WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.080 the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:08.240 of the Sabbath. Now, when he had departed from 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:11.599 there, he went into their synagogue. And behold, 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:13.259 there was a man who had a withered hand, and 00:00:13.259 --> 00:00:15.779 they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to hill 00:00:15.779 --> 00:00:18.219 on the Sabbath? And they asked him, so that they 00:00:18.219 --> 00:00:22.179 might accuse him. Then he said to them, What 00:00:22.179 --> 00:00:25.519 man is there among you who has one sheep? And 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:28.730 if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not 00:00:28.730 --> 00:00:32.390 lay hold of it and lift it out. Of how much more 00:00:32.390 --> 00:00:36.829 value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it 00:00:36.829 --> 00:00:40.289 is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Then he 00:00:40.289 --> 00:00:43.929 said to the man, stretch out your hand. And he 00:00:43.929 --> 00:00:45.729 stretched it out and it was restored as whole 00:00:45.729 --> 00:00:48.649 as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and 00:00:48.649 --> 00:00:52.009 plotted against him how they might destroy him. 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:56.009 Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word, 00:00:56.090 --> 00:00:59.539 Lord God. It is light. Lord, it is illumination 00:00:59.539 --> 00:01:02.299 to the path that you have called us to. Lord, 00:01:02.299 --> 00:01:04.879 would you help us this morning? Give us discernment. 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:07.680 Give us understanding and eyes, Lord, that will 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.260 see the glory of Christ in this passage. Father, 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:15.780 deliver us from religious hypocrisy. Draw us 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:18.019 closer to you, Lord God. Make us more into your 00:01:18.019 --> 00:01:21.000 image. Lord, indeed, we ask this morning that 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:22.859 your face would shine upon us now, Lord, as we 00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:26.079 hear from heaven through the preached word. Prepare 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:29.019 soil, prepare horse for this horde. May they 00:01:29.019 --> 00:01:31.299 receive it as it is, the word of God and not 00:01:31.299 --> 00:01:33.959 the word of man. We ask this in Christ's name, 00:01:34.219 --> 00:01:39.579 amen. In February of 2011, Tim Moots, Kenny Barkas 00:01:39.579 --> 00:01:42.920 and I had an incredible opportunity to travel 00:01:42.920 --> 00:01:46.840 to Israel. We went with Glenn Matthews and a 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:49.420 group that he was hosting there. I remember we 00:01:49.420 --> 00:01:52.480 flew out of JFK and we flew on an Israeli airline 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:55.920 called El Al. I think over there is around an 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:58.379 11 -hour flight. I think back was 14, and I could 00:01:58.379 --> 00:02:00.680 be a little messed up on my numbers there. But 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:03.219 the trip was pretty amazing. It was eye -opening, 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:06.099 it was inspiring. We're able to walk where the 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:09.259 Son of God once walked. For me, the most emotional 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:11.699 time is when we start in what is known as the 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:15.680 Via Don Rosa, the painful path where Jesus was 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:18.280 forced to carry his cross. And you're walking 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:20.699 in that same path where the Son of God was carrying 00:02:20.699 --> 00:02:23.479 his cross. But there are many things that stood 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:25.080 out, but one of the things that stood out that 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:27.280 might seem surprising to you is actually when 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:29.639 we're staying in our hotel and it happened to 00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:32.379 be the Sabbath. Now we're in Israel. So Sabbath 00:02:32.379 --> 00:02:35.259 is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. 00:02:36.620 --> 00:02:40.400 During the Sabbath, the hotel elevator automatically 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:44.180 stops on every floor. Now the rest of the week 00:02:44.180 --> 00:02:45.699 you may go in and if you're on the fourth floor, 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:47.840 push the button four. It won't stop on every 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:50.219 floor, but not on the Sabbath. it's going to 00:02:50.219 --> 00:02:53.199 stop on every floor so that no button would have 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:55.860 to be pushed. Now you may be wondering, why would 00:02:55.860 --> 00:02:58.919 they do that? Now the Orthodox do it because 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:03.360 in Exodus 35 verse 3, God said, you shall not 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:06.699 kindle a fire throughout your dwellings on the 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:09.919 Sabbath day. Now you may wonder what does that 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:12.240 have to do with pushing a button on an elevator? 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:14.860 Well again, if you're Orthodox and you're an 00:03:14.860 --> 00:03:17.819 ultra conservative Orthodox Jew, they believe 00:03:17.819 --> 00:03:20.740 that by touching that elevator button you cause 00:03:20.740 --> 00:03:24.000 an electric current to take place, which in essence 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:27.419 is kindling a fire, which then is a violation 00:03:27.419 --> 00:03:31.900 of Exodus 35 verse 3. See, in their view, the 00:03:31.900 --> 00:03:35.159 prohibition against creating or kindling a fire 00:03:35.159 --> 00:03:38.639 extends all the way down to touching an elevator 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.400 button. Now you and I might be sitting here this 00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:43.680 morning wondering, is that really what God had 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:47.860 intended in the law? No, of course not. But this 00:03:47.860 --> 00:03:52.620 same scrupulous attention and detail to the minutiae, 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:55.460 it was there happening in Jesus' day as well. 