Jesus And The Sabbath - Frank Brancato

It's wonderful to be with each and every one of you today.

We're so glad that you're here. We have some visitors that are

among us, and we would hope that you would feel as you are.

And that is our honored guest. And we just simply say, welcome.

As always is the case, I do consider it to be an honor to

speak concerning the word of God.

And I hope and pray. That what we have to consider

for just a few minutes, this morning will be both edifying

and encouraging to you in some way.

You know, last Lord's day, I touched on a subject that I

said, is a subject that oftentimes comes up in Bible

discussions and that is the subject of Miracles and the sub

and the subject of speaking in tongues and we exhausted that

subject last Lord's day. But there's another one that

comes up a lot. And in Bible discussions that I

have with people, this comes up an awful lot and that is what

about the Sabbath? Are we under any kind of Sabbath

law today, does it apply to Today.

So I wanted to talk about the very idea that I have on the

screen. I want to talk about Jesus and

his relationship to the Sabbath. What did Jesus do on the

Sabbath? What did Jesus do about the

Sabbath? First of all our text though

will come from the book of Exodus chapter 20 and we want to

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

begin reading there in verse 11. Remember the Sabbath day and

keep it holy six days, you shall labor and do all your work.

But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, your God,

and in it, you will, you shall do no work, you nor your son,

your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female

servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger, who is within

your gates. For in six days, the Lord made

the heavens and the Earth, the Red Sea, and all that is in them

and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the

Sabbath. Sabbath day and he hallowed it.

As we noticed this subject, though, we want to notice it in

the following way. Number one are Christians

obligated to keep the Sabbath today, and I'm talking about the

Sabbath of Old Testament. Judaism question, number two are

Christians obligated to turn Sunday into some kind of Sabbath

with similar restrictions. And thirdly.

And finally, Are Christians to reject all Sabbath law and enjoy

freedom from Sabbath law as to prescribing any specific

restrictions. Well, first of all, when we do

this, we want to consider three things.

The first thing we want to consider is the seventh day of

rest that God took after Creation in Genesis chapter 2.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

Then we want to notice this. We want to notice The

Seventh-Day Sabbath under Mosaic law in Exodus chapter 20.

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

And finally we want to notice what role that Jesus played in

the transition of the old Covenant law to the New

Covenant. So as we begin we begin in

Genesis chapter 2. Now in This is chapter 2 the

Genesis 2 · chapter mention Isaiah 2 · chapter mention

Bible is going to say that God rested but let me just say this

in six days God created everything and as we go back to

chapter 1, it says in the beginning, God created the

heavens and the Earth. And in all things that God

created he created, please get this everything in six days.

Including man. In Genesis chapter 1 and verse

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

26. The Bible says let us make man

in our image, after our likeness.

And the Bible says, male and female, he created he them.

So what happens in Genesis chapter 2 when it talks about?

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

God, formed, Man, Out of the Dust of the ground.

Don't be confused with that. All that means is that's a

detailed description of what he already did.

That's all. Means.

So in general. He's the creation is given in

chapter 1. Chapter 2 is given the detailed

aspect that he did, so that's all that means, okay.

On the seventh day though. In Genesis chapter 2, the Bible

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

says that God rested. Now let me ask you this, let me

ask you this, what kind of a rest did God have that he arrest

because he was tired. No man gets tired.

In fact, Jesus, when he came down to this low ground of sin

sickness and sorrow did so In the Flesh.

So you know what? Jesus got tired.

Jesus knows our infirmities. Jesus knows the frailties In the

Flesh. In fact, Jesus was tempted in

all points, like, as we are yet without sin, so Jesus got tired

when he was living on this Earth but not God.

What kind of rested God take then?

And this also proves that everything that was done in

Genesis chapter one was everything because at the very

beginning of chapter 2, it said on the seventh day, he rested.

What kind of arrest was it? It was a rest of number one

delight and satisfaction. That's number one.

God looked at all that he created.

Remember what he said, he said it is very good.

So God said this. God looked upon everything that

he created. So his rest was arrest of

delight and satisfaction, what else?

It was a rest because he was finished.

In fact, that word actually means one of the definitions of

that word in the original literally means we, he has

ceased from working Now, why would he rested on the seventh

day ceased from working and then kick it up again in the next

chapter wouldn't make any sense at all everything that God

created was created in six days and on the seventh day God

rested. Okay, we get that.

