Monday: The Jewish Sabbath Replaced by the Christian
WEEK 36
MONDAY
THE JEWISH SABBATH REPLACED BY THE CHRISTIAN
Matthew 12:1-8
We saw yesterday that Jesus found the Jewish Sabbath so overladen with irrelevancies and trivialities and burdensome restrictions that he had to replace it with a Christian Sabbath, with a new content and outlook. The Jewish Sabbath couldn’t be redeemed, so it was quietly displaced.
Jesus gave advance notice of this, “The Human One is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matt 12:8). To drive home his lordship, he proceeded to break the legal bondage that had been built into the Sabbath. This was one of the reasons they crucified him.
The idea underlying the Sabbath—one day’s rest in seven—was right and had to be preserved. But the system built up on that idea had to be discarded, and a new vehicle of expression had to replace it.
A new content had to be put into the Sabbath. What better content than the day of the resurrection, the first day of the week? The old Sabbath commemorated the first creation; the new Sabbath commemorated the new creation. The old Sabbath commemorated the fulfillment of God’s creative life in nature; the new Sabbath commemorated God’s creative Life in human nature. The first Sabbath was overlaid by legalism, so the new Sabbath would start not with legalities but with Life, the glorious resurrection Life of Jesus. “Jesus is Lord” was applied to the Sabbath; he changed it into his own image and conception. How? By decree? No, that would have spoiled it; for again it would have become a legalism depending on his command. We would have taken his words of change and made them into a new legalism.
He did something better. He inspired people to begin a new day with a new content: “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread” (Acts 20:7 RSV); “On the first day the week, each of you should set aside whatever you can afford from what you earn so that the collection won’t be delayed until I come” (1 Cor 16:2). A new practice and a new principle grew up; a new Sabbath resulted.
O Jesus, your ways and your wisdom are always right. We thank you for saving the Sabbath for us with the glorious content of the resurrection. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I belong to the most triumphant day—the resurrection—I shall illustrate it.