Matthew 12:9-21

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

8 ``For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.'' After saying this about Himself, Jesus heads directly into the synagogue.

9 Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, ``Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?''-so that they might accuse Him. 11 And He said to them, ``What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 ``How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.'' 13 Then He said* to the man, ``Stretch out your hand!'' He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired, against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

He first teaches the logic of doing some work on the Sabbath if necessary, then He performs a miracle right in front of everyone! They had misapplied the Sabbath and turned it into a religious rule rather than a relational covenant with the Lord.

15 But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16 and warned them not to tell who He was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 18 ``BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. 19 ``HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. 20 ``A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. 21 ``AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.''

When you set aside a day for a Sabbath, you set up Jesus as your Lord!

What is a Sabbath? To the Jews it was an identifying mark that they ceased from all normal work for one day to focus on their God. It was to stop everything and focus on their God and their relationship with Him. Although this was in the Law of Moses and we are no longer under that Law, the Sabbath doesn't really go away! Under the Law of Moses you were in a "have-to" mode. Now, you are under the Law of Christ which supersedes and embraces the Mosaic Law and you are in a "want-to" mode. We do everything we can to keep the Sabbath, not because we have to but because we want to. It's the most wonderful day of rest-a time out that is much appreciated! Sabbath is for man to enjoy. Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath! Here are some ways to look at this Sabbath principle.

It is: 1. A SANCTUARY IN TIME! 2. A TIME TO DISCONNECT FROM THE RAT RACE OF LIFE-TO REST! 3. A TIME TO KEEP YOURSELF PLUGGED INTO GOD NO MATTER! 4. A TIME TO CULTIVATE JOY & HAPPINESS IN YOUR SOUL! 5. A TIME TO SEEK GOD'S WISDOM! 6. A TIME TO REFUEL YOUR GRATEFUL HEART! 7. A TIME TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR CORE VALUES! 8. A TIME TO GET IN SYNC WITH THE RHYTHM OF CREATION! 9. A TIME TO RECREATE! 10. A TIME TO ENJOY GOD'S SALVATION FOR YOU! 11. A TIME TO HANG OUT WITH JESUS! 12. A TIME TO MAKE JESUS YOUR LORD!

Check it out for yourself! Don't make it religious. Remember God wants your heart (compassion) and your personal relationship with Him (knowledge of Him) rather than your religiosities (sacrifices). And when you set aside a day of rest like this, you set up Jesus as your Lord. HE IS THE LORD OF THE SABBATH, so He can say what is right and wrong for that special day of rest. In fact, in a very real sense, Jesus is your Sabbath-He is your rest! Come to Me and I will give you rest! This Sabbath rest in Him is your salvation. So, stop from your normal work day for one day (we do it on the actual Sabbath of the bible-Saturday, not the "Christian" one-Sunday) and really rest!

Come apart for awhile or you'll come apart! Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (the religious) and the Lover of the sinners (the non-religious). He wants to be your Lord and Lover, too.

Matthew 12:1-8

FOR AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE.

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, ``Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.'' 3 But He said to them, ``Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions,, 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 ``Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 ``But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 ``But if you had known what this means, `I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 ``For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.''

The Jewish religious scene of the 1st century that was ruffled most by the Jesus revolution was twofold:

1. Sabbath-breaking-In this incident it was "working on the Sabbath." Plucking was equivalent to reaping and rubbing to threshing and that these were prohibited works on the Sabbath. But Jesus says, hungry people should be fed and sick people should be healed no matter the religious regulations.

2. Fraternizing with sinners-When Matthew, the sinner, was called, he threw a party full of sinners!

SABBATH MIRACLES a. Demoniac in synagogue-Luke 4:31-37 b. Peter's mother-in-law-Luke 4:38-39-on Sabbath afternoon c. Withered Hand-Matthew 12:1-14-Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-6 d. Woman doubled over-Luke 13:10-17 (curvature of the spine) e. Dropsy Healed-Luke 14:1-6 (liver disease-retaining water) f. Man at the pool-John 5 g. Man born blind-John 9

I DESIRE COMPASSION AND NOT SACRIFICE. According to God's reckoning, compassion matters more than ceremonial rules and regulations, people more than things, applied to 2 practices They could not allow the Messiah into their lives, because in their substitution of things man-made (laws) for things divine (grace), they excluded the possibility of Jesus being the Son of God.

Jesus came to communicate a REVOLUTIONARY MESSAGE that all people everywhere need, that many people find attractive, but that most people find offensive to their natural sensitivities. His revolutionary message is summed up at the end of chapter 11-COME TO ME AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. He now quotes the prophet, Hosea: 6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice (your heart) and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings (a personal relationship) Hosea 6:6.

DON'T MISS THIS! This is the heart of Messiah Jesus' message to the world-especially to those who want to follow Him. He is saying that SOME THINGS JUST DON'T MATTER as they are compared to other things. Now get this, the God of gods who developed a most elaborate sacrificial system is saying that these sacrifices and religiosities do not matter in comparison to your heart bent toward God and your personal relationship with Him.

IT DOESN'T MATTER: That you are "right". That you "go to church". That you "read your bible". That you "do your prayers". That you "join a group". When you "go to church". (what day, what time, what place) Whether you "like the music" or not. COMPARED TO God owning your heart, your head, your life to the point that you are willing to follow His truth rather than your convenient traditions!

The point of the Jesus revolution is that you learn to walk with Him, walk with others and wait on Him to lead out on all your decisions-no matter what! It's not "I think I want to do this or that", but "Jesus, what is it that you want me to do, where do you want me to go, how do you want me to do this or that?" It's getting to the point that "I don't know", but "He does" and I'm going to listen.