Did Jesus Observe the Sabbath?

[jriccitelli]

My questions are still the same;
‘Where is it written that healing was work on the Sabbath?’
And if John is saying Jesus broke the Law;
‘Where ‘else’ is it written where Jesus broke, or violated the Law?’

Before we’re too quick to agree with the Pharisees, remember that Jesus stopped their mouths, not because He vindicated their accusations, but simply because they could not answer His questions. Jesus was not saying that men were gods in John 10:34, but Jesus did stump them with His answer, a reference to His Deity.

In the same way Jesus answers the Pharisees in Matt 12:5 in response to their eating grain in the field. Jesus said, as John says similarly in John 5:18, that “the Priests break the Sabbath” but even though Jesus ‘says’ they break the Sabbath, they were not ‘really’ breaking the Sabbath because then the very act of keeping the Law of officiating the Sabbath ceremony would be thus broken by keeping it. All Jesus is doing is pointing out their hypocrisy, and lack of understanding, in a very high brow way.

Did the Priests break the Sabbath?
No, because God had ordained their work, they were doing the work of God, not their own work.
In the same way Jesus is saying in John 5:18 that He is doing the work of God, since God also works on the Sabbath, Jesus is therefore asserting His Deity, and just as importantly Jesus is revealing His office of ‘Priest’.

This also agrees with John 5:19; "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel” (John 5:19)
"My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work”
John 4:34
"If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?24 "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." (7:23-24)
Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:3-4)

Note that again Jesus heals on the Sabbath in John 9, so was it a sin to heal on the Sabbath?
The former blind man knew enough to say; "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him” (John 9:31)

When we die to our own works we enter into His rest. We are freed from ‘our’ labors to do His will 'Not my will but your will be done' is the Christian work ethic. The Sabbath Law is fulfilled when we give up our will, to do His will (No matter what day of the week it is). His yoke is easy, so we can trust that if we are doing His will we are not violating the Law, as He Himself would not violate His Law.
The Jews, who had added to Gods Words, never understood that we could go about doing good on the Sabbath as Jesus did. It was never a sin to do what pleased the Father.
Maybe if more Christians thought of the Sabbath (Or any day) as a day to ‘go about doing good’ instead of personal pleasure, they might ‘enjoy God more’ as Isaiah said;

"If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word14 Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken"
(Isaiah 58:13-14)

[Homer]

Hi JR,

You wrote:

In the same way Jesus answers the Pharisees in Matt 12:5 in response to their eating grain in the field. Jesus said, as John says similarly in John 5:18, that “the Priests break the Sabbath” but even though Jesus ‘says’ they break the Sabbath, they were not ‘really’ breaking the Sabbath because then the very act of keeping the Law of officiating the Sabbath ceremony would be thus broken by keeping it. All Jesus is doing is pointing out their hypocrisy, and lack of understanding, in a very high brow way.

Did the Priests break the Sabbath?
No, because God had ordained their work, they were doing the work of God, not their own work.
In the same way Jesus is saying in John 5:18 that He is doing the work of God, since God also works on the Sabbath, Jesus is therefore asserting His Deity, and just as importantly Jesus is revealing His office of ‘Priest’.

IMO I think we have to believe that the priests did break the Sabbath in the sense that they did work that was not lawful for anyone else to do on the Sabbath. Jesus did not make a de minimus argument (that the law does not deal in trivialities) although He could have if that is what He meant.

Another way of looking at the issue is through the hierarchical view of moral law. That view, which might be referred to as "graded absolutism" says that sometimes laws conflict, i.e., it may not be possible to keep one without violating another. For example, if we were leading a troop of cub scouts on a hike and became lost without food or water and came across a remote cabin could you break in and steal food to save the children's lives? The hierarchical view of ethics says you are innocent; the "law of love" trumps the laws protecting property, "thou shalt not steal". I think that is what you are getting at.

I highly recommend reading Norman Geisler's book on Christian ethics where he expalins the hierarchical position.

[jriccitelli]

Hi Homer, I like what Jesus does, rather than refer to mans writings, He asks them to read the scriptures.

