The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2b) note *

Mark 2:23-3:6

Key Verse: 2:28

Introduction: God gave the Law to Israel, His chosen people. If they kept the Law, they would receive His blessing. However, Israel violated the Law, and was punished. As a result, they lost their country and became a Roman colony. They believed that, if they kept the Law, God would show them mercy again and send a Messiah to save their nation. Therefore, keeping the Law was of the utmost importance for the Israelite people; it was especially vital for the religious leaders that they prove to be righteous or able to regain God’s blessing.

In today’s passage, the Sabbath law was at the heart of the discussion. Regarding this, two things are important. What was the law of the Sabbath and what was the Sabbath’s purpose? Who is Jesus, in regard to the Law and the Sabbath?

How does this passage apply to our time? What is the Law of the Sabbath for me or for you, if there is one?

It is hard to determine the meaning of the Pharisees’ argument against Jesus, or the significance of Jesus’ words. However, as we delve into the attitude we have towards Sundays, we can find that these people’s precepts were somewhat similar to our own, and to some of this age as well, especially among those who seek goodness and righteousness.

A.    Jesus’ disciples violated the Sabbath law (23-24)

1.     One Sabbath day, Jesus’ disciples were so hungry that they picked heads of grain as they walked, rubbed them, and ate them. Seeing this, the Pharisees accused them of violating the Law. This charge was not a casual finding of a minor demeanor; this was considered an act of ungodliness, a sin against God. As for Jesus and his disciples, the implications of such a charge could not be ignored or overlooked. This was a serious matter, because it concerned Jesus. Since he claimed to be the Son of God, how dare he or his disciples act against God and His authority?

If one takes a light view of picking fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then they would see such behavior as picking heads of grain on the Sabbath as non-consequential. Simply speaking, Jesus could not take their charges lightly. It mattered for his truthfulness and identity as the Son of God.

What about these charges? Was it genuinely serious? What was its exact nature? According to the Law, picking the heads of grain on another person’s property was accepted as lawful, although no one should put a sickle to harvest another’s grain; this was permitted for the sake of the poor and hunger. However, the problem arose because they did this on the Sabbath, on which no one should work. The Pharisees considered picking grain and rubbing them together as work, which God had forbidden in the Law. No one should dare to work on the Sabbath if he honors Almighty God. It is truly serious if someone takes even a stroke of the Law lightly. It was God who gave the Law and who keeps His eyes on those who have violated it. God never made the Law with a casual attitude and expects His people to observe it faithfully and sincerely.

In this regard, the charge made against Jesus’ disciples seems reasonable and proper.

God’s Law is absolute and should never be compromised, for it is an exact reflection of His will. However, as much we uphold the Law, so also we are found to be violators of the Law. It is very distressing to find out that we have violated the law and that we shall be punished for our actions. “You violated the law of God” - this is very hard for any man to swallow.

Before we go further, let’s find out how Jesus handled this charge. He is the Son of God, so it is good to find out, through him, whether or not what the Pharisees believed was right and acceptable.

B.    Jesus and his disciples survived, like David and his men did

“He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” (Mark 2:25-26).

Jesus reminded his accusers of an incident which had happened in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 21:1-6). David was anointed as the king of Israel during the reign of King Saul. Out of his jealousy, King Saul tried to kill him, so David and his men were constantly on the run in order to escape the king’s pursuit. One day, after escaping from Saul again, David and his men arrived at Nob, where a priest, Ahimelech, was administering. They were extremely exhausted and needed food immediately. David asked the priest for food, but, at that time, there was no food available, except for the bread which had been removed from the altar. By Law, this bread was allowed to only be eaten by the priest; no one other than a priest would dare to eat this bread, for it had been offered to God. However, when Ahimelech learned that David and his men were ceremonially clean, he gave them the bread, and they ate it. The difference was that David and his men were never charged on this matter, even though it was a clear violation of God’s Law. How can a mere man eat the bread offered to God and survive? But this was exactly what happened.

