Do open your Bibles to Matthew 12.
Matthew 12, which in the Church Bibles is on page 817.
!
The one point is don't miss the point.
Don't miss the point.
Last Sunday we looked at Matthew's Gospel
and we looked at Matthew 12.
Come to me, all of you, while weary and heavy laden.
Take my yoke upon you.
Learn from me.
And with this gracious invitation you get this incredible promise, don't you?
And I will give you rest, Jesus says.
I'll give you rest and you will find rest for your souls
because I'm gentle and I'm humble in heart.
And Jesus says, my yoke living for me
has a sense in which it is easy and my burden is light.
Well, chapter 12 begins in this way.
It says, at that time Jesus went through the grain fields
on the Sabbath.
And his disciples were hungry
and began to eat.
They began to collect
herds of corn and eat.
When the disciples saw it,
when the Pharisees saw it,
and the religious leaders,
they said to him,
look, your disciples are doing
what is not lawful for them to do
on the Sabbath.
It's a really interesting problem.
And the Sabbath was
extremely
and enormously
significant for Jewish people.
For the Jews of that day.
And so it should be.
The Sabbath day had been given by God
and it's way, way, way back
in the days of Moses.
It was to be a weekly reminder.
A weekly text.
Every week.
A day
which spoke of
the reason why
you and I had been created.
It was to tell the people of Israel
that they were not to live
their whole of their lives
for work.
Work wasn't the big thing.
They had to work, of course,
each day.
But they would take one day
to remind them
that God had made them.
And that God has chosen them.
And that God has redeemed them.
And God had promised
to bring them into rest.
It was the most wonderful promises
on the Sabbath day.
And the end of suffering.
And the end of pain.
The end of hardship.
Sometimes,
in the Old Testament,
it was expressed
as rest from your enemies.
Deliverance from.
The end of war.
No more hostility.
No more conflict.
It was to be a day of peace
and a day of rest.
Of peace with God
and rest with God.
And those who believed God
believed that
He would bring His people
to that promised rest.
It was a weekly foretaste
of what was to come.
And the Sabbath day.
Sabbath is
the Hebrew word for rest.
The Sabbath day
was a weekly reminder
that this is where
the world is heading.
This is what the whole
of creation is for.
The goal of creation.
The goal of redemption.
A world at rest.
Where everything was heading.
And it was not about
human achievement.
It was not that humans
were going to work for it.
It wasn't development.
It wasn't progress.
But it was God's rest.
And that's where it was heading.
And so it's no wonder
that Jewish people
and Christian people
throughout the ages
have taken the Sabbath day
very, very seriously.
But we come to
the beginning of Matthew 12
with the end of Matthew 11
still ringing in our ears
and we're forced,
I think, to ask
how does Jesus
promise
all who come to rest
relate to the Jewish Sabbath?
And the Sabbath day?
And all that is sad for?
Are they connected at all?
So here in Matthew 12, verse 1
we see Jesus and His disciples
after they've just heard
that invitation
to come to Jesus
and find rest.
And we see Jesus and His disciples
on a Sabbath day
and they're walking
through cornfields
and they feel a little bit peckish.
Perhaps they knew
Deuteronomy 23, verse 25
but it may well be
that this was familiar
to them.
Because it says
in that verse
Deuteronomy 23, 25
if you find yourself
walking through
a neighbour's cornfield
it's quite okay
for you to pick
a few corns
by hand
as long as you don't
take a side to it
or kind of drive
your combine harvester
into their field
it's fine if you're
just walking through it
to grab some
grains of corn.
Whether or not
they realise Deuteronomy 23, 25
we don't know
but they pick some corn
and they munch away.
Well there are some
Pharisees nearby
and they saw
what Jesus did
and their mood
is very swift
let me miss you
and the Pharisees
saw it
they said to him
look
your disciples
are doing
what is not
lawful to do
on the Sabbath.
Now by unlawful
they meant
that there was
a direct law
from God
that explicitly
forbade
picking an ear
of corn
on the Sabbath day.
