Read Luke 6:1-5

“And Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”” (Luke 6:5)

The Sabbath Law was a custom well over 1,000 years old that came from the Torah, the Law of Moses. Furthermore, this law was not created by man but issued by God Himself and written by the finger of the Almighty on Stone Tablets, which contained the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20). If that were not enough, the Sabbath Law was based on the Creator Himself, who rested on the seventh day after creating the universe as a way of communicating His pleasure over creation (see Exodus 20:11). Everything about the Sabbath Law, therefore, was divinely distinctive, both in its example and instruction. What was that example and instruction specifically? To rest on the Sabbath Day.

And to further disprove that God was not serious about such an institution, God backed up His Word with punishment on the original violators of the Sabbath. An Israelite, during the wilderness wandering, was gathering sticks on the Sabbath Day. This rebellious violation cost him his life (see Numbers 15:32-36).

So you can imagine why the Pharisees were so bent on accusing Christ when they saw Him doing things that were seemingly in violation of the Sabbath Law. Of course, Christ did not actually violate the Sabbath Law, but only the Pharisees’ strict interpretation of it. It was perfectly allowed for anyone to pick grain and eat on the Sabbath (see Deuteronomy 23:25). But the Pharisees were like a pack of wolves. They sought to find a vulnerability where they could attack and strike Jesus down once and for all.

Unlike the Pharisees, Jesus, in wonderful fashion, uses Scripture to defend Himself and His disciples. This would have been enough, but Christ says something no one expected. He makes a claim so radical and so confounding that it was undeniable to know what He meant.

“And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”” (Luke 6:5)

Did you catch that? Jesus Himself entitles Himself as the Lord of this sacred and most Holy Day! The implications of this claim are countless. It was His finger that wrote on those tablets of stone which were given to Moses. It was His wisdom that birthed good commandments. It was His rest on the seventh day that this commandment was modeled after.

Jesus was calling Himself the only true and living God of Israel! And as such, He is Lord of the Sabbath.

As the Church, this is a doctrine about Christ that is fundamental to understand, for Jesus Christ is our Sabbath rest. In the New Covenant, established under the precious and sinless blood of Christ, the Law of Moses has become obsolete and is fading away.

“In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:13)

“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious… how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? …For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.” (2 Corinthians 3:7-8, 11)

The Sabbath Day is no longer binding for it has been replaced by a new and better rest — by Christ Himself, who has become our eternal rest. Jesus is Lord of our rest, and He desires to give His people rest from this world, from sin, and from the obligation of works.

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9–11)

Just as Jesus cried out:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Have you entered the rest that our Lord Jesus provides? Do you believe that you can rest and simply enjoy God? Or are you bound up by obligations and duties you think you have to perform in order for God to be pleased with you?

Know this, Beloved, that you can rest from such things. You are no longer under law, but under grace! (see Romans 6:14). So cast your burdens aside. Let no weight hinder you from fully enjoying God, for Christ, the Lord of Sabbath, commands you to enter in and be enraptured in the blessedness of His rest.