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:58.300 Every religious leader, scribes and Pharisees, 00:03:58.419 --> 00:04:00.740 but the Pharisees were the ultra conservative, 00:04:01.580 --> 00:04:04.699 the very Orthodox, and they had developed an 00:04:04.699 --> 00:04:08.219 elaborate set of Sabbath rules which they expected 00:04:08.219 --> 00:04:11.439 everyone to keep. They had rules about how many 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:13.699 steps you could take before if you took another 00:04:13.699 --> 00:04:16.300 one, you would break the Sabbath. Then they even 00:04:16.300 --> 00:04:19.300 had rules on what scenarios was okay to help 00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:21.500 someone on the Sabbath and what scenario would 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:23.620 it be not okay and you'd have to wait for another 00:04:23.620 --> 00:04:27.480 day. Now in our text this morning, Matthew 12, 00:04:28.199 --> 00:04:31.740 our Lord is going to reveal the true intention 00:04:31.740 --> 00:04:35.379 that lay behind the Sabbath, but even more importantly, 00:04:35.660 --> 00:04:38.420 how he fulfills it. Now I've said many times 00:04:38.420 --> 00:04:42.220 from behind this pulpit that there are times 00:04:42.220 --> 00:04:44.939 when chapter and verse divisions don't make sense. 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:47.459 You have to understand chapter and verse divisions 00:04:47.459 --> 00:04:49.800 were not part of the original autographs. In 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:52.040 fact, the Bible you hold in your hands, those 00:04:52.040 --> 00:04:54.500 chapter and verse divisions did not come about 00:04:54.500 --> 00:04:57.980 until the year 1227. So it's relatively recent. 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:00.899 Now we should be very thankful for them. It's 00:05:00.899 --> 00:05:03.480 a great work. But there are times, there are 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:06.800 places when a chapter ends with a break and a 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.439 new one begins that I don't think the author 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:11.800 intended for that to be separated right there. 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:15.860 And our text is one of these examples. In chapter 00:05:15.860 --> 00:05:19.420 12, out of nowhere, we begin with Jesus getting 00:05:19.420 --> 00:05:23.220 into trouble with the Pharisees over the Sabbath. 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:25.839 But as we looked last week, if you look at the 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:27.800 end of chapter 11, I'll have these on the wall, 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:32.680 chapter 11 ended with Jesus issuing a call for 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:36.699 those who were burdened. and weighed down to 00:05:36.699 --> 00:05:42.040 come to him for rest. Matthew 11 38. Rest. What's 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:45.860 the Sabbath a day of? Rest. He says if you're 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:49.500 burdened, if you're laboring and are heavy laden. 00:05:50.379 --> 00:05:53.000 Now think about who he was speaking to. He was 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:55.500 speaking to all those people who were burdened 00:05:55.500 --> 00:05:58.439 and heavy laden with all the extra laws and all 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:00.879 their traditions that the religious leaders had 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:04.519 placed upon them. And in chapter 12, Matthew 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:08.300 seamlessly gives us an example of one of those 00:06:08.300 --> 00:06:11.019 heavy burdens that these leaders had placed upon 00:06:11.019 --> 00:06:14.100 the people. Now the question in chapter 12, it's 00:06:14.100 --> 00:06:17.060 not if the Sabbath matters or not. Of course 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:20.899 it does. It did then. But the question is, what 00:06:20.899 --> 00:06:23.660 was God's intention when he gave the Sabbath? 00:06:24.939 --> 00:06:30.029 Jesus' offer of rest in chapter 11 is contrasted 00:06:30.029 --> 00:06:34.509 with the Pharisees distorted view of rest in 00:06:34.509 --> 00:06:37.629 chapter 12. Now look at 11, 28 through 30. I 00:06:37.629 --> 00:06:40.529 have it on the wall behind me. Jesus speaking, 00:06:41.089 --> 00:06:45.829 very end here. Come to me all you who labor and 00:06:45.829 --> 00:06:47.709 are heavy laden, that means burdens are on your 00:06:47.709 --> 00:06:52.709 back, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke, 00:06:52.810 --> 00:06:54.949 not the leader's yoke, upon you and learn from 00:06:54.949 --> 00:06:58.360 me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart, not like 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:02.459 the Pharisees. You will find rest for your souls. 00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:05.939 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light, 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:11.120 contrasted with chapter 12. At that time, Jesus 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.019 went throughout the grain fields on the Sabbath. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.579 His disciples were hungry, and they began to 00:07:16.579 --> 00:07:19.579 pluck his heads of grain and to eat. The Pharisees, 00:07:19.660 --> 00:07:22.279 they're observing him. And when they see what 00:07:22.279 --> 00:07:24.100 his disciples were doing, they don't go to the 00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:25.720 disciples, they go to Jesus, and they're like, 00:07:25.740 --> 00:07:29.240 look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful. 00:07:29.459 --> 00:07:32.519 It's what is profaning, what is breaking the 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:36.459 Sabbath. Now, I don't want to defend the Pharisees, 00:07:36.699 --> 00:07:39.319 but you have to understand their mindset. They 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:43.379 viewed obedience to the law as loyalty to God, 00:07:43.379 --> 00:07:46.399 and they were right. And so when they saw Jesus 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:48.819 and his disciples doing what they thought was 00:07:48.819 --> 00:07:51.350 breaking the law, What they thought or assumed 00:07:51.350 --> 00:07:54.050 was a violation of it, they were very incensed. 00:07:54.050 --> 00:07:58.069 They were aggravated. So now they had zeal. They 00:07:58.069 --> 00:08:00.170 had zeal for the law of God. But here's what 00:08:00.170 --> 00:08:03.230 had happened. They had built a fence, their own 00:08:03.230 --> 00:08:06.910 laws, around God's law in order to keep people 00:08:06.910 --> 00:08:09.850 from breaking it. So if God said this, they would 00:08:09.850 --> 00:08:12.189 have a standard out here. So even if you broke 00:08:12.189 --> 00:08:14.009 that one, at least you wouldn't be breaking God's 00:08:14.009 --> 00:08:17.649 law. That was the first intention. But there 00:08:17.649 --> 00:08:20.529 was a problem inherent in that philosophy. They 00:08:20.529 --> 00:08:26.029 began to elevate their own traditions and rules 00:08:26.029 --> 00:08:30.470 as authoritative as God's law. They took what 00:08:30.470 --> 00:08:33.110 they said and they raised it to the status of 00:08:33.110 --> 00:08:37.250 what God said. So in time, they came to believe 00:08:37.250 --> 00:08:40.009 that breaking their laws was the same as if someone 00:08:40.009 --> 00:08:43.450 was breaking God's law. And Jesus wasn't going 00:08:43.450 --> 00:08:45.730 to stand for any of it because he was the law 00:08:45.730 --> 00:08:49.440 giver. Now understand, We need to look back at 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:51.960 the Old Testament. What were the prohibitions 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:53.879 given in the Old Testament concerning the Sabbath? 