SABBATH MAKER
OR
SABBATH BREAKER
SUNDAY MARCH 24, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the grain fields. And His disciples plucked the heads of the grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. And some of the Pharisees said to them, ‘Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?’”
“But Jesus answering them said, ‘Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.’”
Luke 6.1-5
Something To Consider:
Now it happened on the Sabbath, this plucking of grain and rubbing the kernels to separate the wheat from the chaff, which was a humane provision of the Mosaic Law as given by God. Deuteronomy 23.25 declares, “When you come into your neighbors standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbors standing grain.” The Pharisees however, of whom seemed to be watching every move Jesus made, had added to the provision that it was unlawful to pluck grain on the Sabbath.
Therefore, that which God intended to be a blessing and a humane benefit, was now made a burdensome non-biblical restriction and non-biblical teaching! The ruling religious established system of Jesus’ day was inundated with non-biblical restrictions and unbiblical religious teachings. Because of false teachings people became deceived. Jesus declared, “Have you not read…”
The religious leaders had access to the Scriptures but most individuals did not. The average worshipper of God simply believed what was being taught them by their religious leaders of the organized religious system of that day, just as many are being led astray in this 21st century generation. Just because certain mainstream messages of an unbiblical nature are being proclaimed from the pulpits of many organized religious systems, does not make the message truth. The Word of God is the only true source of truth.
Therefore, we must search the Scriptures diligently and daily to know the difference between the truth of God’s Word and the man-made evil false doctrines permeating the established church system of the world. We must study the Word of God to show ourselves approved unto God and to be rightly perfected in the understanding of God’s Word so as not to become susceptible to the deceit of demonic fables created to fill church pews and church financial coffers.
Something Else To Consider:
Jesus, in essence the original Sabbath maker, responded to the religious leader’s ridiculous charge of breaking the Sabbath with another history lesson from 1 Samuel chapter 21. David and his men who escaped from King Saul’s arrogant attempt to kill David due to envy and jealousy, was in need of food as they entered the city of Nob and requested bread from Ahimelech the priest. In response David and his men were given the consecrated showbread which was replaced once a week in every Sabbath, and David and his men ate the bread.
Apparently, Jesus’ unsheathing the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, once again silenced the so-called religious leaders, who out of envy were ever looking for the slightest detour from the smallest infraction of their ritualistic religious restrictions. Human nature more often than not, cannot help but point out the smallest of faults of others much like a magician takes advantage of misdirection. And in doing so we would rather point out the sins and iniquities of others rather than turn the spotlight of attention and biblical truth on our own sin.
The apostle John instructed all of the human race in 1 John 1.8 when he announced; “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Notice John includes himself when he stated, “…and the truth is not in us.” Why is it so difficult to admit and to confess our own sin? John further stated, “If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Our cleansing begins with our confessing our own sins!
Something More To Consider:
Jesus concluded this conflict of customs with the revelation that He was indeed the Sabbath maker. By His stating, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath”, Jesus put an end to the needless but lesson learning debate. In Mark 2.27, Jesus was quoted as saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
God gave us in the creation account of Genesis a clear example. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” God did not rest because He was tired, but rather to illustrate an important spiritual truth and lesson to be learned. We do not know if these religious leaders learned the lesson Jesus was attempting to teach them that day. What lesson will we learn today from our lesson of a lifetime? What truth will we glean from Jesus today?
A Few Final Words:
Peter addressed God’s promise of Christ’s second coming in 2 Peter chapter 3, which helps us in understanding God’s Genesis example of working six days and resting on the seventh. Peter writes in verse 3, “Knowing this first; that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts [like the leaders in our lesson today], and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His [Christ’s] coming [speaking of the second coming of Jesus]?’”
Peter answers their question in verse 8; “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” We are fast approaching the end of a biblical six thousand years, or six days in the eyes of God, according to the apostle Peter. We are on the edge of the climactic moment when the seventh day or the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ will be ushered in by God and according to the Word of God.
Will we have learned the end time lesson of a lifetime of enduring to the end as according to Jesus? Will we have learned the lesson of confession of our own sins or will we simply have become a master at pointing out the smallest of faults of others so as to misdirect the overdue attention upon ourselves and our own spiritual shortcomings? When the end is determined by God there will be no time to call for a time out. There will be no time to turn back the clock of complacency and compromise.
Therefore, spiritual leaders and leaders in training should welcome and benefit from both the Son of Man and the Sabbath, for true spiritual leadership requires both the Lord and rest. Jesus said, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” Therefore, Jesus also said, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus is the Lord of our rest here and now and also in eternity!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, may our hearts remain pure as it pertains to the Sabbath. May we accept Your gift of one day of rest a week. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 