What about man? What about Adam and Eve?

What about man did man? Rest on that day.

Did God give that day as a human involvement in the garden?

No. In fact, man was living in a

Perpetual state of rest, man was living a life of rest.

He was put down in a blissful Paradise in the Garden of Eden.

His life was a life of rest. Do you know why?

Because there was no work, why was there?

No work because there was no sin. and if there was no work,

there's no Sabbath Okay, maybe you're saying thinking this, oh,

wait a minute, I read somewhere where it says that man had to

tend the garden. That's true.

There's a difference though between taking care or

maintaining something and having to earn your living or your

bread. By the sweat of your face.

Big difference When sin came into the world and man was cast

from the garden, everything changed.

But in the garden before man, sinned.

There was no work because there There was no sin and if there's

no work, there's no Sabbath rest.

So the only one that rested in Genesis chapter 2 was God.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

There is no human involvement in Genesis chapter 2.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

Now why do I make that such a big point?

I'll tell you why. He give you a word sabbatarian

ism. Is a word that is often used

today with any type of religious affiliation that accepts or

recognizes Sabbath the Sabbath and meaning Saturday, as a

religious or set apart day, they're called sabbatarians, for

example. And there are a number of

religious affiliations that are sabbatarians.

And the reason that I make this entire point is when you talk to

a sabbatarian often times, they will say this.

They will say, we have to keep the Sabbath because the Sabbath

has always existed even back to Genesis chapter 2.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

And I've proven the point, I think know, the only one that

rested in Genesis chapter 2 was God.

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

Man did not rest because there was no work man.

Did not rest because there was no sin and if no work and no

sin, then no Sabbath. Okay?

But there was a day though, there was a time in Exodus

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20, when God Would hallo the day or the Sabbath day.

It's just back up in history, man.

Sinned, he was cast from the garden and by the way I got to

tell you a little side note here, not only not only is

nothing said about man resting in Genesis 2.

But there's not a day of rest described in all 50 chapters of

the Book of Genesis. Not one thing.

Exodus chapter 20 is different though.

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

Because here comes a man, man. Now has sinned, man now is cast

from the garden and all of that man is in Egyptian bondage for

over 400 years. God sent Moses to deliver to

deliver his people, right? God, is going to specify or

bring together a system of Sabbath's now.

Under the Old Law of Moses, and by the way, they were weekly,

they were monthly And they were yearly.

They were a system of holy days or a system of Sabbath days.

This is different from obviously from creation because at

creation there was no sin but under the Old Law of Moses when

the Sabbath was given, it was an opportunity for man to recognize

his sin. The law was brought in so man,

could recognize his sins. Stay with me on that.

What did God do? Do God gave to General

Commandments and they were these, you shall love the Lord,

your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all

your mind, and with all your strength.

That's number one, General command.

Number two, general command. And you are to love your

neighbor as yourself. Okay.

To General commands and watch this because then God gave a

tenfold, explanation of those commands And that's called The

Ten Commandments. But there's more.

He also gave a manifold explanation of those commands in

the pentateuch, or simply the first five books of the Bible,

the books of the law. Genesis Exodus, Leviticus

Numbers and Deuteronomy. And when I say manifold, I mean

it's me. Many and various.

Okay, system of Savas comes in and Exodus chapter 22, General

Exodus 22 · chapter mention

commands, love God, and love your neighbor, a tenfold

explanation, The Ten Commandments a manifold

explanation, many and various things given in the law in the

first five books of the Bible. But There's something specific.

And it's the fourth Commandment. And that was to keep the

Sabbath. They were to keep the Sabbath

and you remember when I said it was the time for man to

understand and reflect on that day, it was a day by the way, to

do several things. Number one, it was a day from

man to recognize creation. Number two, it was a way for man

to recognize that sin damaged or marred that creation.

Number three. It was a day for man to

recognize his creator and that's God and fourthly.

It was a time for man to recognize that God was the

lawgiver, all of that. On the Sabbath.

Now what I'm saying is it was a day of conviction, it was a day

of gratitude and it was a day of penitence.

Now what about the nature between the new and the old this

is very important. Okay, there was a time when God

hallowed that day and that was very important but that was

under the old. And we want to notice the

relationship between the old and the new.