00:08:54.860 --> 00:08:57.700 I mean, this was a big deal in Jesus' time. This 00:08:57.700 --> 00:08:59.460 is one of the reasons he gets crucified, by the 00:08:59.460 --> 00:09:02.139 way. But surprisingly, if you go back to the 00:09:02.139 --> 00:09:04.139 Old Testament, the commands for the Sabbath are 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:07.059 relatively brief. You've got the Decalogue. You've 00:09:07.059 --> 00:09:09.039 got the Ten Commandments there in Exodus 20. 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:11.399 Let's just read it, and it's pretty straightforward. 00:09:12.220 --> 00:09:14.960 Exodus 20 verse 8. Remember the Sabbath day to 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:17.679 keep it holy. How are you going to do that? Six 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:20.240 days you shall labor, do all your work. But the 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:22.539 seventh day is the Sabbath, or the Shabbat, of 00:09:22.539 --> 00:09:25.740 the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. 00:09:26.580 --> 00:09:28.919 Who? You, not your son, not your daughter, not 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:30.720 your male servant, not your female servant, your 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.039 animals, not your cattle, not your worker, your 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:36.200 slave, the stranger who's within your gates. 00:09:37.100 --> 00:09:40.240 Why not? For in six days the Lord made the heavens 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.179 and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, 00:09:42.940 --> 00:09:45.539 and he rested the seventh day. Therefore the 00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:48.159 Lord blessed the Sabbath day and he hallowed 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:50.559 it. He set it apart as holy. So what do we get 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:54.019 from this one? No regular work is to be done. 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:56.639 You can't work. This is a day of rest, okay? 00:09:57.159 --> 00:10:00.500 Move over to Exodus 31. Therefore the children 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:02.659 of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the 00:10:02.659 --> 00:10:04.779 Sabbath throughout their generations. Notice 00:10:04.779 --> 00:10:09.139 this last phrase, as a perpetual covenant. It 00:10:09.139 --> 00:10:12.750 was a covenant sign. between the nation of Israel 00:10:12.750 --> 00:10:16.230 and God. This is a sign of their covenant, part 00:10:16.230 --> 00:10:19.750 of the Mosaic law. Now, the next place, and this 00:10:19.750 --> 00:10:23.330 will be the last one we stop, chapter 35. Then 00:10:23.330 --> 00:10:25.750 Moses gathered all the congregation and the children 00:10:25.750 --> 00:10:28.129 of Israel together and he said to them, these 00:10:28.129 --> 00:10:30.730 are the words which the Lord has commanded you 00:10:30.730 --> 00:10:34.610 to do. Work shall be done for six days, but the 00:10:34.610 --> 00:10:37.350 seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath 00:10:37.350 --> 00:10:40.070 of rest to the Lord. Now, whoever does any work 00:10:40.070 --> 00:10:43.610 on it, shall be put to death. You shall kindle 00:10:43.610 --> 00:10:46.610 no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath 00:10:46.610 --> 00:10:49.629 day." So again, we have a reiteration. You don't 00:10:49.629 --> 00:10:51.690 get a work on the Sabbath, and there's a little 00:10:51.690 --> 00:10:54.389 bit more specificity here. You can't kindle a 00:10:54.389 --> 00:10:57.350 fire on that day either. So if we want to sum 00:10:57.350 --> 00:11:00.549 up, and just for sake of clarity here and conciseness, 00:11:01.210 --> 00:11:04.190 the Old Testament prohibited you could not work. 00:11:04.870 --> 00:11:06.029 Do you remember when the children were in the 00:11:06.029 --> 00:11:07.990 wilderness in their desert wonderings for 40 00:11:07.990 --> 00:11:12.080 years? They could not collect any manna. On the 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:13.500 sixth day, they had to collect twice as much. 00:11:13.659 --> 00:11:15.980 On the seventh day, they collected none. They 00:11:15.980 --> 00:11:18.639 couldn't kindle a fire. You couldn't harvest. 00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:20.440 If it was harvest season, that was the day you 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:23.220 didn't go out to the fields and harvest. No commerce. 00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:26.340 You could not buy or sell on that day. You could 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:28.740 not carry burdens that could wait until the next 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:31.460 day. And you were not allowed to treat the Sabbath 00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:33.559 as if it were an ordinary day. You couldn't just 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:35.960 go on your business like nothing else was special 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:40.289 about it. So this was a day. designed by God 00:11:40.289 --> 00:11:44.710 for Israel to cease from ordinary labor for two 00:11:44.710 --> 00:11:47.429 purposes, their bodies and animals needed to 00:11:47.429 --> 00:11:51.169 rest, and for worship. Keep that last part in 00:11:51.169 --> 00:11:54.350 mind, worship. But by the time of Jesus in Matthew 00:11:54.350 --> 00:11:57.590 12, there was this oral tradition known as the 00:11:57.590 --> 00:12:01.129 Mishnah that had developed and had grown to play 00:12:01.129 --> 00:12:05.840 a huge part in Israel's identity. The Pharisees 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:09.600 now were imposing their own Sabbath regulations 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:12.759 upon the people. These burdens were impossible 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:16.279 to keep. No one could keep them. So they're burdening 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:19.100 the people with a host of rules. Now keep in 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:20.840 mind, I showed you pretty much everything the 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:23.279 Old Testament says about it. It's not quite that 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:27.340 much. But in Matthew 12, the Pharisees have a 00:12:27.340 --> 00:12:30.340 long list of rules. So now here's what we find. 00:12:30.419 --> 00:12:32.860 The disciples on the Sabbath, they're hungry. 