Matthew 12: 9-21

Healing on the Sabbath

 

And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:  And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; And charged them that they should not make him known: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. (Matthew 12: 9-21)

We should look at how the Bible describes the Sabbath. In Hebrews 4: 8-10『For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 』 If Joshua gave Israel rest, it is the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan is a shadow that symbolizes the kingdom of God. It is not a true rest. Therefore, the rest of God remains for the people of God. It is true rest that enters the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.

Because God is truly rest. When connected to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, it means "state in rest." Such a person has already entered rest. In the Bible, God said that he would give rest to those who believe in Jesus Christ, and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the believer's body collapses, the spirit comes out, and it is the rest of the kingdom of God who wears the clothes of the kingdom of God.

In Ephesians 2: 6『And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 』 He who believes in Jesus Christ, his old man dies with Jesus Christ. The new man is raised in the new life with Jesus Christ. The new man is seated in heaven with Christ. Those who have died with Jesus are seated in the kingdom of God. In Colossians 3: 3, 『For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 』

Dead is the old man. And he said, "The life of a new man is hidden in God." In Hebrews 4:10, it is said, "These have already entered rest." Those who died with Jesus Christ and who were born in Jesus Christ and new life have already entered rest.

 God tells the one who enters rest, "Do not do your own thing." The word "your own work" means "to love the world." Today, people who profess to say "We must keep the Sabbath" or "We must keep the Sunday that replaces the Sabbath holy" are like confessing, "I am not yet on the Sabbath." Because they think they enter the kingdom of God only if they keep the Sabbath.

Even though Jesus Christ came, it is not much different from the case of waiting for Christ. Those who are still waiting for Christ are not in Jesus Christ, so they are not in the rest of the kingdom of God. Only those who are in Jesus Christ can be said to have already entered the rest.

If you think of the Lord's Day as a day of the week and the saints gather and study the Bible and worship, there will be no problem, but if you think of the Lord's Day as a day to keep holy, you should consider the meaning of this rest. Those who must be kept holy should think that they are not resting in the kingdom of God. Rather than keeping it holy, we should be grateful to have already entered the rest of the kingdom of God. It is said that it is in the law that must find Christ to try to keep the Sabbath holy.

Matthew cites the words of Isaiah 42 regarding Jesus' healing on the Sabbath and healing the sick. Israel was ruled by Babylon, and the people were taken captive and scattered all over the earth. It is said that Israel, blinded like the Gentiles, Israel lost light, and God will never break the broken reed and turn off the extinguished lamp. Likewise, in the words of Jesus healing the sick, people must open their eyes to the spiritual blind and be freed from Satan. Rest is to escape from Satan's rule and enter into Christ.

 

 

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