Lord of the Sabbath Matthew: King of Heaven Matthew 12:1-21 Pastor Josh Black June 20, 2021 Please open your Bibles to Matthew 12. Lucas’ passage last week ended with some of the most important words Jesus ever spoke. These are Jesus’ only words which speak explicitly about his heart.1 They not only conclude chapter 11, they introduce the theme of chapter 12. And so, I want to begin by re-reading them. “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” (11:29-30).2 What did Jesus come to do? You could say, he came to give his people rest for their souls. Rest is a major theme in the Bible. We’re introduced to it in the first two chapters of the Bible. After God creates the heavens and the earth, he rests from his work on the seventh day. God rests from his work, not because he’s tired, but to show his work is perfect. Then he invites Adam and Eve to join him in his perfect, Sabbath rest.3 God places Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, so they can live in perfect peace or shalom. This Sabbath rest is characterized by a right relationship with God—Adam and Eve dwell in God’s presence and live under his authority and blessing. Their rest is also characterized by a right relationship with one another and God’s good creation. When Adam and Eve sinned, this perfect rest was disrupted. One theologian calls the fall the vandalism of shalom.4 They were banished from God’s presence and given a heavy burden of toilsome work and broken relationships. But when God begins his work of redeeming a people for himself, he speaks in terms of rest. God made a way for Israel to come again into his presence and to be restored to a right relationship with him. God’s presence with his people in the land is described as rest from enemies (Deut. 12:9-10). The tabernacle and temple are described as a resting place. They are like a new creation, a new Eden. When God redeemed Israel, he established a covenant with them. And the sign of that covenant was the Sabbath. The Sabbath was meant to point backward to God’s rest in creation and the rest in redemption. And it was meant to point forward to a future rest. Actually, all these pictures of rest were meant to point forward. To a final and full rest where God’s people would live again in perfect peace with God, with others, and with creation. When Jesus shows up, he says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He’s saying he’s the one that the land, the temple, and the Sabbath all anticipated. The purposes of redemption are fulfilled in him.

1 Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly 2 Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® unless otherwise noted. 3 Vaughan Roberts, God’s Big Picture 4 Nicholas Wolterstorff, Until Justice and Peace Embrace 2

This is seen in our passage this morning. Right after Jesus says “come to me for rest,” he engages in an argument with the Pharisees about the Sabbath, the day of rest. As they engage in this topic, it becomes clear that Jesus is the fulfillment of the rest theme in the Bible. Jesus wants us to see this and to come to him. He alone offers full forgiveness of our sins. He alone can restore us to a right relationship with God. But the Pharisees didn’t see this. They didn’t come to him and they tried to keep others from coming to him, because they were threatened by him. In Matthew 23, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for putting heavy yokes on people, for failing to come into the kingdom and from keeping others from coming in. He says, “They tie up heavy burdens hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they aren’t willing to move them with their finger… Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in” (vv. 4, 13) The Pharisees were powerful people and they liked their power. One way they exercised their power was through enforcing the Mosaic Law. But some things in the law were not as clear as they would like, so the Pharisees made up their own rules to help Israel keep God’s law. These were the heavy burdens Jesus speaks of. For example, the Mosaic Law called Israel to keep the Sabbath. There was some guidance in the law for how to keep the Sabbath. The law said you couldn’t work, you couldn’t travel, you couldn’t gather firewood. But it didn’t say much more than that. So, the Pharisees created more rules about the Sabbath. They built a fence around the law with their own rules.5 There were thirty-nine rules about the Sabbath. In our passage this morning, we see Jesus and his disciples aren’t following their man-made rules. This is a threat to their authority. Jesus shows his authority is greater than their authority. But his authority, unlike theirs, isn’t a burden. It’s meant to give rest for our souls. Matthew 11:2-30 1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” 9He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”--so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

5 R.T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament 3

15Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16and ordered them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; 20a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; 21and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” This is the Word of the Lord. This passage is divided into three sections. The first two are Sabbath controversies. The last is a prophetic postscript. All three sections teach us mainly about who Jesus is and why we should come to him for rest. I’m going to combine the Sabbath controversies into one point. These controversies teach us that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. And the quotation teaches us that Jesus is the Servant of the Lord. LORD OF THE SABBATH (1-14)

First, Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. The setting of the passage finds Jesus and his disciples taking a stroll through the grainfields before they make their way to the synagogue (v. 1).6 On the way, his disciples are hungry and pick some wheat for a snack. I don’t believe they were doing anything wrong. They weren’t stealing. The law gave provision for people who were hungry to pick a little grain for food. And there was nothing in God’s law that said picking grain was a violation of the Sabbath. But if you look in the Pharisee’s rulebook about the Sabbath that’s a different story. They considered picking grain harvesting. And then rubbing it out in their hand to eat it was threshing. So, they say to Jesus, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath” (v. 2). It’s interesting that Jesus doesn’t do much to defend himself or his disciples for their specific actions. He never says what they’re doing is not prohibited in God’s law. Although in verse 7 he does call them guiltless. Instead of going on the defensive, he goes on the offensive.7 He gives three arguments, all referring to a passage from the Old Testament, then a conclusion. His conclusion is that he’s the Lord of the Sabbath. I believe all four of his points are making this one point in different ways. It’s an offensive argument about who he is. That’s the main thing we’re to take away. His first argument from the Old Testament is from the life of David. He asks if the Pharisees have read the story of when David and his men were given the showbread from the Tabernacle on the Sabbath, when they were running from Saul. Eating the showbread was a violation of God’s law (Lev. 24:5-9), but David is never indicted for his actions. This example continues to elude me. I’m

6 D. A. Carson, “Matthew” in Matthew, Mark, Luke, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary 7 Mike Andrus, “Will It Be Legalism or Gospel?” 4 not quite sure what Jesus is saying. It’s not clear to me how David was guiltless or how it justifies Jesus and his disciples. It could be an example of doing good on the Sabbath. In the next Sabbath controversy, Jesus says, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” When Jesus heals the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath he’s doing good to him. In the same way that the Pharisees might take their sheep out of the pit on the Sabbath, which is clearly the right thing to do. After all, livestock were supposed to have rest on the Sabbath just like Israel. And you can’t rest very well when you’re in a pit. And you can’t rest very well if you’re hungry. So, maybe this is saying that doing good takes precedent over strict Sabbath observance. Or it could be a reference to authority. Maybe it was by virtue of David’s authority as the anointed king of Israel that he was given a pass on the law. And in the same way, Jesus, who is greater than David, is Lord of the Sabbath. The second example comes from the Law itself and is clearer. Every Sabbath day the priests “break” the Sabbath because they’re working in the temple on the Sabbath (v. 5). The temple is the place where God’s presence resides. It’s the footstool of his throne. The priests are mediating God’s presence which is at the heart of Sabbath rest. So, the priests have a good reason to work on the Sabbath. We expect Jesus to say that he’s doing the work of a priest and so he’s off the hook. But he takes things a step further than that. Instead he says that something greater than the temple is here (v. 6). This is a critical statement. Like I said earlier, the temple is the place where people can enter into God’s rest in some measure. The temple is the place where God is present among his people. Through the blood of a sacrifice they were able come into God’s presence and experience relationship with God. Jesus is saying he’s greater than the temple. Jesus is God himself who has come to dwell with his people. And he is the great high priest who makes access to God possible. In him, in his person and through his work on the cross, people can enter God’s rest. They can experience forgiveness of sins. They can be restored to relationship with God. They experience peace with God. Everything about the Sabbath and the temple pointed to Jesus. And now he’s here! This is what Jesus wants us to see. It’s what he wanted the Pharisees to see. But they didn’t see it. So, he gives his third example from the Prophets. He quotes Hosea 6:6 for the second time in Matthew. “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (v. 7). Jesus and his disciples are guiltless, but the Pharisees are still condemning them, because they didn’t understand the love and mercy of God. The full context in Hosea 6 sheds light on why Jesus uses this passage. In Hosea’s day, the priests are faithful in following the ceremonial law of sacrifices. But all the while, as Hosea 6:9 says, “As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together; they murder on the way to Shechem; they commit villainy.” In the same way, the Pharisees were adamant about keeping Sabbath, especially their rules about Sabbath. But all the while they were banding together to murder the Son of Man, the Lord of the 5