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.419 They're walking through a field with some standing 00:12:35.419 --> 00:12:37.840 grain that had not been reaped. They plucked 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:39.340 a little bit, crushed it in their hands, and 00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:44.019 ate it. The Pharisees looked at them, and they 00:12:44.019 --> 00:12:46.840 considered to pluck the grain and to crush it 00:12:46.840 --> 00:12:51.539 in your hand is to reap and to thresh. And that 00:12:51.539 --> 00:12:55.620 is a violation of the Sabbath. Therefore, in 00:12:55.620 --> 00:12:59.159 their mind, Jesus and these disciples cannot 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.169 be of God. And they begin to rebuke Jesus. because 00:13:02.169 --> 00:13:05.830 he's allowing his followers to do what was unlawful 00:13:05.830 --> 00:13:09.690 to do. Now, in reality, they were not defending 00:13:09.690 --> 00:13:12.690 God's honor. They were defending and protecting 00:13:12.690 --> 00:13:15.929 their own religious system. The disciples had 00:13:15.929 --> 00:13:18.730 not broken any of God's laws at this point. People 00:13:18.730 --> 00:13:21.149 ate on the Sabbath. There was no prohibition 00:13:21.149 --> 00:13:22.590 against plucking a piece of grain and eating 00:13:22.590 --> 00:13:26.389 it. But what God had intended for a blessing, 00:13:26.490 --> 00:13:29.389 which is the Sabbath, they had turned into a 00:13:29.389 --> 00:13:33.570 burden. and Jesus will not bow to them." And 00:13:33.570 --> 00:13:35.909 we see his answer, and he is masterful. Listen, 00:13:36.110 --> 00:13:38.669 I love to see our Lord in action in this chapter 00:13:38.669 --> 00:13:41.690 here. In verses three and four, he said, oh, 00:13:41.730 --> 00:13:44.110 so you want to accuse me, huh? Well, you guys 00:13:44.110 --> 00:13:45.970 are experts in the law. Let's go back to the 00:13:45.970 --> 00:13:48.970 law. Have you not read what David and his men 00:13:48.970 --> 00:13:50.950 did when they were hungry, how they entered in 00:13:50.950 --> 00:13:53.090 the house of God and they ate the bread of presence, 00:13:53.250 --> 00:13:55.429 also known as the sure bread, which was not lawful 00:13:55.429 --> 00:13:58.710 for anyone to eat except priests, and yet they 00:13:58.710 --> 00:14:01.620 ate it. So these religious leaders, again, what 00:14:01.620 --> 00:14:04.059 were they doing? They were going to use God's 00:14:04.059 --> 00:14:07.779 law as a weapon. They were using it as a club 00:14:07.779 --> 00:14:11.500 to bludgeon others with it. They had missed God's 00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:15.580 heart in giving the law. So Jesus, he's going 00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:17.779 to take them back to, at first you're like, well, 00:14:17.779 --> 00:14:20.759 why is he going there? Because he's so masterful 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:24.720 in this. He takes them to 1 Samuel 21. David 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:27.740 had already been anointed king. Saul hates him, 00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:29.809 he's trying to kill him. David has a group of 00:14:29.809 --> 00:14:32.129 men with him, and they're on the run from Saul. 00:14:32.830 --> 00:14:34.629 These guys are running so much they get hungry. 00:14:35.070 --> 00:14:37.929 It's not the Sabbath, excuse me. They do come 00:14:37.929 --> 00:14:39.570 to the temple. They come to the house of God, 00:14:39.909 --> 00:14:42.409 and you have Ahimelech, the priest, was on duty. 00:14:42.809 --> 00:14:44.289 And they're like, hey, listen, we're starving. 00:14:44.370 --> 00:14:47.049 Can you give us any food? Ahimelech says, the 00:14:47.049 --> 00:14:49.450 only food that I have here is just this bread 00:14:49.450 --> 00:14:52.210 of presents, the sure bread. But that can't be 00:14:52.210 --> 00:14:56.590 eaten by anyone except priest. Yet, in spite 00:14:56.590 --> 00:15:00.559 of the prohibition, Ahimelech, the priest, willingly 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.659 gives David and his men this bread of presents 00:15:03.659 --> 00:15:07.440 to eat. And the point that Jesus was making was 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:13.919 that the law will yield to mercy. If David and 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:17.659 his men could eat the holy bread out of necessity 00:15:17.659 --> 00:15:22.080 and be guiltless, be innocent, then his disciples 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:25.059 could pluck and eat standing grain and not be 00:15:25.059 --> 00:15:28.500 guilty of breaking the Sabbath. Now, the Lord 00:15:28.500 --> 00:15:31.600 never said the law doesn't matter. Rather, he 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:34.580 was showing the Pharisees how they had misinterpreted 00:15:34.580 --> 00:15:39.259 the law. Verse 5. He gives another example. This 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:42.039 one's even more specific. He said, well, if you 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:43.980 think I'm breaking Sabbath, what about your priest? 00:15:44.899 --> 00:15:47.820 Don't they work on the Sabbath? I mean, they're 00:15:47.820 --> 00:15:51.159 offering sacrifices. God doesn't hold them guilty. 00:15:51.880 --> 00:15:55.120 So, here's what, again, just master logic here. 00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:58.200 He's showing the Pharisees how inconsistent they 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:01.220 were. If all work that was done on the Sabbath 00:16:01.220 --> 00:16:04.740 was forbidden, then the priest who served at 00:16:04.740 --> 00:16:08.139 the temple on the Sabbath would be guilty. Because 00:16:08.139 --> 00:16:11.600 the law that God gave required daily sacrifices 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:14.580 and daily offerings that had to be made, including 00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:17.539 on the day of Sabbath. But so the priest, they 00:16:17.539 --> 00:16:19.460 had to offer sacrifice, they had to kindle a 00:16:19.460 --> 00:16:23.379 fire. They had to offer sacrifices. And Jesus 00:16:23.379 --> 00:16:25.460 said, but yet they don't profane. They're not 00:16:25.460 --> 00:16:28.500 violating the Sabbath because their service in 00:16:28.500 --> 00:16:33.440 the temple took precedence over Sabbath observance. 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:38.879 The priests, they were innocent because worship 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:44.000 does not break the Sabbath. Worship fulfills 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:46.580 the Sabbath. There were two purposes. You rested 00:16:46.580 --> 00:16:49.470 and you worshiped. The purpose of the Sabbath 00:16:49.470 --> 00:16:52.870 was never meant to simply stop what you're doing 00:16:52.870 --> 00:16:55.950 and just rest. As though we just all need to 00:16:55.950 --> 00:16:57.649 lay around in bed. That was never the purpose. 