This can be explained only by the fact that the mission on which David was on as the anointed was either superior to the Law or made him and his men exempt from the Law’s binding nature. In a word, it was because David was anointed to be king and he was on a mission for God’s purpose, that he and his men were exempted from judgment under the Law.

If David’s men were exempted from judgment because of his status as the anointed king and because he was on such an important mission, why would Jesus, the Son of God, and his disciples not also be exempted from the Law’s authority?

This was Jesus’ argument against the Pharisees’ accusations. Through this claim, Jesus implicitly revealed that he was greater than King David, and his mission as the Son of God was greater than that of King David.

Here, the problem boils down to one thing - who was Jesus? Was he above the Law, as the incident from David’s life indicated?

It was unthinkable that any man could be above the Law. It was God who established the Law for His people. If one keeps the Law, he will receive God’s blessing. If not, God’s blessings would be taken away from them and they would surely incur His judgment.

This was made clear to them throughout their history. Israel was taken exile into Babylon and was subjected to serving many nations after that. The heart of their ungodliness was their violation of the law of Sabbath; thus, they were subjugated under the Roman emperor.

Who was Jesus that he could be exempted from the Law’s binding power? If he was a mere man, how dare he make such a claim that defied God’s law and authority?

C.    The Son of Man is the Lord, even of the Sabbath

“Then 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.” (Mark 2:27-28).

Here, Jesus revealed the truth about the Sabbath - the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. I would like to review what the Sabbath was. It was instituted by God at the end of creation. He rested on the seventh day and made it holy. This was to impart His peace and rest upon mankind. This was non-negotiable, for God made that day holy.

On the Sabbath, men were to seek God, and, from Him, must find peace and rest by enjoining with His righteousness and holiness. This was solidified by the Law given to Moses. No one should work on the Sabbath, not even house slaves, so that man might submit his heart and spirit to God and His will. This is written in Exodus 20:10. It was a very serious matter to violate the Sabbath law. If anyone violated this Law, he must be cut off from his people. In other words, it was very important for man to find peace and rest in God. This concept of a Sabbath rest was extended to the seventh-year rest for the land and liberation of all slaves. This was amplified by the year of jubilee (celebrated every fiftieth year), when the whole year was taken off from planting and other work in order to uphold God and His blessing.

Therefore, the Sabbath was at the heart of the relationship between God and man. The Law provided the rules of engagement (worship) whereby God’s peace and rest must be sought. From the beginning, the Sabbath was created for man and for his wellbeing, which was from God and provided them with peace and rest in His holiness. 

As we have studied in Hebrews 4, God promised His people Sabbath rest in the Promised Land. When their unbelief resulted in the failure of that promise, God gave them another promise through David, that He would bring them Sabbath rest in the forthcoming age (Hebrews 4:7-8). As this indicates, the main issue was mankind’s rest in God. The Sabbath was to be a vehicle by which His rest was to be delivered to mankind.

All of the regulations and laws pertaining to the Sabbath were and must be aimed at providing that rest for man. Therefore, from the outset, God created the Sabbath for men. He continued in His desire to provide man with rest through the Promised Land, through the Sabbath law, and through His promise of a future Sabbath rest.

“So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28).

Here, ‘so’ provides a clear connection to the previous word. Because the Sabbath was for man, the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath. Here again, who is the Son of Man to mankind? What was his relationship with them? What does he bring to them? What was the purpose for his coming to dwell among them? Jesus is the Lord of Man, and the Sabbath is for man; therefore, Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath as well.

This is profound. Jesus came to provide the rest which God first gave in the Garden of Eden. This was lost after man sinned. It was later prefigured and encapsulated in the Sabbath law. As man’s failure to fulfill the Sabbath’s purpose became evident, God sent Jesus to provide them with that rest and peace. Thus, Jesus was and is the provider of that rest from God through the forgiveness of sin. In other words, Jesus brought the rest and peace that God intended to provide in and through the Sabbath law. This is because of the utter failure of the law itself to bring such rest and peace for men. This was fully revealed in Jesus, and will be fully implemented when he returns in glory.

