Portland Biblical Community

If I would have taught on Matthew 11:28-12:14 Sunday evening rather than having led a discussion (which I probably should have done in order to respect the time of our faithful children’s teachers), these are my study notes in regards to Jesus and Sabbath (which is not intended to be a holistic look at all of Jesus’ references to Sabbath, but rather, the issues dealt with within this passage).

Matthew 11:28-12:14 - Jesus and Sabbath

First, a little background:

The sketch of creation in Gen 1:1 through 2:3 closes with an impressive account of the hallowing of the 7th day, because on it God rested from all the work which He had made creatively. In Exodus 20:8-11 the reason assigned for keeping the 7th day as a Sabbath is the fact that Yahweh rested after the six days of creative activity. The Sabbath was here given as one of the ten commandments and was to be “set apart” (holy). Exodus 31:17 employs a bold figure, and describes Yahweh as refreshing Himself (“catching His breathâ€?) after six days of work.

The prophets found fault with the worship on the Sabbath, because it was not spiritual nor prompted by love and gratitude. The Sabbath is exalted by the great prophets who faced the crisis of the Babylonian exile as one of the most valuable institutions in Israel’s life. Great promises are attached to faithful observance of the holy day, and confession is made of Israel’s unfaithfulness in profaning the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:21-27, Isaiah 56:2, Isaiah 56:4, Isaiah 58:13, Ezekiel 20:12-24) .

With the development of the synagogue the Sabbath became a day of worship and of study of the Law, as well as a day of cessation from all secular employment. It was during the period between Ezra and Christ that the Jewish legalism flourished. Innumerable restrictions and rules were formulated for the conduct of life under the Law. Two entire treatises of the Mishna, Shabbāth and ‛Ērūbhīn, are devoted to the details of Sabbath observance. In the Mishna (Shahbāth, vii. 2) there are 39 classes of prohibited actions with regard to the Sabbath, and there is much hair-splitting in working out the details.

This backdrop paints a picture of the world in which Jesus lived when He spoke to listeners (including Pharisaic/religious legalists) about the Sabbath on the Sabbath (12:1). Here, we find Jesus teaching about the Sabbath in word and action/interaction.

28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The Greek: Weary refers to those who are physically exhausted from physical labor. Heavy-laden refers to those listening who have had a heavy burden laid upon their shoulders (ie. the innumerable laws heaped upon the Jews by their religious leaders, the Pharisees).

Principle 1: Those who are weary from work and religious legalism are commanded to come to Jesus and find Sabbath rest. (Christ is the source of this rest).

Then, Jesus calls those listening to take on His yoke upon us. The picture is of an older mature oxen with a young immature oxen. The younger oxen co-labors with the mature oxen as it learns how to work from the mature oxen. The paradox is that Jesus calls listeners to labor in order to find rest. The key here is that the mature oxen carries the bulk of the load on behalf of the young oxen as they co-labor. Then, in verse 30, Jesus tells his listeners, “You can handle co-laboring under and with Me because I lighten the load making it good and comfortable.” (loose paraphrase)

Then, in verse 29, Jesus quotes from the prophet Jeremiah 6:16 -
Thus says the LORD,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus is here putting himself as the speaker, the LORD! This way, laboring under and with Jesus as a learner (disciple), is the ancient path, the good way that the listeners are to walk in. As this is done, disciples find soul rest.

Principle 2: Jesus calls us to co-labor under and with him, learning from Him (as disciples) as He carries the bulk of the load on our behalf, lightening the load. As we walk in this manner, we find soul rest (Sabbath on a soul level).

12:1 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. 2But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” 3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 4how 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.”

(v.3-4) The record of the incident cited is in 1 Samuel 21:1-6, and the law governing the use of consecrated bread is in Exodus 25:30 and Leviticus 24:5-9. The house of
God that David entered was the tabernacle that then stood at Nob. David and his men ate consecrated bread that only the priests had a right to eat. David ate even though it was unlawful for him to do so yet the Old Testament did not condemn him for his act. Therefore the Pharisees should not condemn Jesus’ disciples for doing something Scripture did not condemn David’s men for doing. Who David was was an important factor in this concession. He was the Lord’s anointed who occupied a special place in Israel. If anyone had a right to do what David did, David did. Could not Jesus then set aside a Pharisaic law that had no basis in the Old Testament for Himself and His men? By arguing this way Jesus was claiming that He was at least as important as David was (a veiled claim of His identity as the Son of David - Messiah).

(v.5-6) The Scripture referred to here is found in Numbers 28:9-10. Technically, the priests broke the Sabbath every week by changing the consecrated bread and by offering the burnt offerings the law specified for that day. However, the law considered the priests guiltless for doing this “work” on the Sabbath. Following Jesus’ line of reasoning - the temple was greater than the Sabbath; however, now something greater than the temple was there, Messiah. Consequently, Messiah takes precedence over the Sabbath (which He states in v.8).

(v.7) Jesus quotes from Hosea 6:6. The Jews in Hosea’s day relied on mere ritual to satisfy God. The Pharisees were doing the same thing. Read excerpts from this passage below to see the heart of Christ for the Sabbath rest:

Hosea 6: Come, let us return to the LORD
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us…
So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth…
(I - the Lord - have judged Ephraim/Judah for disloyalty)
for I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice,
And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Jesus emphasized that God cares about the heart, He desires relationship - return to God and know him. This is the essence of Sabbath. Drop legalism - do not condemn the innocent (here the innocent would be those loyal to God, who know Him).

(v.8) Jesus puts all the pieces together revealing His identity as the Messiah, the Son of Man who has dominion over the Sabbath. His authority was greater than the authority that God had given the Sabbath over His people; therefore, He and his followers were to be considered innocent. (cf. Romans 14 for a discussion on holy days)

Principle 3: Be careful to avoid legalism in regards to Sabbath regulations. (ie. how much activity is considered work vs. rest) Rather, return to God - press on to know the Lord.

Principle 4: Acts of mercy/compassion are permitted on the Sabbath. (ie. feeding the hungry)

9Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. 10And 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. 11And 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.” 13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

Scene 2: Legalism reloaded
Locale: The Jewish synagogue (v. 9)
Target: Shifts from Jesus’ disciples to Jesus himself (v.10)

The Pharisees believed that it was permissible to give medical assistance on the Sabbath only if a sick person’s life was in danger. Their question was about an action’s “lawfulness.” In light of this, it is obvious that their question was meant to “accuse Him” (v.10) for the man in the synagogue was not in mortal danger. Therefore, Jesus uses their own practice of rescuing a sheep (also not in mortal danger) in order to cut through the Pharisaic distinctions about how much help one could give to the more basic issue of doing good (stating that man’s life is more valuable than a sheep’s life). The response - it is lawful (within the boundaries of the law) to do good on the Sabbath. Then he heals the man (does good).

Mark 3:4 & Luke 6:9 mentions the same situation with this response, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or evil, to save a life or destroy it?”

Principle 6: We may do good on the Sabbath (including, but not limited to, healing, rescuing an animal, saving a life) and be within the boundaries of the law. (Note: “doing good” in this passage in inherently relational)

I hope this is clarifying and helpful.

in Christ,
Scott