00:16:57.929 --> 00:17:01.450 It was meant for worship and to point to the 00:17:01.450 --> 00:17:05.609 true rest found in God. And this is the million 00:17:05.609 --> 00:17:09.890 dollar point. Now you see why Jesus's statement 00:17:09.890 --> 00:17:14.250 in Matthew 11 is so amazing. Come unto me, Jesus 00:17:14.250 --> 00:17:18.470 said, and I will give you rest. He didn't say 00:17:18.470 --> 00:17:21.289 obey the law. He didn't say do this or that. 00:17:21.609 --> 00:17:23.670 He said if you want the true rest that the Sabbath 00:17:23.670 --> 00:17:27.809 had always been pointing to, come unto me. I 00:17:27.809 --> 00:17:31.390 can give you the true rest that the Sabbath can 00:17:31.390 --> 00:17:35.109 only represent. All that the Sabbath was pointing 00:17:35.109 --> 00:17:39.029 to was fulfilled in Christ. And this is the point 00:17:39.029 --> 00:17:42.420 this morning. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:45.059 offer true rest for your soul because He is the 00:17:45.059 --> 00:17:47.940 only one who has been sent by God who is able 00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:51.960 to save you. So if the priests are not guilty 00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:55.240 and they serve at the temple, how much more innocent 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:58.700 are they who serve Jesus because He's greater 00:17:58.700 --> 00:18:02.519 than the temple? Priests can serve at the physical 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:06.220 temple and they're held innocent. So anyone serving 00:18:06.220 --> 00:18:10.279 Jesus is even more innocent. Because Jesus is 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:12.680 greater than the temple and that's look at verse 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:17.180 6 and this friends is astounding Yet I say to 00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:21.859 you that in this place There is one greater than 00:18:21.859 --> 00:18:24.420 the temple This is one of the clearest claims 00:18:24.420 --> 00:18:28.599 of deity that Jesus makes He said in his own 00:18:28.599 --> 00:18:30.660 words from his own mouth. He's greater than the 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.099 temple. Now. What was the temple? It's a center 00:18:33.099 --> 00:18:35.599 of Israel's public life. It was the center of 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:38.160 Israel's identity. It was the place of worship 00:18:38.329 --> 00:18:40.650 The temple was a place where Jews could go, they 00:18:40.650 --> 00:18:42.549 could meet with God, they could have their sins 00:18:42.549 --> 00:18:45.529 atoned for, and they could also enjoy God's presence 00:18:45.529 --> 00:18:48.349 and have true fellowship with Him. The temple 00:18:48.349 --> 00:18:51.650 was at the very heart of Israel's national identity, 00:18:51.950 --> 00:18:53.849 and Jesus is standing there and saying, and I'm 00:18:53.849 --> 00:18:58.190 greater than that temple. That's amazing. In 00:18:58.190 --> 00:19:00.589 John's Gospel, chapter 2, Jesus said, in fact, 00:19:00.670 --> 00:19:04.569 I'm the true temple of God. What was the temple 00:19:04.569 --> 00:19:08.819 for? It was a place where God met man. Jesus 00:19:08.819 --> 00:19:12.160 said, I'm the true temple. I'm the ultimate place 00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:16.059 where God meets with man. Now this statement 00:19:16.059 --> 00:19:19.160 no doubt got to the Pharisees. It hurt them. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.799 Who did this man, who did Jesus think he was? 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.059 How could some man claim to be greater than the 00:19:26.059 --> 00:19:30.259 temple? They're indignant. How do you know that? 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.500 Verse 14, they went out and plotted against him 00:19:33.500 --> 00:19:36.759 how they might kill him. He's a blaster in their 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:40.269 eyes. No way this man's from God. And they wanted 00:19:40.269 --> 00:19:43.230 him dead. But Jesus didn't stop. Look at verse 00:19:43.230 --> 00:19:46.210 7. He says, but if you knew what this means, 00:19:46.289 --> 00:19:49.430 and now he quotes Hosea 6, verse 6, I desire 00:19:49.430 --> 00:19:53.130 mercy and not sacrifice, you wouldn't have condemned 00:19:53.130 --> 00:19:56.730 the guiltless. He's quoting Hosea 6. Let me give 00:19:56.730 --> 00:19:59.589 you the whole verse. I desire mercy and not sacrifice, 00:20:00.009 --> 00:20:03.369 and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 00:20:04.210 --> 00:20:07.650 Now God was not saying that sacrifices were unimportant. 00:20:07.869 --> 00:20:10.210 On the contrary, he's the one who commanded sacrifices 00:20:10.210 --> 00:20:13.930 to be offered. So what did Hosea mean when he 00:20:13.930 --> 00:20:18.930 wrote that? A true relationship with God is more 00:20:18.930 --> 00:20:22.529 important than religious performance. See, the 00:20:22.529 --> 00:20:25.430 problem in Hosea's day, get this, was that Israel, 00:20:25.430 --> 00:20:27.710 they were going through the motions, they were 00:20:27.710 --> 00:20:30.130 offering sacrifices, they were giving their daily 00:20:30.130 --> 00:20:32.529 offerings, and yet their hearts were far from 00:20:32.529 --> 00:20:37.400 God. They were cold toward God. Plenty of religious 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:42.000 activity. They didn't stop being religious. But 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.539 there was no love for God. No heart behind it. 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.000 And Jesus is indicting the Pharisees with the 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:51.599 same condemnation. They performed religious duties. 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:56.059 In fact, they were very diligent to do so. But 00:20:56.059 --> 00:21:00.019 they hammered others. So they were very good 00:21:00.019 --> 00:21:02.099 at keeping what they thought they should be keeping. 00:21:02.569 --> 00:21:04.910 But they looked down their noses at other people 00:21:04.910 --> 00:21:09.470 who didn't. They failed to show mercy. And there 00:21:09.470 --> 00:21:12.890 was no heart for God behind all of their religious 00:21:12.890 --> 00:21:14.849 actions. And you say, well, how do you know there's 00:21:14.849 --> 00:21:19.589 no heart for God? Jesus said this. They did not 00:21:19.589 --> 00:21:24.349 show mercy. Showing mercy is one of the ways 00:21:24.349 --> 00:21:28.509 we prove that we know God. Or in other words, 00:21:28.589 --> 00:21:32.220 you might say this mercy flows from a real relationship 00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:36.380 with God. Micah 6 -8, he summarizes, he says, 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:39.339 and what does the Lord require of you? Three 00:21:39.339 --> 00:21:43.099 things, to do justly, love mercy, and to walk 00:21:43.099 --> 00:21:46.619 humbly with your God. You do right, you love 00:21:46.619 --> 00:21:49.640 mercy, and walk humbly with him. All of our religious 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:52.259 acts, all of your religious acts, they are a 00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:54.819 stench in the nostrils of God if they're not 00:21:54.819 --> 00:21:57.380 done out of love for God while at the same time 00:21:57.380 --> 00:22:01.660 showing mercy to others. God doesn't need it. 