But of course
when we go back
and look at actually
what the Bible says
the law of God
does not say that.
You shall do
no work
on the Sabbath day
yes
and the purpose
of the Sabbath day
was to rest
and that God
promised rest
for which the whole
world was being made
and into which
God is going to
bring his people
but the Pharisees
they're concerned
is a long
long way
from that.
What happened
was that the
Jewish traditions
had developed
and a whole lot
of things
had been added
onto God's law
that a good Jew
must not do
on the Sabbath day.
Not only must you
not do any work
but you must not
do anything
vaguely approaching
work
even if it looked
like work
you must not do it.
And picking
an ear of corn
when you think
of it
well to them
it was harvesting.
And harvesting
will not certainly
work.
Now I don't want
to caricature it
I think it's
very easy
to caricature
the Pharisees
they were sincere
they had a reputation
they were serious
about life
and about the Bible
and about their traditions
and they wanted
to be very
very careful
ever so careful
not to break
God's law
and still
they created
a whole lot
of other laws
to put around
God's law
and so you would
never even get
close to breaking
God's law
but I wonder
if you begin
to see something
that it would
be hilarious
if it wasn't
so tragic
in this passage.
Notice
carefully
how Jesus responds
from what we've
seen
in Matthew's Gospel
I wonder how
you'd expect
him to respond
he might have
said
it might be
look here
fellas
there's nothing
in the law
about picking
ears of corn
on the Sabbath
day
stop being
ridiculous
what they're
doing is not
lawful
what are you
talking about
he could have
said something
like that
in fact
anyone could have
said something
like that
but Jesus
said something
far far more
radical
than that
he said
something
that only
Jesus
could say
look at
verse 3
he said
to them
have you
not
read
remember
when Jesus
speaks
he requires
you and I
to think
about what
he says
sometimes
it's not
obvious
but the
pieces fall
into place
so Jesus
said to
them
in verse
3
have you
not
read
what David
did when
he was
hungry
and those
who were
with him
how he
entered
the house
of God
and he
ate the
bread
of the
presence
which was
not lawful
for him
to eat
nor for
those who
were with
him
but only
for the
priest
Jesus
is not
only one
not to
mince words
or play
games
he is
faced with
the highly
respected
religious
leaders
the scholars
of the
scriptures
the theologians
of the day
and if anyone
knows their
bible
the Pharisees
know their
bible
scrupulously
and Jesus
responds to
their accusation
have you not
read
of all
the people
to say
that to
read your
bible
he says
to them
and he
refers to
that to
what he
says in
1 Samuel
12
where the
great king
David is
on the run
for his
life
from Saul
and David
his family
and his
companions
come to a
little town
called
Nob
where the
tabernacle
was
and they
eat the
consecrated
bread
in the
tabernacle
and only the
priests were
allowed to
eat that
according to
the book
of
Vertigo
and the
assumption
is that
Jesus says
what David
did is
ok
you could
say it
was an
awful
but what
is his
point
how is
he arguing
is this
what Jesus
is saying
is Jesus
saying it's
ok to
break the
letter of
the law
in extreme
circumstances
that's how
some people
do it
if you're
starving
well it's
ok to
disregard
God's
law
I don't
think he
said that
it's not
ok for
you and
I to
break
God's
law
just
because
we
think
we
need
to
on the
other
hand
if David's
companions
were starving
and they
certainly
were very
hungry
that wasn't
true of
Jesus'
companions
were they
the disciples
were not
starving
it's not
as if they
were about
to drop
it's
they're on
a Sunday
afternoon
walk in
a field
and they
feel a bit
packaged
that's all
for what's
his point
what is
the connection
between the
unlawful act
of David
and the
act of
Jesus'
disciples
that the
Pharisees
called
unlawful
it's not
obvious
so think
with me
keep that
question in
mind
but hear
the next
provocative
statement
look at
verse 5
again
or have
