Recently I penned a series of post on the Ten Commandments and as I was writing it, found that the Sabbath day was the only commandment not reapplied to believers in the New Testament.
In writing that series of posts, I was reminded that the Sabbath day was one of the main irritants between the Lord Jesus and the Pharisees.
Our last post dealt with the Master comparing Himself with the Temple. In this post, He continues to ramp up the argument by fully expressing His authority.
Two Authorities
Matthew 12:7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
This is the second time Jesus tells the Pharisees of Hosea 6:6. It seems to fit the need for these Pharisees, to be confronted with a re prioritization of values for their lives.
Jesus states that the Pharisees didn’t understand the Scriptures they claimed to live by and declares His disciples as guiltless.
God despises religion that places a requirement beyond love, and this is what the nation of Israel had done.
Religion often reverses the intentions of God in His creation. Note in the parallel occurrence, where Jesus add the following clarification
Mark 2:27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Religion grasps onto a gift and makes it a law. The Sabbath was given to the nation of Israel as a gift to man. The Pharisees had developed the Sabbath, with good intentions, I am sure, into a burden for man to carry.
Two authorities to choose from. One authority based on the thought of man, and his desire to protect the law of God (which eventually crucifies the author of that very law!)
The greater authority is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
He is authoritative over the Sabbath, not the Sabbath over Him.
So Carl, are you saying that the Old Testament Sabbath day of rest has no authority over the believer.
Consider the New Testaments teaching on ultimate authority.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Who is the authority in your life?
There can only be one authority in anyone’s life. If the Lord Jesus states we are to observe the Sabbath, we must observe the Sabbath. If you are unsure if He has taught that, see my blog post “Commandments for Christians – No Working on the Sabbath”
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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.
Considering the Bible 
“Religion grasps onto a gift and makes it a law.”
Sadly this statement you made is to true. Look at creation week. The seventh day of the week was the high point and pinnacle of creation. God, along with Adam and Eve would have sat back and admired the beauty of it all. What a blessing!
God even saw it as special enough to bless and sanctify (make holy) that day.
It’s designed to be a blessing to us and always has been. If I didn’t have the Sabbath to rest and take my mind off work and life, the stress would kill me.
God bless Carl
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I too have been seeking to find a calmness in my soul, to find peace in the midst of stress. I am convinced the Master is the only One who can guard our hearts and provide peace in the midst of trials. We all need to seek Him and trust in His will.
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