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:04.039 In fact, he got tired of the burnt offerings. 00:22:04.059 --> 00:22:06.339 He said, it's a stench to me. Stop bringing your 00:22:06.339 --> 00:22:10.920 offerings. I don't want it anymore. Now one example 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:14.740 of how they failed to show mercy was in an, it's 00:22:14.740 --> 00:22:19.740 a law called Corbin. Corbin was developed by 00:22:19.740 --> 00:22:22.279 the religious leaders. It was anything that you 00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:24.880 had that you wanted to dedicate to God, you labeled 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:28.230 it Corbin, and then it went to temple use. Now 00:22:28.230 --> 00:22:29.970 the scribes and Pharisees, religious leaders 00:22:29.970 --> 00:22:32.009 at this time, usually were pretty wealthy. Scribes 00:22:32.009 --> 00:22:34.750 were their aristocrats. So they had some means. 00:22:35.309 --> 00:22:37.150 And what they were doing, sometimes their parents 00:22:37.150 --> 00:22:40.430 were in need. They were poor. And the Pharisees 00:22:40.430 --> 00:22:42.990 refused to help them. Now they had the means, 00:22:43.009 --> 00:22:45.690 but they refused to because they said, all my 00:22:45.690 --> 00:22:49.410 riches are korban. That means dedicated to the 00:22:49.410 --> 00:22:52.250 temple. Now what's interesting, I get to use 00:22:52.250 --> 00:22:56.900 them while I'm alive. But when I die, now they 00:22:56.900 --> 00:22:59.980 go over to the temple use. It's Corbin. Thus, 00:23:00.140 --> 00:23:02.640 I can't help you, Mom. I'm sorry, I can't help 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:05.640 you, Dad. These things belong to God. I'm sorry. 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:07.940 Now, I can use them right now, but I can't give 00:23:07.940 --> 00:23:11.500 them to you. What did Jesus think of that? Mark 00:23:11.500 --> 00:23:15.859 7. Notice how the Pharisees hypocrisy. He said 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:19.559 to them, all too well you reject the commandment 00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:23.460 of God. That you may keep your tradition. Do 00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:26.140 you see they had elevated their tradition? Because 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:29.079 here's what God's law said, honor your father 00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:32.319 and your mother. And if you curse your father 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:36.480 or your mother, let him be put to death. Serious 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:39.099 things to honor mom and dad. But here's what 00:23:39.099 --> 00:23:41.859 you say. If a man says to his father or mother, 00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:44.240 whatever profit you might have received from 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.700 me, now I'm sorry, it's Corbin, that means I 00:23:47.700 --> 00:23:50.720 already gave it to God. Then you no longer let 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:53.039 him do anything for his father or his mother. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:57.680 Now notice verse 13. You make the word of God 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:01.140 of no effect through your tradition, which you 00:24:01.140 --> 00:24:04.500 have handed down, and many such things you do. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:08.799 They thought in their mind we're being really 00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:10.819 religious. I mean, they're devoting all that 00:24:10.819 --> 00:24:13.220 I have is to God's, it's Corvin. But I can't 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:16.440 help anyone who's in need with it. And Jesus 00:24:16.440 --> 00:24:19.599 said, you think that honors God? And the Lord 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:22.420 further angered them. His rhetoric, the Lord 00:24:22.420 --> 00:24:26.240 Jesus kept speaking, verse 8. For the Son of 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:31.759 Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath. Whoa. Another 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:35.799 explicit, clear claim to deity. God gave the 00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:38.880 Sabbath. It's the fourth law, the tenth commandment. 00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:41.880 And Jesus claimed to be Lord of it, which means 00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:46.640 Jesus is claiming equality with God. He didn't 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:49.500 abolish the fourth commandment. He claimed authority 00:24:49.500 --> 00:24:53.319 over it. He said, since I'm the one who gave 00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:56.019 you the Sabbath, I'm the one who can tell you 00:24:56.019 --> 00:24:58.799 what to do and how the Sabbath should be honored 00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:02.119 and observed. Now friends, if they want to kill 00:25:02.119 --> 00:25:03.680 him before, they really want to kill him now. 00:25:04.660 --> 00:25:07.400 Now they got what he was saying. Again, it's 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:09.440 why in verse 14 they're like, this guy's got 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:13.039 to die. And later on that same day, They follow 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:14.960 him. There's another confrontation. They move 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:17.140 from a private setting to a public one, the synagogue. 00:25:17.480 --> 00:25:20.119 Look at verses 9 to 13. They'll be on the wall. 00:25:20.220 --> 00:25:21.720 I'm not, for time's sake, I'm not going to reread 00:25:21.720 --> 00:25:23.400 it. We read it earlier. But that's when they 00:25:23.400 --> 00:25:25.259 go into the synagogue and there's a man there 00:25:25.259 --> 00:25:27.740 who has a withered hand. And the Pharisees want 00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:31.299 to trap Jesus and they're like, hey Jesus, can 00:25:31.299 --> 00:25:34.779 you heal on the Sabbath? Jesus then answers them. 00:25:34.779 --> 00:25:37.099 Let's pick the confrontation up. So we're moving 00:25:37.099 --> 00:25:39.059 from private to a public setting. They're in 00:25:39.059 --> 00:25:41.900 the synagogue. Apparently they follow him there. 