LORD OF THE SABBATH

The Lordship of Christ is a constant theme of Scripture. He is the sovereign ruler. As to His character, He is Lord of glory and of peace, 1 Cor. 2. 8; 2 Thess. 3.16. As to His domain, He is Lord of heaven and earth, Psa. 97. 5. As to His subjects, He is Lord of lords and of kings, Psa. 136. 3; Dan 2. 47. In His work He is Lord of the vineyard and the Lord of the harvest, Luke 20.13; Matt. 9. 38. He is ‘the Lord of hosts’ who led the armies of Israel in battle to victory. His kingdom knows no limit: He is Lord of all, Acts 10. 36!

Thus, He is also Lord of the Sabbath - indeed, as author of that fourth commandment, He had authority to tell the Pharisees what it truly meant, a frightening thought to them. In their self-exalting officiousness they thought they were the lords; no one need educate them. Beware that such a spirit never characterizes God’s children - to think we do not need even our deeply-cherished opinions to be adjusted by God’s truth.

The Lord upset the Pharisees with a number of Sabbath day healings: a man with a shrivelled hand, Luke 6. 6-10; a demonpossessed woman, Luke 13. 10-14; a man with swollen limbs, Luke 14.1-5; the invalid of John 5; the blind man of John 9.

Strict adherence to their interpretation of Sabbath law produces three avoidable dangers which could result in a legalistic yoke of bondage, Gal. 5.1. First, they judged from human rules rather than divine truth - they added their idea that rubbing grain was work, and thought this opinion authoritative. Christ, the fulfiller of the law, was no law-breaker, Matt. 5. 17, but He violated their human traditions.

Second, they forgot the spirit of the law, adhering only to its letter. The Sabbath was for man to rest from toil and to focus on God, Mark 2. 27. Lost in the details, they did not bring glory to God. This should be our focus, as Christ said, John 5. 17.

Third, they judged from appearance instead of in truth. Even David ate shewbread contrary to the law in a situation of necessity. Christ also deemed it good to ‘work’ on the Sabbath to help suffering people or even animals, Luke 6. 9; 13. 15; 14. 5. He taught that we should judge righteous judgment, John 7. 24.