Originally posted: 09/15/2019
And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath,” (6:5).
From Louw-Nida Greek Lexicon:
Lord: “one who rules or exercises authority over others—‘ruler, master, lord’:.
Sabbath: “the seventh or last day of the week (religiously the most important since it was consecrated to the worship of God).”
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy,” (Exodus 20:8-11).
The Sabbath was a call to humble submission, remembering Him as the Lord their God.
Remember He is Holy and set apart from all creation.
Remember He is the Lord God Who rested from His work.
Remember He is Sovereign and rules over His creation.
Remember He alone is Worthy of worship.
Consider Him, the Lord of the Sabbath
Quite a claim Jesus made, to be Lord of the Sabbath: ruler and master over what the Lord God had blessed and set apart as an act of worship. Jesus, the Son of Man, clearly claimed to be Lord of the Sabbath, Lord over what God had claimed for Himself as holy.
There can be no denying the implications… Only God Himself can be Lord of the Sabbath:
Only God Himself is Holy.
Only God Himself calls His people to rest.
Only God Himself is Sovereign.
Only God Himself is Worthy of worship.
And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath,” (6:5).
How do we respond to Him, the Lord of the Sabbath?
- We are called to live as holy, for He is Holy.
- “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine,” (Leviticus 20:26).
- As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy,” (1 Peter 1:14-16).
- We are called to salvation in Him, to rest in Him by grace through believing faith.
- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, (Hebrews 4:1-3).
- We are called to obedience, trusting Him for the outcome, for He alone is Sovereign.
- “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you… 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 Give, and it will be given to you They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return,” (6:27-28, 37-38).
Jesus clearly claimed His divinity as Lord of the Sabbath and questioned the authenticity of those who claim Him as their Lord yet refuse to obey.
- We are called to express our worship through humble submission to His commands.
- “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great,” (6:46-49).
- “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great,” (6:46-49).
Oh Lord Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath, be Lord of our lives and the Rock of our Salvation; strengthen and grow us as we come to You that we may hear Your words and respond in humble worship through our lives of obedience.
“The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,” (2 Samuel 22:47).