Topical Bible: The Sabbath: Christ: Taught On

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The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, holds significant importance in Judeo-Christian tradition. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ's teachings on the Sabbath provide profound insights into its purpose and observance. His teachings often challenged prevailing interpretations, emphasizing the spirit of the law over rigid legalism.

Jesus' Authority Over the Sabbath

In the Gospels, Jesus asserts His authority over the Sabbath, highlighting His divine role. In Matthew 12:8 , He declares, "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." This statement underscores His authority to interpret and fulfill the law, positioning Him as the ultimate arbiter of Sabbath observance.

Healing on the Sabbath

Jesus frequently performed healings on the Sabbath, which sparked controversy among the religious leaders of His time. In Luke 13:10-17 , Jesus heals a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years. When criticized, He responds, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water? Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound these eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?" (Luke 13:15-16). Here, Jesus emphasizes compassion and mercy, illustrating that the Sabbath is a time for doing good and relieving suffering.

The Purpose of the Sabbath

In Mark 2:27 , Jesus teaches, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." This profound statement reveals the Sabbath's intended purpose: to serve humanity's need for rest and spiritual renewal, rather than being a burdensome obligation. Jesus' teaching redirects focus from strict adherence to rules toward understanding the Sabbath as a gift for human well-being.

Confrontations with Religious Leaders

Jesus' teachings often brought Him into conflict with the Pharisees, who accused Him of breaking the Sabbath. In Matthew 12:1-14 , His disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath, prompting criticism. Jesus responds by referencing David's actions and the work of priests, illustrating that mercy and necessity take precedence over ritualistic observance. He concludes with the principle, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice" (Matthew 12:7), reinforcing the idea that the Sabbath should reflect God's compassionate character.

The Sabbath and the Kingdom of God

Jesus' teachings on the Sabbath also point to the broader theme of the Kingdom of God. In John 5:16-17 , after healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus explains, "My Father is working until now, and I too am working." This statement aligns His mission with God's ongoing work, suggesting that the Sabbath is a foretaste of the eternal rest and restoration found in God's Kingdom.

Through His teachings and actions, Jesus redefines the Sabbath, emphasizing its role in promoting life, mercy, and the well-being of humanity. His approach challenges legalistic interpretations, inviting believers to embrace the Sabbath as a time of joy, healing, and reflection on God's goodness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 4:31
And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 6:6
And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether Christ Conformed his Conduct to the Law?
... the Sabbath, and commanded him to take up his bed. Therefore it seems that He did
not conform His conduct to the Law. Objection 2: Further, what Christ taught, ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ conformed his conduct.htm

Jesus in the Temple.
... Olshausen, following Tholuck, thinks that the Savior on the Sabbath day, did not ...
does promise that he will be able to know whether Christ taught divine truth ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/jesus in the temple.htm

The Precept of Loving One's Enemies it is as Much Taught in the ...
... to understand, Christ, as the Lord of the Sabbath and of ... when following the course
of nature, taught in the ... only to a man's brethren; but when Christ had given ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xvi the precept of loving.htm

Were Christ and the Apostles Mistaken?
... tabernacle and the temple service, which taught the fundamentals ... that he "wrote of
me," of Christ, the witness ... controversy, because he healed on the Sabbath day ...
/.../concerning the assumptions of destructive criticism/iv were christ and the.htm

The Withered Hand Healed on the Sabbath. --The Objections of the ...
... That it was a duty to save life on the Sabbath was taught even by the Pharisees
themselves; and, as the spirit of the law required, Christ extended the ...
/.../section 169 the withered hand.htm

Unless the Scriptures be Understood through God's Great Grace, God ...
... grace, God will not appear to have taught always the ... of our flesh, believing God
through Christ, and having ... you were commanded to observe the Sabbath, and to ...
/.../chapter xcii unless the scriptures be.htm

Christ's Discourses in Per??a - Close of the Per??an Ministry
... that the Lord condescended to accept the invitation to a Sabbath-meal in ... the Synagogue
in which they had just worshipped, and where Christ may have taught. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xx christs discourses in.htm

Christ Heals the Nobleman's Son. --Chooses Capernaum for His
... Here he taught in the synagogue, and healed the sick. ... attend to her household duties
and detain her guests for the Sabbath-day's dinner ... 308] As Christ spent the ...
/.../section 127 christ heals the.htm

Expositions of Holy Scripture
... THE REST GIVER. THE PHARISEES' SABBATH AND CHRIST'S. ... NEAREST TO CHRIST. THE
SERVANT-LORD AND HIS SERVANTS. WHAT THE HISTORIC CHRIST TAUGHT ABOUT HIS DEATH. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/

A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath-Day.
... infirmities, hast vouchsafed to add this Sabbath again to ... them which are sanctified
by faith in Christ. ... and profitable doctrines which shall be taught unto us ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/a morning prayer for the.htm