When Man-Made Rules Get in the Way of God’s Gracious Plans

Mark 2:25-27

Jesus’ response is fascinating. In an apparent tangent He turns to an event in the life of King David. In 1 Samuel 21:1-6, David and his men were in need and hungry, so they went into the house of God and ate “the bread of the Presence,” the consecrated bread of the temple. This offering was 12 loaves of unleavened bread, representing Israel’s 12 tribes, set out on a table in the holy place.

Jesus’ point is simple. While it was not normal or lawful for David and his men to eat the bread of the Presence, it was even more the case that God did not want them to starve. God was primarily concerned with caring for His servant David, the anointed king of Israel. Scripture nowhere condemns their actions.

In His appeal to David, Jesus is inviting a comparison between David and Himself. God in His Word is noting the parallel between the lesser David and His greater Son. This is the first of such allusions that we will see in Mark’s Gospel.

Jesus concludes with the principle that should have guided Jewish observance all along: “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” The Sabbath was made to bless man, not man to bless the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man’s enjoyment, not man for the Sabbath’s significance. Jesus’ liberating vision of the Sabbath frees us from legalistic constraints instead of binding us with unbearable burdens.

Colossians 2:16-17 brings clarity for those of us who live under the new covenant inaugurated through the death and resurrection of King Jesus:62 “Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah.” The Lord’s Day, indeed every day, is a blessing that lifts us up, not a burden that weighs us down. It is to help us grow in grace and maturity, not strangle us with rules and regulations.

Mark 2:28

Modern readers in the Western context cannot easily grasp the striking declaration of verse 28. Jesus weds the “Son of Man” title to that of “Lord of the Sabbath” and declares that He is both. This, just like 2:10, is nothing less than a declaration of deity and divine rights! The divine man of Daniel 7:13-14, whom demons recognize as both the Holy One of God (Mark 1:24) and the Son of God (3:11), is also the Lord of the Sabbath.

Jesus once more puts Himself in the place of and with the authority of God. As the Lord of the Sabbath, He determines what is lawful and unlawful on the Sabbath day. He makes the call, and there is no higher authority. John MacArthur explains the significance of this statement well:

The Pharisees relied on their own traditions for guidance, and in doing so, they missed the Lawgiver entirely. For Christians, He is our anchor of spiritual authority in all things. In sum, “Jesus says ...” settles all issues. As God, He is Lord of the Sabbath! We do not get to choose whether we will allow Him to be such. It is a fact, regardless of our permission. The question to ask is, Have you surrendered to Him as your God and the Lord of63 your life? Man-made rules will never get you to God! Only the Lord of the Sabbath, the Son of God, will get you there. Trust in His work and not your own. You will not be disappointed.