And here it is the old versus Has the new, what we find is

this, we find that there are something that is very

significant that the old was nothing, but a shadow of

something else. And so notice this, let's just

back up. God said in the day the day was

given, in Exodus chapter 20, but there would be a time when the

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

old would be done away with and the new would take its place and

the new was superior to the old in Way.

Let's talk about Jesus, let's talk about what Jesus did.

Let's talk about Jesus marking the transition between the old

and the new. Let's talk about some examples

of that. In Matthew chapter 12, I love

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

this. And first of all, remember this

to folks remember The two things that the Jews hated about Jesus

number one, because he said I am the son of God.

And number two, because of how he handled the Sabbath.

So, we asked ourselves the question.

What did Jesus do about the Sabbath?

I'll tell you what he did about the 7th and this is not an

off-the-cuff flippant, remark? This is the conclusion that I

come to based upon my study of the subject.

What did Jesus do about the Sabbath?

Jesus, did anything, he wanted to do on the Sabbath?

Okay, keep that in the back of your mind.

We're going to find out why. But what about this?

What about Matthew chapter 12? You remember that narrative?

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

Jesus on the Sabbath and I believe that to be totally on

purpose. Jesus on the Sabbath is walking

through the grain Fields with his disciples, right?

It's on the Sabbath day and all of a sudden, the disciples got

hungry so they pluck the heads of the grain, right?

And they ate that remember what the Pharisees said, the

Pharisees said, wait a minute. They're doing wrong.

They don't keep the Sabbath why you can only you couldn't travel

on a journey, only a Sabbath Day's Journey.

They were doing that through the field.

Number two, they couldn't prepare the food or harvest

anything on the Sabbath. All of that had to be done the

day before on the day of preparation.

So the Pharisees are looking to Jesus and looking to the

disciples and they're saying they did not keep the Sabbath.

They've done terrible wrong. You know what Jesus said, I love

This he said this in verses 3 and 4, but he said to them, have

you not read what David did when he was hungry?

He and those who were with him how he entered the house of God,

and ate the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor

for those who were with him. But only for the priests.

In other words, they're they're complaining about the disciples

and Jesus haven't yet. Heard that David.

And then he says this. Or have you not read in the law

that on the Sabbath? The priests in the temple.

Profane the Sabbath and are blameless.

Do you know why they were working in the temple on the

Sabbath? So Jesus is saying this, if you

want to get down to the nitty-gritty, if you really want

to get down to that, haven't you heard that the priest himself

also profane the Sabbath, but they're blameless and there's

going to be a reason why? There's going to be a reason

why, but in verse 8, Jesus did anything that he wanted to do Y

for the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath now.

I like this right here. I like Mark's account.

Because Mark chapter 2, says this.

Mark 2 · chapter mention

Mark chapter 2, says the Sabbath was made for man and not man for

Mark 2 · chapter mention

the Sabbath. Therefore, the son of man is

also Lord of the seventh. Okay.

Are you getting the picture? Now, one of the problems that

they had, one of the problems that they had, is understanding

the reference point between themselves and God and what they

didn't recognize is Jesus was going to be the transition from

the old to the new They thought that the transition they thought

that the reference point between them self in, God was the

Sabbath under the Old Law, what they fail to recognize is, and

Jesus was transitioning. This idea they failed to

recognize it was Jesus. That was the reference point or

would be the reference point between them and God.

Jesus says, no man comes unto the father except by or through

me so we're going to get down to this chart.

A little A bit more later. But notice this Jesus did

whatever he wanted to. Because he was the transition

from the old to the new. The old was a shadow of

something that was coming. That was greater.

And the new was the substance or the reality, and the new is

greater than the old. The newest greater than the old.

Jesus did whatever he wanted to on the Sabbath.

Let's go back to our passages. What about this?

I preached on this all over the country, this passage Not going

to go into it in great detail. But I'm going to say this really

quickly at the pool of Bethesda. The man was crippled man needed

to be healed, right? Angel goes down and stirs the

water once a day when the water is stirred.

The first one down to the water, gets the miracle gets healed.

Jesus on the Sabbath on purpose. Walks up to this man on the

Sabbath on purpose and says don't you want to be healed and

the man said, I don't have anybody to take Me down there

and I try to get down there. But by the time that I do,

somebody beats me to it and they get healed.

And I do not Jesus could have done anything that he wanted to

do. He could have said anything he

wanted to say. Jesus told the man take up your

bed and walk. Why did he say that?