you not
read
in the
law
how
on the
Sabbath
the priests
in the
temple
profane
the
Sabbath
and are
guiltless
and are
innocent
that's to
say there
is a law
from God
that says
you shall
not do
any work
on the
Sabbath
but the
priests
they've got
to work
haven't they
the priests
have to do
work
the same
law of
God
required the
priests
to do
work on
the
Sabbath
day
and it
requires
the priests
to make
extra
sacrifices
on the
Sabbath
do you
remember
Numbers 28
last week
and the
priests
have to
double the
amount
of
sacrifices
so if
they were
making
two
lab
offerings
normally
every
day
on
Sabbath
they
made
four
and so
it was a
busy day
it sounds like
work to be
but again
what is the
point
was he saying
that if you look
carefully
it's obvious
that the law
is not absolute
on these matters
but the law
allows for
exceptions
the priests
have to
work on
the
Sabbath
well again
I don't
think that's
the point
it's the
point you
can make
but it's
not the
point that
Jesus
may be
here
Jesus
himself
is not
a
priest
his
disciples
were not
priests
and you
could hardly
compare what
they were
doing
plucking
an ear
of
corn
on a
Sabbath
afternoon
walk
and munching
away to
offering
sacrifices
in the
temple
it's
different
but we
begin to
see the
point of
verse 6
where he
says this
he says
that
I tell
you
something
greater
than the
temple
is here
and by
implication
I take
it
something
greater
than
David
is here
and the
point is
this
that even
in the
Old
Testament
there
were
greater
things
than
the
Lord
greater
things
than the
Lord
considering
the
consecrated
bread
there
were
greater
things
than
the
Lord
concerning
no
work
on
Sabbath
namely
King
David
and the
temple
and not
working
on
Sabbath
not
working
on
Sabbath
was
very
important
but it's
not an
end
of
itself
it points
to
something
greater
that's
the
point
this
morning
and
now
that
something
greater
than
David
is
here
it's
not
entirely
clear
yet
so
Jesus
runs
the
same
argument
by them
again
instead
the
insult
he uses
is not
have you
not
read
but
if
you'd
only
known
look at
verse 7
if
you'd
only
known
what
this
means
what
the
words
mean
if
you'd
only
understood
what
you
read
and
he
quotes
from
Hosea
God
says
in
Hosea
I
desire
mercy
not
sacrifice
if
only
you'd
understood
those
words
you
would
not
have
condemned
the
innocent
now
it's
the same
kind of
point
as
before
the
sacrificial
laws
of the
Old
Testament
are
important
they
are
given
by
God
you
can't
dismiss
them
you
can't
say
they're
nothing
but
just
like
the
Sabbath
day
laws
were
not
themselves
the
reality
these
were
signs
and
symbols
keeping
the
sacrificial
law
keeping
the
Sabbath
law
to
the
letter
or
even
way
beyond
the
letter
as
the
Pharisees
did
and
then
failing
to
understand
what
the
sacrifices
were
all
about
and
failing
to
understand
what
the
Sabbath
day
pointed
you
to
is
to
miss
the
point
and
so
no
matter
how
precisely
you
keep
the
laws
if
you
don't
see
what
they
were
pointing
to
you
miss
the
point
well now
comes the
crunch
where he said a moment
goodly he said
someone something
greater than the
Sabbath
as the
temple is here
look what he says in verse 8
he says for the son of man
is lord of the
Sabbath
he said a moment ago
something greater than the
temple is here
and now he says verse 8
for the son of man is the lord of the
Sabbath
up until this week
I used to think that what Jesus was saying
there
is
I am the one who decides what you can do
and what you can't do on the
Sabbath
that's how it's often interpreted
it's as if Jesus said I'm the boss of the
Sabbath
I can say what is acceptable on
Sabbath day
and I can say what is not acceptable
and that would be a very big claim
for him to make
but I saw this week
that what he was claiming
is even more than that
isn't it absolutely obvious
I don't know why I've not seen it before
is it absolutely obvious
that Jesus was saying
I am the lord of the
Sabbath because
I am the one who will give you
rest
I am the lord of the
Sabbath
because it's when you come to me
when you learn from me
when you take
my yoke upon me
that then you will find rest
for your souls
there is nothing
magnificent
Jesus is the lord of the
Sabbath because he is the one
who gives what the
Sabbath promises
and for centuries
and centuries
they have kept
the Sabbath
and it was promising
something
and now
that's something
the lord of the
Sabbath has arrived
the one who is to give them
what the Sabbath promised
is there
I think there's even more here
the son of man
is lord of the
Sabbath
we hear Jesus say
and again I don't think
and we can hear that
without hearing an echo
do you remember
Matthew chapter 9
verse 6
where he said
the son of man
has authority on earth
to forgive sins
and you see
they are
not two things
but one thing
the forgiveness of sins
is at the heart
of the rest
that Jesus gives
as lord of the
Sabbath now
but I wonder if it's
coming as focus for you
can you see the tragedy
do you see how they
missed the point
before their very eyes
was the one who says
come to me
all you are weary
and heavy laden
and I will give you rest
and these Pharisees
they were so taken up
with keeping the Sabbath
with their dues
and with their don'ts
they couldn't hear him
and what you can find
is tragically
in churches like ours
is that
people can be
hugely taken up
with good things
church leaders
can be hugely
taken up
with church order
people
can get
very
very upset
sometimes
about the way
something is done
and the way
something is done
in church life
and often
here
when the streets
I've done the church
it's not what was done
but it was the way
that it was done
and the whole purpose
of the church
goes up in flames
because people
have missed the point
and you can miss
the point this morning
very dramatically
first line
tells us
that going on
from that place
you see Jesus
went into their synagogue
isn't that interesting
look at the first line
whose synagogue is it
their synagogue
their blind religion
which cared so much
about the Sabbath
traditions
that it could not
recognise actually
the law of the Sabbath
it was not theirs
it was theirs
not his
and the synagogue
is the place
of such religion
and there
in their synagogue
on this Sabbath day
there's a man
with a shriveled hand
and like all the
sickness and pain
of this world
this man
was part of a world
that is not yet
at rest
that has not yet
entered into that rest
and so we've got
a rather tight situation
you see
in the synagogue
of the Sabbath
the tradition keepers
we've got a suffering
human being
and into that synagogue
comes the one
who claims to be
the Lord of the Sabbath
and the Sabbath
tradition keepers
want to use
the suffering man
to discredit
the Lord of the Sabbath
do you see the verse 10
and the 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
Jesus' response
shows the brutal
emptiness
of a tradition
obsessed religion
look at verse 11
he said to them
which one of you
is a sheep
that falls into a
pitch on the Sabbath
will not take hold
of it and lift it out
of how much more
value is a man
than a sheep
of course
it's
appropriate
in his rights
to do good
on the Sabbath
and to make
that point
with utter
finality
the Lord of the
Sabbath
proceeds to give
the poor man
a taste of
real Sabbath rest
that he'd never
found in there
a synagogue
and Jesus did
good on the Sabbath
so verse 13
he says to the man
stretch out your hand
and the man
stretched it out
and it was restored
healthy like the other
how dare he
what a flagrant
disregard
for sin
in our tradition
are you not
poor
as they say
at this irregular
action
the Pharisees
were
and they viewed
it as wicked
so look at verse
14
the Pharisees
went out
and conspired
against him
how to destroy
him
but what happened
then
in verse 15
Jesus is aware
of this
he withdrew
from there
and many
followed him
and he healed
them all
he withdrew
from there
that is the
synagogue
and I take it
he's withdrawing
in more than
one sense
isn't he
it's not just
leaving
and we read
in verse 15
that many
followed him
there was a
separation
that took
place
there were
the Pharisees
and those
who stayed
