and sometimes still are - are sometimes referred to as the People of the Way)
2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
The journey had started, for the first disciples of Jesus
and immediately the persecution started!
All the time, as people were being moved by the Spirit, moved to faith in Jesus, they were being watched ...
and if they took a step out of line of the establishment
the Pharisees and the Scribes ...
they were in danger of being canceled!
That is what the Scribes and Pharisees were doing on that day, as described by John Mark: it was a Sabbath day (time) and they were going through the grainfields (place) near a Synagogue (in Capernaum (place).
They were out to get Jesus!
In fact, this passage falls into a section of the outline of Mark, that is sometimes referred to as to describing the “Controversies with Religious Authorities”.
It started at Mk 2: 1 and goes on to 3: 6, where this section ends.
And you can see the agenda of the Pharisees and the scribes, in the questions they ask Jesus in this section of Scripture:
7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
16 When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. People came and asked him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
And then, if we had any doubts, we read at the end of this section
6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against him, how they might kill him.
By doing the miracles described in these passages, Jesus had shown them who He was
And who He was is also illustrated in His words, as He answers each of the questions, and as it is recorded by Mark:
10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic—
11 “I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”
12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
19 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.
20 But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.
and in today’s passage:
27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
So, two groups of people:
The Religious establishment
the People of the way, seeking to get to know Jesus
And this, indeed, was what was happening.
This is what all of Mark Chapter two is about,
Jesus, being confronted by the Pharisees and Scribes at every turn, all the time with an ulterior motive:
To discredit Jesus; to pursue him even unto His death; and by so-doing, retaining their positions of power and prestige.
but showing no love to those different to them!
And so ...
The Question
The Question
24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
The Answer
The Answer
25 He said to them, “Have you never read what David and those who were with him did when he was in need and hungry—
26 how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests—and also gave some to his companions?”
27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
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Prayer of Intercession
Prayer of Intercession
Prayer points (ask congregation to send prayer points to me anytime until just before the Service)
Adoration
Supplication
Confession
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SING: “He hideth my Soul”
SING: “He hideth my Soul”
Benediction
Benediction
24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you;
25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’
SING: Doxology - Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow
SING: Doxology - Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow