SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). The Sabbath:
(2). In the field (vs 23-28):
(3). In the synagogue (vs 1-6):
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• A student sat through an exam;
• The teacher supervising said time up but still the student carried on.
• The teacher said; “Hand your exam paper in now or I’m not going to accept it.”
• Still the student carried on.
• Thirty minutes later the student got up and stood before the teacher;
• The teacher looked at him and said; “I am not going to accept your paper it is late”.
• The student looked the teacher in the eye and said; “Do you know who I am?”
• The teacher replied “No, and I don’t really care!”
• For a second time the student said; “Do you know who I am?”
• For a second the teacher replied “No!”
• The student replied; “Good”,
• He then lifted the stack of exams, stuffed his paper in the middle, & ran out of the room.
The reason Jesus faces so much opposition in this chapter is the religious leaders do not know who he really is:
• They assume he is a carpenter turned itinerant preacher;
• They have yet to realise he is the Son of God.
• They opposed him in verses 1-12;
• Because they just saw him as a man who claimed the authority to forgives sins.
• They opposed him in verses 13-22;
• Because they saw making friends & associating with sinful people.
• They opposed him now in verses 23-28;
• Because he brings freedom from rules & regulations.
Ill:
• It might surprise you to know;
• That the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England is Hadrian's Wall.
• The wall was built as a defensive fortification.
• They began building in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian,
• The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Roman Empire.
• It ran 80 Roman miles (73 statute miles) from coast to coast.
• A significant portion of the wall still exists today;
• Particularly the mid-section.
Walls of course separate and divide and the Pharisees of Jesus day knew the value of a good wall:
• In fact they built them and they built them well;
• Not physical walls like Hadrian’s, but symbolic walls.
• Let me explain;
• To stop people breaking God’s law they simply built a wall around it.
Ill:
• Suppose God had said that all Church platforms were out of bounds to non preachers;
• Now if you broke that rule and stood on the platform – deliberately or by accident;
• You would be in big trouble! We’re talking mega big trouble.
• Now because the leaders of this Church like you the congregation;
• And are concerned for you safety!
• The leaders of the Church have a bright idea (it does happen now & again!)
• To try and protect you and stop you accidentally breaking that rule, that law;
• They have decided to build a wall of protection around that law.
• The guarding wall will be the front row;
• No-one is aloud beyond that point.
• Now if someone accidentally strays beyond that point;
• Hopefully one of the leaders can stop them before they reach the platform.
• That way, all they will ever do is break the lesser rule i.e. front row.
• And not the more important rule i.e. standing on the platform.
• Now hopefully that illustration with help you understand the logic of the Pharisees;
• To stop people breaking God’s law they simply walled it off;
• But the sad part of their plan is that the ‘walls’ that the Pharisees built;
• Soon became as important as the laws they were trying to protect.
• And the laws they introduced to protect people;
• Soon became laws that trapped people.
The highest and most guarded of the Pharisees' walls concerned the Sabbath.
Ill:
• I like the story of the student who was taking an exam;
• To see if he was suitable for confirmation.
• He was asked to list the Ten Commandments in any order he liked;
• So he wrote, "3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7."
• Well to the Pharisees (religious leaders);
• The commandment regarding the Sabbath was very, very important!
• In fact for God’s one commandment “Keep the Sabbath holy”
• They had added over six hundred rules of their own!
• For the Pharisees the Sabbath was their ‘sacred cow’;
• Regarding Sabbath they would not compromise or budge!
• And it would be on this issue ‘understanding the Sabbath’;
• That Jesus and His critics fought their most intense battles.
(1). The Sabbath:
Ill:
• 1 out of 7 DVD Clip from ‘Sermonspice.com’.
• (Warning it is a fast talking, fast visual clip.)
• It was God himself who gave the nation of Israel the Sabbath law;
• It was one of the ten commandments given by Moses at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20 vs 8-11);
• God made it a sign between Himself and the nation (Exodus 31 vs 12-17).
• “This will be a sign between me and you…..”
The word ‘Sabbath’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘Shabat’:
• It means ‘to cease’ or ‘to abstain from’ or ‘to rest’;
• For the Jew the Sabbath starts 6pm on Friday evening;
• And finishes 6pm on Saturday evening.
• The Sabbath is linked with the fact that after six days of creative work;
• God rested (Genesis chapter 2 verses 2-3).
Quote:
“Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,
because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
• He sanctified-"set apart"-the seventh day of the week;
• For his people as a time of rest and refreshment.
• They were to ‘cease’ or ‘abstain from’ from work on that day,
• The point being one day in seven is to be observed as a day holy to God.
The Pharisees interpreted this to mean NO work at all on the Sabbath:
• The Pharisees claimed, they were the custodians of the traditions of Moses;
• They believed they had the right to legislate for what people did on the Sabbath.
• In fact the Pharisees had invented over 600 rules and regulations for the Sabbath;
• These included the following:
Ill:
• ill: People not allowed to wear heavy shoes,
• Otherwise each time you lifted your foot you would be carrying a burden.
• ill: You were not allowed to look in a mirror,
• Because you may see a grey hair and be tempted to pull it out;
• And that would be working on the Sabbath.
• ill: It was even forbidden to eat an egg that had been laid on the Sabbath,
• For that would be encouraging hens to break the fourth commandment.
• ill: People not allowed to walk more than one kilometre from their own town,
• ill: They were not allowed to light a fire in the home.
• ill: You could not even drag a chair; in case it created a groove in the dirt floor;
• And a bird accidentally drop a seed into it, because that would be ploughing!
Note: Jesus was not anti-Sabbath;
• After all it was God himself;
• Who etched this principle into the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments:
• Jesus kept the Sabbath – but he kept it in the God-given way;
• What he broke again and again were the man made laws that had been added to it!
Pause to say:
• Some Christians refer to Sunday as "the Sabbath";
• But that is wrong and only causes confusion.
(a).
• Sunday is the first day of the week;
• Sabbath is the last day (the seventh day) of the week.
• Both are different days;
• Both signify different truths.
(b).
• The Sabbath is a reminder of the completion of "the old creation,"
• While Sunday is a reminder of our Lord's finished work in "the new creation".
• The Sabbath speaks of rest after work and relates to the Law,
• While Sunday speaks of rest before work and relates to grace.
(c).
• Nowhere in the New Testament are Christians told to keep the Sabbath!
• The principle of 1 day in 7 is important – in many ways essential;
• But Christians are not commanded to keep the Sabbath (or Sunday as a substitute)
(d).
• Christians keep Sunday and value Sunday as their special day?
• Because Sunday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;
• As well as the coming of the Holy Spirit and the "birthday" of the church (Acts 2).
• And because (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2):
• The early church met together on Sunday - the first day of the week,
Note: Of the six hundred Sabbath regulations that trapped the Jews:
• Four are particularly pertinent to our passage.
• On the Sabbath, Jews must refrain from all work,
• That included (1). reaping, (2). threshing, (3). winnowing, (4). and preparing food.
• Unknowingly, the disciples would break all four regulations,
• And, of course, the patrolling morality police called the Pharisees;
• Would be right there to catch them red-handed.
(2). In the field (vs 23-28):
1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
3 Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." 5 Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
The disciples of Jesus are accused of doing wrong by the Pharisees:
• The Law of Moses (Old Testament la) was very clear;
• Anyone was allowed to satisfy their hunger the way the disciples were doing;
• According to Deuteronomy chapter 23 verses 24-25;.
• It was only wrong if the disciples started cutting down standing corn with a sickle.
• But picking ears of corn by hand for some food was permitted.
• The trouble for the disciples was;
• They had crossed the Pharisees' line of right and wrong behaviour.
• They had broken their list of do’s and don’ts.
• Which seemed to be on an equal par with or even ahead of the OT law.
Quote: William Barclay
• “By plucking the corn [the disciples] were guilty of reaping;
• By rubbing it in their hands of threshing;
• By flinging away the husks of winnowing;
• And the very fact that they ate it showed that they had prepared food on the Sabbath.
• To us the whole thing seems fantastic;
• But to a strict Pharisee this was deadly sin.”
• Let me stress again that disciples were well within the requirements of God's law:
• But the Pharisees' list of right and wrong stretched much longer than God's.
• To a Pharisee the disciples of Jesus were blatant rebels, law breakers;
• Who were openly, unashamedly harvesting, winnowing, & preparing food!
Verse 24:
• The Pharisees ask Jesus:
• “Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
• In other words, you are a teacher why aren’t you stopping this law breaking act;
• These are your disciples, sort them out!
Notice:
• Jesus takes them away from their rules and regulations,
• And goes straight back to the Law of Moses (God’s Law) a higher authority!
• I wonder if his words in verse 25 are tongue in cheek;
• “Have you never read?”
• Fancy asking them that!
• These men were fighters for the law;
• They considered themselves the custodians of the law.
• These men boasted themselves in their knowledge of the Old Testament.
• You can be sure the Pharisees knew the story Jesus quoted in verse 26;
• It is found in 1 Samuel chapter 21 verses 1-6.
Ill:
• Every Sabbath twelve loaves of bread (one for each tribe in Israel);
• Was placed in the Temple (the bread was called the "showbread" )
• Or ‘the bread of the presence’;
• This bread symbolised God’s presence in fellowship with his people.
• According to Leviticus chapter 24 verse 9:
• Only the priests were allowed to eat these loaves.
But on one occasion in the Old Testament:
• David and his men were in great need of food;
• They entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread,
• David was allowed to do this act because he was Israel’s anointed.
• He was the ‘chosen one’, chosen by God himself to be Israel’s king.
