As we will read in our passage today, Jesus Christ proclaimed Himself as the “Lord of the Sabbath”.
What does this mean?
Let’s first read our text then we’ll answer the question; for Scriptures answer Scriptures in context! Open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke Chapter 6.
Read along with me v1-11…
What did Jesus mean about being the Lord of the Sabbath?
First of all, what does “Sabbath” means? We are to answer questions from the Bible by looking at the context of the passage, context of the book, and in agreement with the rest of the Bible! Based on our passage, what can we say about the Sabbath?
v1 - tells us Sabbath comes periodically on a regular basis.
v2 - there are things which are “unlawful” during Sabbath.
v3-4 - there are special exceptions to the Law of the Sabbath. Jesus also alludes to this in v9!
v6-7 - healing is not suppose to be done on a Sabbath
What does the rest of the Gospel say about the Sabbath?
Remember in Luke 4, what Jesus did on the Sabbath?
Luke 4:16, 33 – a day of learning and worshiping of God
Luke 13:14 – it is the 7th Day of the week
Luke 13:15-16 – it is a day of freedom
Luke 23:56 – it is a commanded day of rest
Both the Greek and Hebrew word for Sabbath basically means a sacred rest! How often do we take a sacred rest?
There is much said about the Sabbath in the entire Bible, but the main definition is found in Exodus 20:8-11, as part of the 10 Commandments from God: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
And yes, in the Jewish Calendar, the Sabbath is on a Saturday.
If we put all of this together, The Sabbath is a day of the week ordained by God for rest, learning, worshiping, and holiness!
And so, how does this all connect with our passage today? Jesus was out during the Sabbath Day with His disciples. Because they were hungry, they gathered grain from a field and rubbed them with their hands to get the kernels to eat. They did work for food but that work was questioned!
Ever since Jesus started His ministry, the Jewish religious leaders have been trying to trap Jesus. Why were these leaders trying to trap Jesus??
The Jewish Leaders saw Jesus as a threat to what they believed in and the power they had! And so, the Jewish Leaders used Old Testament Law, one of the 10 Commandments from God to accuse Jesus. Pretty smart of the Jewish Leaders; using the word of God to trap Jesus!! They were almost as good as the devil! Never forget that the devil can come to you looking like and sounding like an angel of light, when his goal is to trap you!
Let us learn from Jesus. How did Jesus respond?
1. Jesus answered with Scriptures!
Just like the devil, the Jewish Leaders took Scripture out of context of the whole Bible! Jesus reminded them of God’s special mercy and grace!
2. Jesus proclaimed the truth that since He is the author of the Word of God, Jesus Christ is over and above what is written!
Jesus proclaimed He is the Lord of all, even the Sabbath! And to prove He is the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus healed a man in front of everyone during the Sabbath!
Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath! The Sabbath is a day of the week ordained by God for rest, learning, worshiping, and holiness! Jesus is not a day. Jesus is the Lord of rest, learning, worship, and holiness!
What Biblical Principles can we apply to our lives today?
First of all, can we make the same mistake as those Jewish Leaders who accused Jesus?
There is a term in Christian theology called “legalism”.
Legalism in Christian theology is defined as:
a. doctrine that salvation is gained through good works
b. judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
What’s wrong with “legalism”??
John 6:28-29
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.
Matthew 7:1-2
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
The Jewish Leaders who accused Jesus were “legalistic” and they were wrong! Can we Christians today fall in the trap of legalism? – Absolutely! And so,
1. Be careful of being “legalistic”!
What are some examples of Christian legalism today??
Celebrating the Sabbath Day only on a Saturday is a good example of Christian legalism today.
Because the Sabbath in the Old Testament was on a Saturday, people force Saturday as the day for church! How would you respond to this legalistic view of the Sabbath Day for today? Let me suggest the following:
Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath! And here’s the main point: Jesus is the one to be worshiped not the day. We are to worship Jesus always for He is God and our Only Savior; therefore the day is not as important as the focus of our worship. We can choose any day for church as long as we worship Jesus Christ! Christian churches should choose Sunday to have church not to judge those who worship on other days but because the early Christian church met on Sundays to celebrate the Resurrection!
All Nations Bible Church gather together to worship Jesus Christ on a Sunday; but I would lead a Worship Service for Jesus Christ any day of the week!
Watch out for “legalism”! What other Biblical principles should we apply to our lives today?
We are to be careful of misinterpreting a Bible verse or a passage.
2. Always interpret Bible verses in context of the passage, the Book, and the entire Bible!
And again, Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath! Jesus is the Sabbath! Jesus is not a day, He is God with us! Therefore, 3. Always rest, learn, worship, and be holy in Jesus Christ!
How can we do this in a practical way? Let me remind you of what God tells us in Ephesians 6:11 –
Put on the full armor of God!
We are to constantly wear this armor of God!
Do you remember the pieces of the armor??
BBSSSH-F
B is the Belt of Truth. What is the Belt of Truth??
Looking in context (Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God and God is not redundant!), The Belt of Truth is Jesus Christ Himself! Jesus Christ is to be a “belt” around us. Always put on Jesus Christ and trust Him for everything!
Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness! The Breastplate of Righteousness is a clean heart provided by the blood of Christ! There must be no unconfessed sin in our hearts!
Put on the Shoes of the Gospel given personally to you!
If someone asks you why you are a Christian, will you be ready to tell them?
Take up the Shield of Faith; And remember, it is mainly for defense not offense. In other words, know your apologetics, defend your faith but not be offensive!
Take the Sword of the Spirit, which is what Jesus says. And what Jesus says is the whole Bible! All Scripture is God breathed! Put on The Helmet of Salvation which is to protect our spiritual minds by knowing we are going to heaven! Christians are citizens of heaven! Christians belong to God!
Put on the Forcefield of Prayer! Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
