The Gospels Luke

Finding Rest in the Lord of the Sabbath

Discover Jesus as: Son of Man Luke 6 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 160 of 730
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INTRO

Even though we can take a Sabbath to rest, we still have to give Him all of our thoughts, all of our anxieties, and all of our woes, as well. So how do we get better at finding our rest in Him? In Israel, the Sabbath is such an important day of rest that they will get angry if tourists carry cameras over their shoulders.

Wiersbe says that the Sabbath is “the sanctity of the seventh day” and “was a distinctive part of the Jewish faith.”1In America, we talk about going to church, but we don’t really think about the sanctity of the day itself. The Sabbath was clearly “a sign between [God] and the nation” of Israel (Nehemiah 9:13-14).2The word “Sabbath” simply means to rest. Wiersbe notes that some rabbis taught that the Messiah would not come until Israel had learned how to perfectly keep the Sabbath as a holy day. “The Sabbath speaks of rest after work and relates to the law, while the Lord’s Day speaks of rest before work and relates to grace.”3Everything in Israel revolves around the Sabbath. This is the backdrop for our study in chapter 6.

TEACHING

Luke 6:1-5: Verse 1 states that Jesus and His disciples passed through the grain fields on a Sabbath. As they moved through, the disciples did three things: they picked the heads of some of the wheat, rubbed them with their hands, and ate them. What they did was not for profit but only to eat. The Pharisees questioned why the disciples were doing what was unlawful on the Sabbath (v. 2).

The religious leaders knew that eating on the Sabbath was not illegal. Everything the Pharisees asked Jesus had to do with the Law (Matthew 12:12, 19:3, 22:27, 27:6). A religious spirit causes a constant state of criticism and holds onto legalism.

Jesus responded to their question with an example from the Old Testament, of David entering the house of God and eating the sacred bread, which was unlawful for all but the priests (vv. 3-4; 1 Samuel 21:1-6). The sacred bread was also called “showbread.” MacArthur wrote, “The consecrated bread of the Presence consisted of 12 loaves baked fresh each Sabbath, which was usually eaten only by the priests.”4(Leviticus 24:8-9). David and his men were hungry and were fed by this showbread. Then, Jesus told them He was the “Lord of the Sabbath,” Lord over the very thing they were trying to protect (v. 5). Jesus trumps the Law.

MacArthur states “the Sabbath laws do not restrict deeds of necessity (Matthew 12:3-4); service to God (Matthew 12:5-6); or acts of mercy (Matthew 12:7-8).”5

Luke 6:6-11: “On another Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching” when He saw a man “whose right hand was paralyzed” (v. 6). The scribes and the Pharisees watched Jesus carefully to see if He would heal on the Sabbath “so they could find a charge against Him” (v. 7). Jesus knew what the religious leaders were thinking (Luke 5:22), so He told the man with the paralyzed hand to stand up and come over to Him (v. 8). Jesus then asked the scribes and the Pharisees if it was legal to do good on the Sabbath (v. 9). He looked at them and then told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did as Jesus asked, and when he stretched out his hand, his hand was restored” (v. 10). The religious leaders, however, were filled with rage, not joy for the healed man, and began to discuss what they might do to Jesus (v. 11; Matthew 23:6-7). The word “rage” can be understood as having senseless wrath. For Luke, this incident was the beginning of the religious authority’s persecution of Jesus.

CLOSING

Joseph Mattera suggests ten signs for those who have a religious spirit:

  1. They judge other people by their appearance.
  2. They try to earn God’s love and salvation.
  3. They try to conform to outward holiness without inner transformation.
  4. They are always critical of other people’s walk with God.
  5. Their closest Christian relationships are based on ministry activities.
  6. They perform Christian duties but have no passion for God.
  7. They desire position and honor in the church more than honor from God.
  8. They are rooted in the lifestyle of Christianity instead of in Christ.
  9. They know about the truth of Jesus but not the way of Jesus.
  10. They project righteousness but inwardly are filled with anger and resentment.

When we are in this position of a religious spirit, we can never find rest in the Lord. When we live in these ten, we never get to experience Psalm 37:7: “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans.”

  1. Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Matthew–Galatians(Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1989), p. 189.

  2. Wiersbe, p. 189.

  3. Wiersbe, p. 190.

  4. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005), p. 1145.

  5. MacArthur, p. 1145.

Questions

  1. Why did the Pharisees say the disciples’ actions were not lawful in verse 2? How does Jesus respond? How do you view the Sabbath?
  2. In verse 11, were the Pharisees truly full of rage over Jesus healing on the Sabbath or do you think that there was a much deeper meaning? What do you think that meaning was?
  3. How do you think the disciples felt to be chosen to be one of the 12 apostles?
  4. Verse 45b says that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” What do you think the meaning of this is?
  5. Why did Jesus say to have a house built on a solid foundation? Have you always had a firm foundation, or have you had to rebuild?
  6. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Luke 6 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Luke 6:5

Then He told them, ‘The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.’”

The Pharisees began to question Jesus about properly honoring the Sabbath. Jesus incorporated rest in the midst of an ongoing ministry schedule and demanding crowds. It may not have fallen on a specific day or hour, but Jesus still took time to rest and spend time with His Father. This is the heart behind the Sabbath. And yet Jesus’ actions were judged from the outside as being unlawful.

As believers, you are no longer tied to the law of the Sabbath. The Lord wants you to rest in Him and abide in Him. If you are busy judging others or even yourself, wondering if you are resting “enough” or doing “enough,” you will miss the whole meaning of Sabbath. Be at rest with Jesus as your rock and your salvation. Trust in Him. Take time to rest in Him away from others so you will be filled with His love and grace to jump right back into life and ministry as the Lord leads. When you serve from a place of rest and through the power of the Holy Spirit, it gives the Lord glory. Try it. Take a deep breath and rest today.

“Then He told them, ‘The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.’”

— Luke 6:5

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Psalm 37:7 — “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans.”
  • Psalm 62:5-8 — “Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge.”
  • Luke 6:12 — “During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God.”