What is the meaning of Luke 6:5? Then • The word sets the moment in a real timeline—right after the disciples had plucked grain on the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-4). • Jesus responds to Pharisees who believed He and His followers had violated Exodus 20:8-11. • He leads the discussion back to Scripture itself, citing 1 Samuel 21:3-6, where David ate consecrated bread. • This “then” shows continuity: just as David’s need took precedence, so the greater David now speaks. • Compare Mark 2:27-28, where the same scene adds, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Jesus declared • He doesn’t merely suggest; He pronounces. His words come with the same weight that stilled storms (Luke 8:24) and raised the dead (John 11:43-44). • Matthew 7:28-29 notes that crowds were astonished because He taught “as one having authority.” Here, that authority surfaces again. • John 1:14 reminds us that “the Word became flesh.” When Jesus declares, God Himself is speaking. The Son of Man • Jesus’ favorite self-designation ties Him to Daniel 7:13-14, where “One like a son of man” receives everlasting dominion. • It underscores both His humanity (Luke 19:10, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”) and His divine commission. • The Pharisees hear more than a humble label; they hear a claim to messianic authority (Matthew 26:64). is Lord of the Sabbath • “Lord” means Master, Owner, the One with full right to define how the Sabbath is observed. • By asserting lordship over the Sabbath, Jesus claims lordship over creation itself, since the Sabbath originates in Genesis 2:2-3. • Mark 2:27 adds perspective: “The Sabbath was made for man.” As Lord, Jesus safeguards the gift rather than burdens it. • Colossians 2:16-17 teaches that festivals “are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” The Sabbath points to Him, and Hebrews 4:9-10 affirms that true rest is found in Him. • Exodus 31:13 calls the Sabbath a sign between God and His people. When Jesus says He is Lord of that sign, He declares Himself the covenant’s fulfillment. • Practical implications: – Spiritual rest is received by trusting Christ, not by ritual alone. – Worship and mercy align with Sabbath intent; legalism distorts it (Luke 6:9, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?”). – Because Jesus is Lord, believers live under His gracious rule every day, finding rest in His finished work. summary Jesus meets ritual accusation with revelatory authority. In four brief words—“The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath”—He identifies Himself as the promised Messiah, the divine Master over God’s covenant sign, and the giver of true rest. The Sabbath looked back to creation’s rest and forward to redemption’s rest; both converge in Christ. Trusting Him, we cease from striving and enter the rest only the Lord of the Sabbath can give. |
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