My questions are still the same;
‘Where is it written that healing was work on the Sabbath?’
And if John is saying Jesus broke the Law;
‘Where ‘else’ is it written where Jesus broke, or violated the Law?’

[Paidion]

There was a gradual move into the new order of the kingdom. Homer, your view of the matter is exactly my own. I read Geisler's book Christian Ethics many years ago. His teaching of moral hierachalism resonated with me, and I have held this position ever since.

I was in first year (my only year) Bible school in 1959-60 with Erwin Lutzer, who is now pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. Lutzer also wrote a book about morality. His book expresses moral absolutism. Lutzer believes that when two moral principles conflict you should do "the least of two evils", but in doing so, you still sin. For example, if you lie to save a life, Lutzer says that you have sinned because you lied, and need to ask God for forgiveness. However, Geisler would say that you did the morally right thing in lying to save a life — that you did nothing wrong. For the moral imperative to save a life when possible takes precedence over the moral imperative to refrain from lying.

[Homer]

Paidion,

I donated my old copy of Geislers' book to a bible college in the Phillipines that lost their library in a fire. I was pleased to find and purchase the 2nd edition in paperback. I see Geisler has a third edition out now.

Geisler's use of the case of the USS Pueblo, captured by the North Koreans, has always stuck in my mind, the question being did Captain Bucher sin when he lied, by signing a false confession, to save the lives of his crew. Here is an excerpt from Buchers' chilling testimony before the admirals:

"You can continue your testimony if you will," Captain Newsome was saying.
A hush fell over the courtroom as he began describing those first few hours in the Barn: ". . . that 1 would be given two minutes to sign the document or I would be shot. I was told to kneel down on the floor and I knelt down right here"- his fingers clutched the wooden pointer- "facing the wall. I knew that through human torture . . . it occurred to me that being shot . . . would be a blessing. So I knelt there on the floor and during the entire two minutes." He paused. Tears welled in his eyes. Captain Newsome approached the long green table and whispered to Admiral Bowen, who nodded. "Would the commander like a recess at this time?" Captain Newsome asked. Bucher gulped a glass of water. "Sir, I would rather get this over with right now if I may. I . . . 1 am sure I can do it........." He wiped his forehead. "Sir, during the entire two minutes that I was laying there on the floor, I . . ." Another glass of water. A deep breath. ". . . I repeated over and over the phrase, 'I love you, Rose,' and thereby kept my mind off what was going to…" Bucher was trembling visibly now. A Navy doctor, Captain Ransom J. Arthur, rushed to his side. The admirals turned away. ,. . . happen . . . the colonel then said, 'Kill the sonovabitch' the gun was clicked . . . and the interpreter said, 'Well, it was a misfire' . . . and I knew damn well that it had been a game that they were playing with me . . . and he said, 'We will now begin to shoot your crew' . . . and I was not prepared to see my crew shot. . . . I was convinced that they were animals and I told them at that time, I said, 'I will sign the confession.' ..."

On March 10 Bucher returned to the witness stand. He mentioned his efforts to discredit his captors' propaganda. He called the North Koreans "cruel and brutal savages. . . . I requested better treatment for the crew," he said. "I could hear . . . their screams of pain, but . . ." Tears clouded his eyes. He blinked repeatedly and struggled to continue. "My overall personal evaluation [of the crew]," he said finally, "was that they represented the United States of America, the United States Navy, and their families in an outstanding manner"

He went on to cite forty-one of his men for their "cunningness and ability to fool the North Koreans" as well as for their "marked courage."

I do not believe Bucher or his men sinned. And how else other than with a hierarchical view of ethics can Rahab be a hero of the faith? At the core of her heroic act was lying and deception.

Years ago I used Geisler's book as a basis for an adult class. Some were incredulous that you could lie to save a life and not sin while doing so. They never even thought of their recent surprise birthday party for the pastor where they had made up a story to get the pastor to the church so they could surprise him!