00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:45.400 Still the Sabbath same day and gathered in their 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:49.019 midst as a man with a withered hand Now we might 00:25:49.019 --> 00:25:51.720 think well, okay, but this was a big deal at 00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:54.319 that time Since he had a withered hand and labor 00:25:54.319 --> 00:25:57.759 was manual. He would have been unemployable His 00:25:57.759 --> 00:25:59.779 family would have suffered economically this 00:25:59.779 --> 00:26:01.859 man and his family would have if he had a family 00:26:01.859 --> 00:26:04.839 would have been suffering Now the Pharisee saw 00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:08.759 this man and they asked Jesus a question But 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:10.759 they're not asking in good faith. It tells you 00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:12.920 it was designed to trip him up that they might 00:26:12.920 --> 00:26:15.819 accuse him. They needed something that they could 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:19.700 nail him with. Is it lawful, Jesus, to heal on 00:26:19.700 --> 00:26:22.619 the Sabbath? Now aren't they supposed to be the 00:26:22.619 --> 00:26:25.319 ones that love this day? They're weaponizing 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:28.640 the day. They're supposed to be leaders, examples 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:32.019 to the flock. You see here their cold, dark heart. 00:26:32.759 --> 00:26:34.759 So this man is suffering and they're not moved 00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:37.680 at all by his suffering. He was simply a pawn 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:41.339 in their game in an attempt to trap the Lord. 00:26:42.029 --> 00:26:44.930 That's it. Now let me just state the obvious. 00:26:45.509 --> 00:26:48.069 You do not want to get into a debate with the 00:26:48.069 --> 00:26:52.690 Son of God. He wins every time. He does it here. 00:26:52.950 --> 00:26:54.769 Now Jesus, I love this, he doesn't immediately 00:26:54.769 --> 00:26:57.190 say, yes, it's lawful to heal. But he doesn't 00:26:57.190 --> 00:26:59.829 say, no, it's not lawful to heal. He said, okay, 00:26:59.910 --> 00:27:03.190 I've got a question for you. Which one of you 00:27:03.190 --> 00:27:07.089 all has a sheep, one sheep, and it falls into 00:27:07.089 --> 00:27:09.869 a ditch or falls into a pit, and that day happens 00:27:09.869 --> 00:27:12.460 to be on the Sabbath? Do you not go and lift 00:27:12.460 --> 00:27:16.400 that sheep out of the pit? And the implied answer 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:18.920 is, of course they do. What are you going to 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:21.680 do if one of your animals falls into a pit? Are 00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:23.420 you going to wait until this Sabbath is over 00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:25.220 and leave that animal sitting there in that pit? 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:27.599 Or are you going to reach down and get out immediately? 00:27:28.579 --> 00:27:30.119 Now Jesus knows the answer. He had seen this 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:33.259 happen. And by the way, it is okay to do so. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:35.660 Of course they're going to go get their animal 00:27:35.660 --> 00:27:38.759 out immediately. And Jesus argues from the lesser 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:42.369 to the greater. of how much more value, then, 00:27:42.369 --> 00:27:47.190 is this man, withered hand and all, than a sheep? 00:27:48.609 --> 00:27:51.990 Now he answers the question. It is lawful to 00:27:51.990 --> 00:27:55.210 do good on the Sabbath. Basically, if you would 00:27:55.210 --> 00:27:59.710 rescue some dumb sheep on the Sabbath, how much 00:27:59.710 --> 00:28:02.150 more valuable are those who have been created 00:28:02.150 --> 00:28:05.490 in the image of God? If you're going to help 00:28:05.490 --> 00:28:08.349 your animal out, how are you going to go help 00:28:08.349 --> 00:28:12.740 this man? How cold must your heart be? Again, 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:15.599 the Sabbath was not a do -nothing type of day. 00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:19.500 It was a day where they found delight in God 00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:22.539 and were to do what honors Him. This is what 00:28:22.539 --> 00:28:26.960 made Jesus mad. He says it's always right to 00:28:26.960 --> 00:28:30.920 do good, even and especially if it's a Sabbath. 00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:35.680 Look at verse 13. He said to the man, stretch 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:38.950 out your hand. And he stretched it out. and it 00:28:38.950 --> 00:28:42.450 was restored as whole as the other. Jesus healed 00:28:42.450 --> 00:28:45.769 this man with his word. No medical procedure 00:28:45.769 --> 00:28:47.890 needed. There's no work. Jesus didn't do surgery. 00:28:48.490 --> 00:28:51.730 He said, stretch it out. This is another proof. 00:28:52.009 --> 00:28:53.529 Friends, this is another proof. Matthew is writing 00:28:53.529 --> 00:28:55.809 about the kingdom. This is another proof that 00:28:55.809 --> 00:28:59.529 the kingdom of God had come. Why? The lame was 00:28:59.529 --> 00:29:02.950 being made whole. He's restoring what was broken. 00:29:03.430 --> 00:29:08.079 Jesus brought wholeness to this man. The Lord 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:10.619 had come to restore all that sin had broken. 00:29:10.839 --> 00:29:13.900 He had come to bring shalom, peace, or wholeness 00:29:13.900 --> 00:29:16.420 back to the creation and we see this here. And 00:29:16.420 --> 00:29:18.380 this is what we don't want to miss this morning. 00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:21.599 Christ ensures, the Lord Jesus Christ ensures 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:26.920 that the brokenness of this world is not permanent. 00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:30.680 Right now we do see children get cancer and we 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:33.819 see godly people die and suffer and we see all 00:29:33.819 --> 00:29:37.450 kinds of things, but that's not permanent. Christ 00:29:37.450 --> 00:29:39.890 ensures that what is broken will be made whole 00:29:39.890 --> 00:29:43.450 one day. And this healing here, it's a preview 00:29:43.450 --> 00:29:46.289 of what life in the coming kingdom will be like. 00:29:47.170 --> 00:29:49.690 There'll be no withered hands. There'll be no 00:29:49.690 --> 00:29:53.309 lameness. There'll be no blindness. All will 00:29:53.309 --> 00:29:56.569 be made whole and perfect when God brings the 00:29:56.569 --> 00:30:00.509 kingdom when he returns. Now you would think 00:30:00.509 --> 00:30:02.890 the Pharisees like they would fall on their faces 00:30:02.890 --> 00:30:06.230 in repentance, like we're so sorry. Oh my goodness, 00:30:06.250 --> 00:30:09.970 did you see what Jesus did? By His word, He makes 00:30:09.970 --> 00:30:14.509 the withered hand whole. Verse 14. They went 00:30:14.509 --> 00:30:17.170 out and plotted against Him how they might destroy 00:30:17.170 --> 00:30:23.009 Him. It's killing. It's too dangerous. Here's 00:30:23.009 --> 00:30:25.690 the irony here. Those who claim to care about 00:30:25.690 --> 00:30:29.549 Sabbath keeping broke the Sabbath by plotting 00:30:29.549 --> 00:30:33.009 to murder the Son of God. It's the highest of 00:30:33.009 --> 00:30:35.380 honor. See, their hypocrisy knows no bounds. 