Jesus is the Lord of Sabbath, because He brought peace and rest to men. The one whom men were to seek and relate to on the Sabbath was right there among them as the provider for all of their needs. What then was the value of keeping all of the details of the Law? Jesus’ disciples were already enjoying this grace and peace in Jesus, their Lord.

It is profound that the ancestors of our faith discarded the Sabbath and chose to worship on Sunday instead. Sabbath signified the Law and the blessings provided by the Law, whereas Sunday signifies the blessings found in Jesus, as the provider of God’s peace and rest. To us, Sunday is the Lord’s day. It is the day on which we are to seek His rest and peace. However, Sunday is far more than the day for us to seek Sabbath rest in Jesus, our Lord. He has already brought us the peace and rest we need. It is not about seeking anymore, but rather it is the day on which we celebrate that blessing, in thanksgiving and praise, which we can enjoy every single day of the week. It is the day on which we affirm our commitment to the Lord and to enjoining with Him in His will and purpose.

If we are hanging onto issues of righteousness and justification in whatever we do, we can never take anything more than baby steps in our Christian life. The question we must ask ourselves is not whether or not what I am doing is right or justifiable to the Lord, but rather whether or not I will find peace and rest in Jesus today. This question is answered when we ask ourselves if Jesus is my Lord today or not. Have I resolved all of my issues with the Lord or not? Jesus is calling us. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:26).

This age is called the age of anxiety and uncertainty. Many try to secure their lives by various means. Jesus gives the rest that many yearn for. Only in Him can we find the peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The Sabbath, and all the rest of the Law with it, do not add any benefit for today’s sinful men. If anyone believes such, he is like the Pharisees, asking why the disciples did what was unlawful on Sabbath.

D.    The Sabbath and a shriveled man (3:1-6)

In this second part, Jesus demonstrated how he fulfilled the Sabbath’s true purpose for mankind. It was on a Sabbath that he found a man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue. Everyone was keeping an eye on him in order to see if he would heal the man. It is amazing that the main concern many had was not regarding whether Jesus had the power to heal, but rather whether or not he would heal this man on the Sabbath. When one fails to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the only other alternative in order for them to find rest is to keep the Law. These leaders had to prove that they were right and good.

Knowing this, Jesus did something unusual.

“Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” (Mark 3:2-3).

Jesus let this man stand in full view of the crowd. They could see what his problem was; his right hand was withered from elbow to hand. This man’s weakness was very apparent; he was truly an invalid, one of the maimed.

According to the Law, he was unacceptable to the Lord and could not even enter the temple to worship. If he was not allowed to enter the temple, how could he find peace with God and rest in Him? What was the meaning of the Sabbath for this man, since he wasn’t qualified to present himself to the Lord? He was in the synagogue, but he was excluded from all the blessings that the Sabbath was supposed to bring to him, according to the Law. They became keenly aware of his predicament, but what was in their minds? There was no concern for this man whatsoever; their concern was for whether or not Jesus would heal this man at that time. This man was just a pawn used for their evil purposes.

However, Jesus had compassion on this man. He knew that the man not only needed his arm to be restored, but also his relationship with the heavenly Father. Jesus came for such a man as this, in order to provide him with God’s peace and restoration. This was the moment of salvation for this man because Jesus the Son of God was right there. This was the right time for Jesus to save him because he was the reason for which Jesus had come. Therefore, Jesus asked them:

“Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.” (Mark 3:3-4).

There is no ambiguity between good and evil or between saving or killing life. Healing this man was good. What if Jesus had done nothing? It might have been an extreme response, but it can be considered evil. How could Jesus let one life remain in danger of death? In him, there shall be no death at all, only life. To this man, Jesus was life; he would not let this man suffer another day!

Jesus told him to stretch out his hand; it was completely restored. Now this man had become worthy and could now present himself to God in the temple.

To this man, Jesus was the rest and peace from God. He was the one who fulfilled the Sabbath’s purpose. Jesus is the Lord of Sabbath to all who accept him as their Lord. In Him alone can we find peace and rest where the Law has no teeth to bite. Amen.