October 16 - Jesus and the Sabbath

GracetoYou.org ^ | 2008 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

“He answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.’ For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:17–18).

The Sabbath observance was at the heart of Jewish worship in Jesus’ day. The Lord’s reply to those who persecuted Him for violating it (5:16), “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working,” implies that the Sabbath was not instituted for God’s benefit but for man’s (Mark 2:27).

Jesus’ statement that He worked on the Sabbath just like the Father was nothing less than a claim to full deity and equality with God—that “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:8). His words also served as a subtle rebuke to the Jewish legalistic system, under which He had been indicted for doing good and showing mercy on the Sabbath. After all, God Himself does good and shows mercy on the Sabbath. Jesus, therefore, maintained that it is right to do good on the Sabbath, since God does.

The hostile Jews instantly grasped the import of Jesus’ words and as a result were continually seeking “all the more to kill Him.” He was not just breaking the Sabbath, but even worse, Jesus “also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” From this time forward they intensified their efforts to take His life, not just for flouting their man-made Sabbath regulations, but even more for asserting His deity.

Ask Yourself

Do you observe any Sabbath distinctions in your usual practice of the Lord’s Day? What are the benefits of these various habits or self-imposed restrictions? Would you say that the church today has a healthy understanding of the Sabbath? How could we lead each other to a better stance on it?

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[wbarmy]

Do you observe any Sabbath distinctions in your usual practice of the Lord’s Day?

Are we talking Saturday, the traditional Sabbath, or Sunday, the Lord's Day?

I am having this 'discussion' with one of my adult children and have had some serious thoughts about the Sabbatarians, Jehovah's Witness, Torah Observant Christians, etc.

I am fairly confident in the historical record showing that Christians, from the very beginning, got together to worship on the first day of the week, in honor of the Resurrection. Although Jewish believers still followed the Mosaic Law, the Apostles very strongly made the point that the Gentiles were not under the same strictures.

So, again, what did John MacAurther mean by the two references; Sabbath and Lord's Day?

[Red Badger]

By Jesus’ time, the Jewish religious leaders had instituted all kinds of rules and restrictions concerning the Sabbath that had not been in the original ‘Law’.

You couldn’t walk more than so far or carry anything anywhere or do this or that on a Sabbath.

Also, remember there were other ‘Sabbaths’ besides the one at the end of the week, Special Sabbaths or Holy Days.

Jesus even taunted the Pharisees with the case of a domesticated animal being stuck in a ditch or needing food and water.

[Elsie]

Romans 14:4-6

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One man regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

[Ezekiel]

The hostile Jews instantly grasped the import of Jesus’ words and as a result were continually seeking “all the more to kill Him.” He was not just breaking the Sabbath, but even worse, Jesus “also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” From this time forward they intensified their efforts to take His life, not just for flouting their man-made Sabbath regulations, but even more for asserting His deity.

Jesus was as guilty of violating the Sabbath as he was guilty of claiming to be God.

The one thing the religious experts were expert at was in sniffing out doctrinal error. They had it all worked out and this guy was obviously determined to lead people astray. He was nothing but trouble.

According to them, he was claiming to be God so the accusation must have been true. /s

If the Messiah believed this doctrine, he wouldn't recognize himself.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Good thing he's the anti-establishment type, otherwise people would remain in bondage, hopelessly determined to comform to some dead system forever.