During His earthly ministry, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their extreme and selfish interpretation of the Sabbath:
"And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
"And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
"And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
"How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
"Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." (Mark 2:23-28)
Jesus provides a clear example from the Old Testament how man actually defied the laws of sanctity on the Sabbath, yet are counted blameless.
In the instance which Jesus cites, David was on a mission from King Saul. Recorded in1 Samuel 21: 1-6, David asked for five loaves of bread. The Priest had which only "hallowed bread", which the King James translators identify as "shewbread" in the New Testament accounts. The priest did not withhold the bread from David and his men, assured that the roving fighters had not become unclean by having slept with women. What's unique in this account is that David asked for five loaves, and five is the number of grace, an indication that grace is greater than the law; that the Lord would not force His beloved servant David to go without food on account of temple laws. God loves us, and His law was never instituted to make us right with God, but rather to demonstrate our absolute dependence on Him, as we cannot keep the law in our strength. Where there is a need that we cannot meet on our own, God supplies us with grace.
In Matthew's account of this passage, Jesus brings up another example trumping the arrogant and condescending legalism of the Pharisees:
"Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
"But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
"But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
"For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." (Matthew 12: 5-8)
In both passages, Jesus emphasizes His Lordship over the Sabbath, which God the Father indicated in the Fourth Commandment (see previous post).
The Sabbath is all about Jesus! It's all about Him, receiving His goodness, walking in His grace, doing all through His power.
He cares about us, He wants us to be one with him, and we do not get there by our own efforts:
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
Yet even Jesus declared that He has come to give us rest, the very rest which the Israelites commemorated only once a week:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11: 28-20)
In this passage, "I will give you rest" is better rendered "I will rest you"
The full word in the original reads:
anapauó ἀναπαύω-- to give rest, give intermission from labor, by impl. refresh
Scripturetext.com gives a more complete explication of the term anapauó ἀναπαύω:
"373 anapaúō (from 303 /aná, "up, completing a process," which intensifies 3973 /paúō, "pause") – properly, to give (experience) rest after the needed task is completed; to pause (rest) "after precious toil and care" (Vine/Unger, White, NT).
Word Origin
from ana and pauó
Definition
to give rest, give intermission from labor, by impl. refresh
NASB Word Usage
give...rest (1), refresh (1), refreshed (3), rest (3), resting (2), rests (1), take your ease (1).
take ease, refresh, give rest.
From ana and pauo; (reflexively) to repose (literally or figuratively (be exempt), remain); by implication, to refresh -- take ease, refresh, (give, take) rest."
Jesus is our rest! Not only is He Lord of the Sabbath, but He Himself is our Sabbath Rest!
No comments:
Post a Comment