• At the time Saul was still king of Israel;
• David was waiting for the time his kingship would come true;
• At this time in history David’s army was made up of a rag-tag group of followers;
• They were untrained, they were outcasts and some of them outlaws.
Jesus makes the point:
• That God is more concerned about meeting human needs;
• Than He is about protecting religious rules.
• Better that David and his men receive strength to serve God
• Than that they perish only for the sake of a temporary law.
• God desires compassion, not sacrifice (Matt. 12:7, quoting Hosea 6:6).
• The Pharisees, of course, had a different view of the Law (Matt. 23:23).
Note:
• No Jew would condemn Israel's great king?
• After all David was "God's anointed!"
• Jesus by his actions is claiming the very same title;
• He too is ‘God's Anointed’, The Christ / Messiah of Israel.
• He too is waiting for the time his kingship will come true;
• He too, is on the move with an odd group of followers.
If that act and claim was not clear enough look at what he calls himself in verse 28:
“So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
• Don’t miss the impact of those words;
• When Jesus made that statement,
• He was claiming to be Jehovah God,
• Because it was the Lord God Jehovah who established the Sabbath.
• If Jesus Christ is indeed ‘Lord of the Sabbath’,
• Then He is free to do on it and with it whatever He pleases!
• You can be sure.
• The Pharisees did not miss His meaning!
(3). In the synagogue (vs 1-6):
“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shrivelled hand was there. 2 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. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shrivelled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 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.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”
It was the practice of Jesus to be in the synagogue on the Sabbath:
• ill: Just as a Christian should be in Church on Sunday!
• Good habits stick just like bad habits.
• Remember we don’t go to Church we are the Church.
• We need other Christians and other Christians need us.
The Pharisees too were in the synagogue but they were not there for a blessing:
• They were there on a mission;
• They were according to verse 2 out to trap Jesus!
• Looking for a reason to accuse him.
• They were gathering evidence against him;
• They had already made their mind up about him;
• Now they wanted evidence to prove their case against him!
Verse 4:
• Jesus knowing they were out to get him,
• Gave them the evidence they were looking for:
• His compassionate heart was more concerned with the man's need,
• Than the Pharisees threat, so Jesus healed the man.
• Now remember this was not a life or death situation;
• Jesus could easily have waited a few hours until the Sabbath was over,
• Or He could have taken the man somewhere private & quiet;
• To heal him.
• But Jesus deliberately did it openly and immediately.
• Verse 3: “Stand in front of everyone”
• Jesus wanted everyone to clearly see what he was doing.
• It was a deliberate violation of Pharisaic Sabbath traditions.
• This time Jesus went out of His way to challenge their man-made traditions.
• He was really ‘in their face’ and he did not care what they thought!
• Remember: Jesus was not walking on egg shells,
• He was on the solid word of God!
• If the Pharisees challenge him;
• They will stub their toes, not crush him!
Note:
• In the first incident in the field;
• Jesus defence was based on the Old Testament Scriptures,
• In this second incident in the synagogue;
• His defence was based on the nature of God's Sabbath law.
• So in verse 4 Jesus turns to the crowd and asks them a question;
• To paraphrase; “The Sabbath should it be a burden or a blessing”
• “Did God give the law to help people, or to hinder them”.
• His defence is based on the nature of God's Sabbath law.
• Jesus adds, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath"
• God designed the Sabbath to serve the people's need for rest,
• Not exhaust people with a complicated list of do’s and don’ts!
Notice: This miracle illustrates the power of faith in God's Word.
• Jesus commanded the man to do the very thing he could not do,
• And yet he did it!
• ‘God's commandments are always God's enablement’s’.
• Yet despite the miracle that took place right before their eyes;
• They were unable to see what the miracle meant,
• Because they were blinded by their own prejudices & pride.
Verse 6:
• Is a milestone.
• For the first time, Jesus' enemies started considering the unthinkable.
• They even began taking counsel with the Herodians against Jesus,
• This was unheard of – the Pharisees and the Herodians;
• But they consulted together as to how they might destroy Him.
• The Herodians were Jews who supported Herod;
• Herod was a puppet of the Roman army, the oppressors & ruler of Israel!
• ill: Chalk & cheese, oil & water uniting.
• But Jesus often united his enemies against him!
Question:
• Do you remember Jesus' question in verse 4?
• "Is it lawful ... to save a life, or to destroy it?"
• It's amazing to us that the Pharisees didn't see their own hypocrisy;
• As they walked away from this incident they are contemplating murder.
• They insist on keeping the fourth commandment at all costs;
• But are quite happy to break the sixth commandment; “Do not murder”.
The passage concludes with life’s most important question:
• “What they would do with Jesus”
• For the Pharisees they rejected him,
• Question: what about you?
Quote: H.E. Fosdick
“He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to.
It is the means that determine the end.”
Quote: William James
“When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.”
