February 5, 2010
Did you see him?
Matthew 12:1-14
Jason Vorel
Central Truth
Jesus wants to give us rest--not a nap, but true rejuvenation of soul and body.
Key Verse | Matthew 12:8
"For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." (Matthew 12:8)
Matthew 12:1-14
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
1 At 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. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how 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? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand
9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And 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. 11 He 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? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 12:1-14
I missed Him. It was probably about the tenth time I read this passage before I finally saw Him. Chasing distractions comes naturally to me, so it shouldn't be a surprise that it took me that long to find Him. It's even a little ironic when you think about it. I worked and strained to extract the central truth from this passage, and the central truth is Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath, or said another way, the Lord of rest.
Jesus was there all along. He revealed a core characteristic of His nature to us, but I had focused on the debate started by the Pharisees. How would Jesus respond to the legal arguments about the rules of the Sabbath? While there are lessons to be learned from how Jesus used these teachable moments with the Pharisees, the best lesson for me is found in the truth of who He is. He is Lord of the Sabbath. The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew root word shabhath, which means to desist, cease, or rest. Jesus offers us the kind of rest for our souls that only the Divine Creator can offer.
I especially appreciate this aspect of Christ's nature. Experiencing Jesus' rest is more deeply fulfilling and peace-giving than sleeping for twelve hours straight or taking a vacation. One distinct memory of experiencing His rest was my senior year in college when my mom passed away from cancer. In the midst of the hurt and sorrow, Jesus brought me into a place of shelter and rest emotionally. When I spent time alone in prayer and reading the Bible, Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath, met me there and gave me rest.
Have you missed Him? What is keeping you from experiencing Jesus as your Lord of the Sabbath? Don't try to find rest on your own. He desires to give you a rest so complete you can't understand it, a rest from whatever stress, work, pain, or chaos is ravaging your life. See Him. Get to know Him, the Lord of the Sabbath.
Discussion Questions
1. What storm of your life are you in right now where you need to run into the arms of the Lord of the Sabbath to find rest?
2. How do you get to know the Lord of the Sabbath?
3. What do you do to practice rest?
4. What else did you learn about the character of Jesus from this passage?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Jesus used Scripture to teach the Pharisees (verses 3 & 5). Why is it important for us to know Scripture?
2. What does Scripture teach us about God’s heart?