The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 12 Part 1 Keeping The Lord's Day Special

Pharisees and scribes condemned Jesus' disciples for violating their traditions.

Matthew 12:1-2  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2)  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 

One theme that will emerge more and more as we progress through Matthew's gospel is growing hostility from scribes and Pharisees directed at Jesus.

Jesus gave many instructions in His Sermon on the Mount that were designed to bring the Jews back to God's original intent for the law.

In Jesus' time, scribes, rabbis and Pharisees enforced many man made rules and interpretations of God's law.

These "traditions of men" were placed on equal or higher authority than the inspired scripture from God.

Mark 7:6-9  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7)  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8)  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9)  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 

Mark's gospel recorded an incident where the scribes and Pharisees rebuked Jesus for failing to observe their rabbinical traditions.

Notice the strength with which Jesus rebuked their false teaching.

He said their man made traditions were made because their hearts were far from God. 

Outwardly they claimed to honor God but they treated His Word with contempt and preferred their traditions.

Notice again, we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth but the Pharisees' and scribes' worship was vain and pointless because they set aside God's commandments in favor of their traditions.

Pharisees and scribes watched Jesus' disciples closely to make accusations against them.

Matthew 12:1-2  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2)  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 

The Pharisees "saw it" when Jesus's disciples plucked ears of corn.

This means they were watching intently, literally spying on Jesus so that they might be able to accuse Him of violating their traditions.

Thus, Matthew recorded Pharisees and scribes watching Jesus in order to challenge Him when He ignored their man made traditions.

Jesus used this incident to demonstrate that scribes and Pharisees distorted the proper interpretation of the fourth commandment.

Keeping the sabbath is setting aside worldly pursuits in order to honor God with our lives. 

Exodus 20:10-11  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11)  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 

The fourth commandment is that one day in seven is a day of rest, and reflecting upon the goodness of the LORD.

It is the day the LORD hallowed so that we can put aside our normal cares and duties in order to receive spiritual refreshment by worshiping God.

It is a day for God's people to gather together intent on honoring God, hearing from His Word and singing praises together. 

Some professing Christians state that this command does not apply to the church today, but Jesus defended this commandment and He would not defend one that was going to be made obsolete.

Hebrews 10:25 also makes it clear that the Lord’s day has highest priority for believers in Christ.

Plucking grapes of wheat while walking through a vineyard or fields is allowed by God's law.

Deuteronomy 23:24-25  When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel. 25) When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn. 

It is also noteworthy that the Pharisees and scribes did not cite this section of the law which does allow a person walking through a neighbors vineyard or field  to pluck and eat grapes or grain.

Jesus cited a historical event in the life of King David as the basis for His disciples eating grain as they walked through the fields.

The example of David and his men eating the holy shewbread.

Matthew 12:3-4  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4)  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 

Jesus laid down a principle backed by historical precedent that works of necessity or mercy are lawful on the sabbath day.

Christ justified His disciples in plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day, to show that works of necessity like eating are lawful on that day.

1 Samuel 21:1-6  Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2)  And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3)  Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 4)  And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5)  And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6)  So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. 

Evil king Saul was seeking to kill David so he fled quickly.

David and the loyal men with him needed some food as they journeyed to the place where the tabernacle stood.

David asked Ahimelech the priest for some bread so that he and his men could eat and keep their strength up.

Ahimelech gave David the loaves of shewbread because they had not been with women and were therefore ceremonially clean.

So even though the shewbread was not lawful for David to take, yet it was given to him and his men because their need was great.

Acts of necessity and mercy are permissible on the Lord’s day.

The example of priests who did servile or normal work on the sabbath were blameless.

Matthew 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 

Jesus gave another example concerning priests who worked preparing and processing the sacrificial animals as the law required.

The priests in the temple did a great deal of servile work on the sabbath day, killing, flaying and burning the sacrificed beasts.

Afterwards they cleaned up everything.

Doing common or servile work on the sabbath was normally viewed as profaning the Sabbath, yet the priests were not in transgression because the temple-service required and justified their work. 

Jesus gave a second principle that work on the sabbath day is necessary to support the worship services is lawful.

For a typical church, necessary tasks include travel to church, vocal or instrumental practice before the services, setting the HVAC properly, printing sermon outlines, ensuring the PowerPoint works properly, lights are turned on and the doors unlocked.

Jesus Christ is greater than the Temple and is Lord of the Sabbath day.

Matthew 12:6-8  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7)  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8)  For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.

The Jews esteemed nothing greater than the temple, except their God who was worshipped in it. 

Christ, by asserting He was greater than the temple, asserted that He was God in very direct terms.

Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh is Lord of the Sabbath, the Divine Institutor and Governor of it.

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, the Creator, Sustainer of life and Lord of the sabbath.

Hebrews 3:1-4 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2)  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3)  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4)  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 

The book of Hebrews tells us to consider or earnestly think about Jesus Christ our eternal High Priest. 

Moses was faithful in all of his service to the LORD and so was Jesus faithful in all His service to His Father.

Jesus is infinitely higher than Moses, just as the builder of a house is worthy of more honor than than the house.

Christ is placed in great contrast to Moses in that Moses did indeed construct the tabernacle and all of the items God commanded him to do.

However, Christ Jesus is the Creator who built all the universe by the power of His Word (See Hebrews 1:3; John 1:1-5).

What did our Lord teach us in this section of Matthew's gospel?

First, that we must walk circumspectly or accurately with our Lord because others are watching us to see if our faith is genuine and ready to pounce if we make a mistake.

Our walk with Christ must match our talk, otherwise we are hypocritical.

Second, the sabbath day principle is still active for the church.

The church was born on Sunday (Pentecost, and the day of Christ's resurrection) and met on Sunday from that point forward.

Therefore, Christians are to hallow the Lord's Day and set it apart from the normal mundane activities of the week.

Third, Jesus taught us that doing certain necessary things such as meal preparation and clean up on the Lord's day are lawful and good.

Fourth, Jesus taught us that certain tasks that facilitate church ministry are also lawful and good on the Lord's day.

Finally, Jesus reminded us that He spoke and worked as God in the flesh.

His word is final and authoritative. 

We can be greatly encouraged in all that our Lord said during this exchange with the critics of Jesus.

May we all learn to rest in these truths and live in accord with all that Jesus taught us to do.

Bob