with them
stayed
with that
religion
and their
Sabbath
rules
in their
synagogue
and there
were those
who followed
Jesus
the Lord
of the
Sabbath
and we're
told that
those who
followed him
in verse 15
he healed
them of
their sins
and their
sorrows
and their
sicknesses
he warned
them not
to tell
me what
those who
came to
him
he gave
rest
from sickness
and pain
and suffering
over the
time being
they were
told to
keep quiet
and then we
come to
Matthew's
really important
comment at
the end of
the section
which helps
us understand
the significance
of what we've
just heard
about
Matthew of
course is
writing from
the future
he's writing
looking back
on this
after Jesus'
death
his resurrection
and his
ascension
and from that
point looking
back he says
we're sent
to this was
to fulfil
what was spoken
by the prophet
Isaiah
and he
quotes
Isaiah
chapter 42
and God
is the
speaker
here
and in
verse 4
18
God says
behold my
servant
whom I've
chosen
my beloved
with whom
my soul
is well
pleased
and what
you've just
heard is the
fulfilment of
those words
the one that
you've just
heard about
is the
chosen
loved
servant
of God
whom I
will put
my spirit
on him
God
says
that was
the mark
of God's
king
in the
old testament
times
God put
his spirit
on the
king
and the
one you've
just heard
about
the one
who you've
just read
about
he is the
fulfilment
of these
words
he is the
king
God's
king
and he
will
proclaim
justice
to the
nations
you see
he's not
just
the lord
of
the
Jews
or rather
better
because he
is the
lord of
the
sabbath
because he
is the
lord of
the
Jewish
sabbath
he is
the
lord of
the
sabbath
of all
creation
justice
and righteousness
and true
judgment
for the
nations
of the
world
it's rest
he's describing
at last
that's his
message
Jesus came
to bring
rest
but he
does not
bring it
in by
bullying
doesn't
bring it
in by
worldly
power
but in
verse 19
do you see
he will
not
quarrel
or cry
out
no one
will hear
his voice
in the
streets
and a
bruised
reed
he will
not
break
and a
swoldering
wick
he will
not
snuff
out
until he
brings
justice
to
victory
do you
remember
last week
I am
gentle
and
lowly
in heart
and those
who come
to Jesus
do not
need to
fear him
and in
his name
the nations
will put
their hope
that is
simply
staggering
it is
simply
staggering
the earnest
zeal
and
commitment
and
drive
and
sincerity
of the
Pharisees
for their
religion
of the
Sabbath
meant
that they
could not
and they
would not
recognise
Jesus
and they
judged him
to be evil
and that
is a
profound
challenge
to church
people
like you
and I
because
we can
very easily
hide behind
our good
works
and our
keeping
of God's
law
we can
resent
others
that are
not like
us
and we
can be
very proud
of how
we do
things
and tragically
we can
miss
the
saviour
and we
can hate
the liberation
and the
forgiveness
that he
brings
because
the new
life
doesn't
fit
with
our
systems
I can
give you
easy
examples
of how
the
church
of
Scotland
where
you
saw
an
organisation
which
once
believed
the
gospel
a church
which
once
followed
the
teaching
of
the
Bible
and
gradually
it
began
to
follow
man's
laws
and
so
suddenly
those
who
proclaimed
the
gospel
fully
well
were
brutally
treated
it
we
talked
about
in
the
church
of
England
but
not
in
the
IPC
but of
course
that's
the
danger
isn't it
you don't
need to
worry about
the
church
of
Scotland
nor
the
church
of
England
where
do I
and so
what you
and I
need to
realise
is that
you and
I
can be
caught up
with
things
of
religion
and
church
life
and our
way of
doing
things
and we
can
miss
Jesus
you can
seek to
keep the
Sabbath
day
which I
encourage you
to keep
the
Sabbath
day
to remember
the
Sabbath
day
to keep
it
holy
but if
you
don't
meet
with
Jesus
you
miss
the
point
you can
know the
Bible
but miss
the message
of the
Bible
and so
this
morning
don't
miss
the
point
do not
be
blinded
to the
one
who is
inviting
us
to come
to him
and
promising
that as
we come
to him
it is
there
we will
find
rest
for
our
souls
because
there is
none so
blind
as
them that
will not
see
let's
pray