Sabbath. The Pharisees wanted to observe the day of rest, but they wanted to put to death the God- man who would bring rest. Look at verse 14, in the second Sabbath controversy. “The Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.” How ironic. They don’t want Jesus eating or healing on the Sabbath, but they’re perfectly fine with conspiring to murder him on the Sabbath. Jesus wants those who are weary and heavy laden to come to him for rest. To come to him to be restored to a right relationship with God. To have their sins forgiven. And to have life eternal. But the Pharisees are standing in the way. They won’t come into the kingdom of heaven and they’re keeping others from coming. Jesus won’t have it. So, he asserts his authority over the Sabbath. He’s greater than David and the temple. He’s God himself. The Son of Man, the Lord of the Sabbath. THE SERVANT OF THE LORD (15-21)

But in asserting his authority, Matthew wants to qualify his authority. This comes out in the next section, where Matthew quotes Isaiah 42. Jesus is not only the Lord of the Sabbath. He’s also the Servant of the Lord. Jesus is aware that the Pharisees want to kill him, but he doesn’t fight back. Instead, he withdraws. He continues his ministry of healing and teaching. And people follow him. But he commands them to not make it known that he’s the Messiah, because his time has not yet come. Matthew tells us Jesus’ withdrawal is to fulfill what Isaiah 42 predicted about the Servant of the Lord. The Servant of the Lord in Isaiah is the Messiah. He’s God’s beloved Son. He’s anointed by the Spirit. And he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. The reference to the Gentiles is interesting. In a controversy over Israel’s Sabbath laws, we hear that the Messiah will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. I believe the justice that’s being spoken of here is probably about the peace and rest that will come when the Messiah comes.8 But it’s not only for Israel. It’s for the Gentiles as well. But the bigger point here is found in verses 19-20. This Messiah won’t quarrel or cry aloud. In other words, his main mission at his first coming is not to stick it to his enemies. Instead, his main mission at his first coming is to bring rest to those who are weary and heavy laden. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.” Jesus didn’t come to fight with his opponents. He didn’t come to run Rome out of Dodge. He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to save his people from their sins. He came to give rest to the weary. To restore those broken by sin to a right relationship with God. To bring the alienated back into God’s presence. He didn’t come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom. This is profound. When you think of the most powerful kings and rulers throughout world history, who comes to mind?9 Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Caesar Augustus, Napoleon, Hitler, Mao. All of them had incredible power. And how did they use it? They crushed people. The

8 cf. France, “Justice here conveys that wider sense of the working out of God’s good purpose for his people rather than merely the legal sense of giving a right verdict.” 9 What follows comes largely from Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, Preaching the Word. 6 same is true with many powerful people in our day. Most people with power tend to use it for their own selfish ambition. They’re hungry for control. Many are unjust and merciless. Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” But not Jesus. This passage places two truths together that are almost completely irreconcilable in the world. Jesus is the absolute ruler. He’s sovereign over all. He’s greater than David. Greater than the temple. He’s the Son of Man. The Lord of the Sabbath. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. And yet, he’s gentle and lowly. That’s his heart! He doesn’t discard the weak and the unimportant. He doesn’t break the bruised reed. The smoldering wick he doesn’t quench. In fact, until his perfect peace and shalom are known among the nations, he won’t bring judgment on the earth. Until all he died for have come to him for rest. When you think of God, what comes to your mind? A.W. Tozer said that’s the most important thing about you. Do you see God as a harsh authoritarian judge who is all about the rules and reminding you that you don’t measure up? Or do you see God as a loving Father who would never judge anyone? Both of these views of God are wrong! Jesus reveals God to us. He shows us the true picture of God. Because he’s the Son of God. God’s authority is greater than any other authority. And God will bring judgment and justice to this earth for all who don’t come to Jesus. But he’s also full of mercy and love for all who do come to Jesus. He came to give us rest. He came to do good for us. So, let me encourage you today. If you have not already, come to Jesus and know his rest. Know his tender care for you. Be restored to a right relationship with God. And if you have come to Jesus, let me encourage you to love like he loves us. To not be given over to the legalism of the Pharisees. And to take that love across the street and across the world. Invite others to come to Jesus for rest.