The Lord of the Sabbath

On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:1-5).

While walking with Jesus through the villages and countryside of Galilee, His disciples were becoming more like Him. They followed His lead, imitated His life, and even began to think more like He did. One Sabbath day, as they were walking through the grain fields, they satisfied their hunger by plucking some heads of grain and grinding out the flour from inside. This was work and to the Pharisees, who were always nearby and watching closely, it was a desecration of the Sabbath. Jesus replied to their accusative question by highlighting an Old Testament illustration that exposed the Pharisees’ veneration and worship of the Sabbath. He used the title “Son of Man” to remind them that the Christ is the servant of man and then He declared Himself to be the lord of the Sabbath.

We should worship Christ, not the Sabbath. Human beings are the only creatures made in the image of the Creator and with a sense of the eternal nature of God in us… “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). We have a strong desire to connect with God and to know the experience of eternity… “He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). But in our fallen state we are vulnerable to the temptation to seek and worship things other than the One True God. Satan exploits this characteristic of fallen human nature relentlessly to get our hearts and minds off of God and onto other people, places, and things that become idols… “You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led” (1 Corinthians 12:2). The Pharisees had made idols of several religious traditions like the Sabbath… “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols!” (Habakkuk 2:18). They were so devoted to their legalistic interpretation of the Sabbath they were blind to Jesus Christ, “the lord of the Sabbath” when He appeared to them… “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Holy Spirit exhorts truth seekers to glorify God by worshipping only Jesus Christ… “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). Our Sabbath should be centered on worshipping Jesus Christ.

We should feed on Christ on the Sabbath. Jesus taught that He is the bread of heaven… “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). Jesus showed in His reference to David that “the bread of the Presence” in the temple was for the priests. Today, Jesus is bread for those He has made New Testament priests… “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). Our Sabbath should be devoted to feeding on Christ through His word.

We should offer Christ to others on the Sabbath. Jesus reminded the Pharisees that David gave the “the bread of the Presence” to others who were with him and were hungry. We should follow this example and offer Christ to others we bring with us to worship Christ on the Sabbath… “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Our Sabbath should be marked by an invitation to come to Jesus Christ, the bread of life.

As we grow up into Christ we worship, feed on, and invite others to Jesus Christ…

The Lord of the Sabbath.