[look2jesus]

jriccitelli,

...if Jesus really broke the Law John doesn’t seem overly concerned with it...
and,
Does John give a detail of the truth about Jesus here (In 5:18) that contradicts everything else we believe about the one who said “Which of you convicts me of sin?

These statements lead me to believe that you are equating Sabbath breaking with doing something sinful and in trying to defend Jesus' behavior, you are denying that He broke the Sabbath. Furthermore, you seem to deny that the priests themselves, during their ministrations on the Sabbath, were breaking the Sabbath. I would just want to point out that not all Sabbath breaking was sin. This was Jesus' point. Though the priests habitually broke the Sabbath (re: temple ministrations, circumcisions performed, etc.) they were "guiltless"; not because they weren't breaking the Sabbath, but because of other overriding principles. The same is true of David and the apostles. The same is true of Jesus. He definitely did break the Sabbath, but was likewise "guiltless" because of another overriding principle, i.e., that He was (and is) Lord of the Sabbath.

My questions are still the same;
‘Where is it written that healing was work on the Sabbath?’
And if John is saying Jesus broke the Law;
‘Where ‘else’ is it written where Jesus broke, or violated the Law?’

In Jeremiah, chapter 17, we find this instruction:

Thus the LORD said to me: "Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; and say to them, 'Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. Thus says the LORD: "Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers." ' "

Jesus freely admitted to working on the Sabbath day. Furthermore, when He said, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working" and, especially when He said, in John 7, "I did one work, and you all marvel", Jesus Himself is unequivocal that healing is work. God said to do no work on the Sabbath and it is undeniable that Jesus performed work (healing) on the Sabbath.

Perhaps more importantly (regarding your second question), when Jesus commanded this man whom He had healed to "take up [his] bed and walk", He was instrumental in causing the man to violate the restrictions of Sabbath observance to "bear no burden". There isn't any question of this act being a violation of the Sabbath. Does this mean that Jesus or the man sinned? No. Why? Because Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath!

l2j

[Paidion]

Thank you L2J. You have given a clear explanation.

[steve7150]

Jesus freely admitted to working on the Sabbath day. Furthermore, when He said, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working" and, especially when He said, in John 7, "I did one work, and you all marvel", Jesus Himself is unequivocal that healing is work. God said to do no work on the Sabbath and it is undeniable that Jesus performed work (healing) on the Sabbath.









Exactly right it was Jesus who responded to accusations of healing on the Sabbath by referring to it as "work" or "doing good" (Matt 12.12) which is lawful on the Sabbath (Matt 12.12) as it is on every day of the week.

[paulespino]

I don't see how scripture could be clearer in stating that Jesus broke the Sabbath than the following:

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was his father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18 NKJV)

Some try to insist that this verse is saying merely that the Jews believed that He broke the Sabbath. But John is not commenting on the Jews' belief here. Rather, he unequivocally states that He broke the Sabbath.

In my own opinion if we will start reading from verse 16 we will be able understand that the reason the Jews wanted to kill Jesus is because the Jews believed that Jesus violated the Law of Sabbath and John is simply reporting or writing his observations.

John 5:16-18
16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
Equality with God in Nature
17 But Jesus answered them, j“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, lmaking Himself equal with God.

[paulespino]

I want to add this from my previous post.

“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”19 so that they could accuse him. 12:11 He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? 12:12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
Biblical Studies Press: The NET Bible. Mt 12:10-12

If10 you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’11 you would not have condemned the innocent.
Biblical Studies Press: The NET Bible . Mt 12:7

Mt 12:10-12 tells us that there are exemptions to the rule when it comes to working on the Sabbath day. If you are going to do good during Sabbath then you are not breaking the law of Sabbath because according to Jesus that it is lawful to do good on Sabbath day. And in Mt 12:7 Jesus said that the father wants mercy and not sacrifice which means that if someone needs help during Sabbath day and the Jew responded by helping that person then the Jew is not violating the law of Sabbath. Therefore Jesus, his disciples, David and David's men did not violate the law of Sabbath.

Note: Doing good on Sabbath day is excluded from the Law of Sabbath which means that if you do good on Sabbath day you won't be penalize.