God commanded, there were specific restrictions to a

person living under the law of Moses on the Sabbath.

They were to do. No servile work.

They were to have other specific restrictions but Peyton based

upon the codification of rabbinic tradition rabbinic

tradition. Counted at least 39 more things

that were forbidden on the Sabbath.

God didn't say that man said that rabbinic tradition said

that do you know what one of them was It was carrying your

bed on the Sabbath. Jesus took a shot at their

rabbinic tradition. He healed The Man by saying,

take up your bed and walk. You know, why he was greater

than the Sabbath. He was Lord of the Sabbath and

he was the transition from the old to the new.

What about this? What about Galatians chapter 4?

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

What about Galatians chapter 4? Again, the transition?

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

Okay, the transition? And when you look at, this

passage notice this please. The transition from the old to

the new. Now, notice Jesus died on the

cross. Okay, this is after he was

living, he died on the cross, he shed his blood for the sins of

the world. He was buried on the third day.

He rose again. He spends 40 days with his

disciples, he sends the Holy Spirit after he ascended into

heaven. In Acts chapter 1, the Holy

Acts 1 · chapter mention

Spirit was there on Pentecost day, guess what gospel is

preached. Churches, established.

Transition complete. Complete.

So what he started by way of the transition as he was living

under the Old Law, as he would be the reference point, it was

completed in his death. Burial.

Resurrection, the sending of the Holy Spirit and the

establishment of the church But Galatians chapter 4.

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

First of all, I have to say that.

If you look at Romans 14, somebody might say what about

Romans 14? Okay?

I don't have time to go into Liberties very deeply here,

okay? But Liberties are things that we

are given the freedom to decide whether we're going to

participate in or whether we're not When the church was

established, you remember that all of those thousands of people

that were converted. At the beginning they were all

of Jewish descent. They all had Jewish blood

running through their veins or they might have even been those

that were proselytes or converted to Judaism.

Do you know what those under the law of Moses under Judaism, you

know what they have? Always done observed the

Sabbath. So Paul was dealing with this.

Words Jesus nailed it to his cross and did away with it.

But if a person had a conscience against letting the Sabbath go

by the wayside Paul said, leave him alone.

Let him do it, it doesn't matter.

Okay, until you try to bind it on Christians.

Now, that matters. But if a person was keeping the

New Testament law and living as a Christian as the Bible says

but they also kept the Sabbath. So what?

So what? It's a liberty, it doesn't

matter but Galatians chapter 4 is totally different Galatians.

Galatians 4 · chapter mention Galatians 4 · chapter mention

Chapter 4 is a bunch of people that were trying to bind the

aspects of the Old Law on Gentile converts.

So that's why he dresses that in Galatians chapter 4, notice.

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

This but now after you have known God or rather are known of

God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly

elements? To which you desire again to be

in bondage, You observe days and months and seasons and years.

I'm afraid of you lest I have I'm afraid for you.

Lest I have labored for you in vain, you know, it's

interesting. We can beggarly means worthless.

It means worthless. Those days that no longer

exists, those days that were under the shadow, not the

substance. Those days that were under the

law of Moses, what they are now is they're worthless.

They don't matter because there's something greater,

there's something, greater that exist weak and beggarly elements

mean worthless. Now, Colossians chapter 2.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

Please get this. This drives the point home

Beginning in verse 14. Having wiped out the handwriting

of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us,

and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the

Cross, having disarmed, principalities and Powers.

He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in

it. So let no one judge you in food,

or in drink regarding a festival or of a new moon, or a Sabbath.

Which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of

Christ. How can you not?

Look at that and say what it means?

It means we're not under the Sabbath anymore.

It means from a religious perspective, we don't keep the

Sabbath anymore or any other aspect of the Old Law.

In fact, these things are under the old law where a shadow or a

picture of something else but the substance to reality is

Christ. Notice this police notice this

again because the Sabbath was a shadow.

Now remember this go back to Genesis chapter, Chapter two,

okay. God created everything in Six

Days on the seventh day he rested.

Okay. So what did he do?

He laboured And he rested. Under the Old Law of Moses were

they do six days, they laboured seventh day, they rested.

But all of these were a shadow or a picture of something that's

greater. What am I talking about?

I'm talking about the Sabbath was a shadow of future rest.