00:30:36.619 --> 00:30:38.759 In these Pharisees, you start to see something. 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:42.079 We talk about the depravity of the human heart, 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:46.440 how depraved is mankind. Look at the Pharisees. 00:30:47.059 --> 00:30:51.039 Here's depravity cloaked, robed in religious 00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:55.440 garments. They were willing to kill God's son 00:30:55.440 --> 00:30:58.660 because he wouldn't follow their man -made rules. 00:30:59.900 --> 00:31:03.680 That was it. And friends, let's not miss the 00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:06.160 big picture here. What's the point of Matthew 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:08.680 in writing this down and recording it for us? 00:31:09.059 --> 00:31:12.500 What does God want us to know? This passage reveals 00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:16.119 God's heart. God has a heart that moves toward 00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:19.579 human need and moves toward human suffering. 00:31:20.599 --> 00:31:22.779 You should not walk away from this passage thinking, 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:24.359 well, the Sabbath doesn't matter. That's not 00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:26.380 the point. Nor should you walk away thinking, 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:29.319 well, God will accept me only if I get the rules 00:31:29.319 --> 00:31:32.650 right. Only if I follow X, Y, and Z perfectly. 00:31:32.730 --> 00:31:36.650 That's not the point. Rather, Matthew 12 is showing 00:31:36.650 --> 00:31:42.589 something much bigger. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is 00:31:42.589 --> 00:31:46.009 Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus is Lord of the law. 00:31:46.069 --> 00:31:49.450 He's Lord of the commandments. But even more 00:31:49.450 --> 00:31:52.789 importantly, Jesus did not come to crush sinners. 00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:56.539 He did not come to crush them and lay more heavy 00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:58.819 burdens on them so that they might be accepted 00:31:58.819 --> 00:32:03.400 before God. Instead, what did Jesus say? I came 00:32:03.400 --> 00:32:08.279 to give rest to weary souls. I came to bring 00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:11.579 mercy to a world that deserves condemnation. 00:32:12.779 --> 00:32:14.880 This world, friends, you and I, we deserve to 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:18.079 be condemned. We are Sabbath breakers. We are 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:20.740 law breakers. And what did the law of Moses say? 00:32:20.779 --> 00:32:23.970 Those who break it deserve to die. We deserve 00:32:23.970 --> 00:32:26.130 condemnation, but Jesus did not came to condemn 00:32:26.130 --> 00:32:32.589 he came to save And he still offers rest Come 00:32:32.589 --> 00:32:36.170 to me he says all you who are heavy who labor 00:32:36.170 --> 00:32:40.269 and are heavy -laden And I will give you rest 00:32:40.269 --> 00:32:45.950 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me For I'm 00:32:45.950 --> 00:32:50.210 gentle the Son of God is gentle. I'm lowly in 00:32:50.210 --> 00:32:54.529 heart I love this next phrase, and you will find 00:32:54.529 --> 00:32:58.150 rest for your soul. He doesn't offer physical 00:32:58.150 --> 00:33:02.049 rest, but if you're weary and you're struggling, 00:33:03.130 --> 00:33:05.509 he says you can have rest. That noise in your 00:33:05.509 --> 00:33:09.690 soul can be silenced. The Sabbath was never friends 00:33:09.690 --> 00:33:13.210 intended to focus on a day. It was always pointing 00:33:13.210 --> 00:33:17.339 to a person. Don't miss that. The Sabbath was 00:33:17.339 --> 00:33:19.480 given so that we might see Christ. It was born 00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:21.920 toward Him. And this is what I would say as we 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:25.400 close. The same one who healed this man's hand 00:33:25.400 --> 00:33:29.180 is the same one who went to the cross for sinners, 00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:34.380 who suffered, who died, was buried, and rose 00:33:34.380 --> 00:33:37.500 again the third day. And according to the Word 00:33:37.500 --> 00:33:41.720 of God, He still saves all those who will call 00:33:41.720 --> 00:33:44.720 upon His worthy name. This is the point of Matthew 00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:48.480 12. This is the God that we serve. This is the 00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:51.380 Savior with whom we commune. He gave his life 00:33:51.380 --> 00:33:54.180 for us, friends. Let us live our lives for him. 00:33:54.859 --> 00:33:58.700 Let's close in word of prayer. Father, I'm thankful, 00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:01.420 Lord, for your word this morning. It's rich, 00:34:01.500 --> 00:34:04.460 Lord. It's so very rich. It nourishes our soul. 00:34:05.119 --> 00:34:09.340 God, we start to see who Jesus really is. This 00:34:09.340 --> 00:34:12.320 offer of rest, it's wonderful, Lord. And there's 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:17.090 no limitations to those who are weary. burdened 00:34:17.090 --> 00:34:20.329 downed, tired of trying to jump through the hoops. 00:34:20.989 --> 00:34:23.010 Jesus extends his hands and says, come to me 00:34:23.010 --> 00:34:26.510 and I will give you rest for your soul. Lord, 00:34:26.510 --> 00:34:28.449 I don't know those who have gathered here this 00:34:28.449 --> 00:34:31.570 morning. Perhaps there are some who has a tremendous 00:34:31.570 --> 00:34:34.230 noise in their soul. Their soul is not at rest. 00:34:35.110 --> 00:34:38.869 They're weary. Would they know they've done wrong? 00:34:39.750 --> 00:34:42.969 They've broken your holy law. They're away from 00:34:42.969 --> 00:34:46.139 you. And Jesus said if they will come to him, 00:34:46.139 --> 00:34:49.380 he will receive them and give them rest. Lord, 00:34:49.380 --> 00:34:51.440 would you awaken them to their need this morning 00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:55.260 and to the solution? Bring them to Jesus that 00:34:55.260 --> 00:34:58.440 he might save them. Lord, we're so very thankful 00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:00.659 that God, by your spirit, you draw sinners to 00:35:00.659 --> 00:35:04.340 yourself. Lord, continue to do so. Draw sinners 00:35:04.340 --> 00:35:07.760 to the bleeding side of Christ and in his atonement 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:11.579 may they find true soul satisfaction. Do this 00:35:11.579 --> 00:35:13.969 to the glory and honor of your son's name. It's 00:35:13.969 --> 00:35:17.769 in that worthy name we pray, amen. This morning, 00:35:18.570 --> 00:35:21.510 we had the privilege of celebrating both sacraments, 00:35:21.929 --> 00:35:23.989 baptism and communions we do every Lord's Day.