The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." Mark 2:27–28
What About the Sabbath?
What does Jesus say about Christians keeping the Sabbath?
In Mark 2:27, Jesus said, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Jesus pointed out that the Sabbath was created for the benefit of man, rather than man being created to serve the Sabbath. Jesus made this statement in response to the Pharisees criticizing His disciples for "breaking the Sabbath law" by picking grain as they walked through the fields (refer to Mark 2:23–28; Mat 12:1–8; Luke 6:1–5).
Furthermore, Jesus pointed the Pharisees to the OT Scriptures for understanding. He brought up the time when King David was hungry and in need of food. He was given consecrated bread, which technically was only lawful for the priests to eat (1 Sam 21:1-6). However, this sacred bread met the practical needs of David and his followers. This was just like in Jesus' situation when picking the grain in the fields met the practical needs of Jesus and His followers.
David and his men did not commit any sin by eating the consecrated bread, just as Jesus' disciples did not commit any sin by picking heads of grain on the Sabbath. Jesus affirms this by saying, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27–28).
The Sabbath was Made for Man
Jesus' response to the Pharisees conveys two significant lessons.
The first lesson is that the Sabbath was originally designed to benefit people with rest rather than weigh them down. Jesus had to remind and/or teach the Pharisees of the original purpose of keeping the Sabbath. It was to rest from their work and worship and honor God. Unlike the relentless labor the Israelites endured as slaves in Egypt, they were instructed by God to observe a complete day of rest once a week, according to the Mosaic Law. But over time, the Pharisees twisted this beautiful purpose of the Sabbath and transformed it into a burdensome obligation. They imposed additional man-made restrictions beyond what was specified in God's Law. The simple act of plucking and eating a head of grain while casually walking through a field should not be deemed as "working" or "harvesting" as the Pharisees insisted. The disciples did not sin or violate God's Law in any way; they simply did not comply with the Pharisees' strict and obsessive demands of it.
In Mark 3:1–6 (also Matthew 12:9–14; Luke 6:6–11), Jesus gives another example when He heals a man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees sought to accuse Jesus and observed His interaction with a man with a withered hand. “Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent (Mark 3:4). The Sabbath was meant to alleviate burdens, not create them. Prohibiting acts of kindness and compassion on the Sabbath goes against everything that is good and right. Jesus did what was good and right.
Lord Even of the Sabbath
The second lesson is that Jesus is Lord even of the Sabbath. In other words, Jesus is the Ultimate Authority over the Sabbath. Being God incarnate, He is the One who created the Sabbath day. Since He is the Author of the Law, Jesus naturally has the authority to determine how the Law should be upheld. The Pharisees had elevated their own human additions and rules to the status of God's Divine Law, laying heavy burdens on people, which led to them criticizing the Lawgiver Himself.
Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath because the Sabbath symbolizes the rest that Jesus offers, by grace through faith in Him. Jesus is our ultimate rest as He completed all the necessary work for our redemption (Hebrews 4). He accomplished the requirements of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Christ is the culmination of the Law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes (Romans 10:4).
Jesus is Our Sabbath Rest
As the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus possessed the authority and power to regulate it however He wanted. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus became the total fulfillment of our “Sabbath rest.” The salvation we receive through Jesus has rendered the old Sabbath-keeping law unnecessary and no longer obligatory. When Jesus proclaimed, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), He affirmed that just as the Sabbath was established to offer mankind rest from weekly labor, Jesus came to offer mankind eternal rest from working for our salvation through our own efforts. Through Jesus’ perfect life, finished work on the cross, and resurrection, we can now rest from our efforts to earn God’s favor and earn our salvation. Instead, we find complete rest for our eternal souls in God’s great mercy and saving grace through His Son, Jesus.
As believers, we are free in Christ and free to obey Him. We are not judged by whether or not we keep the Sabbath day (Colossians 2:16). Instead, we follow and obey the Lord of the Sabbath Himself, Jesus Christ, our Great God and Savior. Our rest is found solely in Jesus, and every single day of the week is dedicated to worshipping Him, forever and ever.
Small Note: The Sabbath was Saturdays for the Jews. Sunday for Christians is called "The Lord's Day."
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. Colossians 2:16
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. Romans 14:5-6
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