I'm going to tell you if this doesn't encourage you, when we

get through this last point, I don't know what will if this

doesn't encourage you as a child of God, to stay in there and

keep on fighting and keep on living the Christian Life, to

get to the end, I just don't know what else to say.

The Sabbath was a shadow of future rest in Matthew chapter

Matthew 11 · chapter mention

11, look at this and verse 28. Come to me, all you that labor

and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

In Hebrews chapter 4, beginning in verse 9. there remains

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

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 First Corinthians 15:58. Therefore my beloved Brethren be

1 Corinthians 15:58

steadfast immovable, always abounding in the work of the

Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

I don't know why people have a hard time in the world.

I don't understand this. Why?

They have a hard time with the concept of a Christian needing

to work? Everybody understands that

concept. You have a job you get hired by

an employer, you got to work. You're young and you go to

school. What you got to do?

You got to work? If you're involved in an

extracurricular activity, like a sport, you have to work and

everybody understands that concept.

But what people do is in the world, they want to be when it

comes to religion, that's free. No work.

It's never been that way. God worked in genesis created

everything. Then he rested man worked in

Exodus and the seventh day he rested and you know what those

things were, a shadow of something else.

All those things that we noticed were a shadow of something else.

Notice. Jesus says, I will give you rest

Hebrews 4 there. Remains a rest for the people of

God first Corinthians 15:58. He said, be immovable and abound

1 Corinthians 15:58

in the work of the Lord. All right.

Here's this diagram again. Jesus was the transition.

From the old from the old to the new even while living.

The transition was complete when the church was established in,

Jesus had died before that. And all of that transition

complete And if the Sabbath was a shadow of something better.

And the shadow was found under the Old Law, which is this.

Sabbath rest. And if Sabbath, rest along with

everything else, under the old was a picture or a shadow of

something that would be greater and better.

That means that the new is heaven and Heaven, rest,

Heavenly rest is the reality. I got to ask you something,

please, why in the world would you want that?

The Shadow. When you can have heaven.

Why would you want to do that? Why would you want to resurrect

some aspect of the Old Law when all of that was just a picture

or shadow of something that's far greater?

Heaven is real. And the Bible says, therefore,

there is a rest for the people of God.

What do you got to do? First, you got to roll up your

sleeves and go to work. You got to be all you can be for

the cause of Christ. What does that mean?

That means whatever. It is in Your Capacity within

the role that you can have in serve.

You have to give all you can to the cause of Christ.

That's what that means. Got to give your life over to

the Lord got to put him first in your life.

But Heaven is real. Can you imagine being a

Christian going through hard times in life and not having any

hope at all? as I close James Kaufman one

time said he said when I was young when I thought of Heaven.

I thought of some Far Away place. with domes and Spires I

thought about a place where Angels would be there, but

they'd be tripping about. I thought about all of those

things and I thought about it being so far away.

But then he said but my baby brother died and then I started

thinking a little differently. I started thinking about heaven

as a place with a street of gold.

I started thinking about heaven as a place with pearls on Gates.

I thought about a place that wasn't quite so far away,

because I thought of that place of Domes and spires, but I

thought of it this way too. There's one tiny little face

that I knew that will be there and then he says, but the

reaper, the great Reaper continued his work.

And I lost my wife. And I lost my children.

And I lost my friends, one by one.

And as the lone leaf on a tree remains that was me all alone.

So then I think a heaven today I think a bit differently.

Oh, I think of a beautiful place, I think of a beautiful

place, but I see it. So personally, I think about it

as a place of the grandest reunions ever found I think

about a place where we'll be able to be in heaven together

and those separated from loved ones for a Time someday.

We'll be together. he said, simply put when I think of

Heaven now, I think of home. Me ask you something, where you

going? Are you working to get?

Home. Because I'm going to tell you,

there's nothing in this world that matters.

If we miss heaven. And there's nothing so great

that it will ever take the Precedence or the priority of

our labor to get to him. Sometimes it's difficult.

Sometimes it's hard. That's all right.

You stay in there. You stay in the fight.

So we can get home one day and have rest that's been promised

to the people of God. I'm finished this morning.

Thank you so much for your kind listening.

I hope something was said that was edifying and encouraging to

you. In some way, we are not under

the Sabbath at all. We don't keep the Sabbath at

all. That was a shadow, something

greater, and that is heaven, rest.

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