Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions—how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. Lord of the Sabbath for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (v.3-8)

Those who believe their righteousness comes from perfect keeping of the Law often do not understand the person of Christ. What I mean is that they concentrate too much on what Christ DID for them and fail to connect that what Christ did is from who Christ is. If anyone does not understand who Christ is and why He became a man, he/she is not united with Him. Their eyes and ears remain shut, and they bring pagan ideas to fill the gap in their knowledge of God, thus, create an idol, a beast. The greatest beast is within churches, and it is the anti-Christ.

Because of the treachery of the reformers in the 17^th century, the Protestant churches started to focus on the external keeping of the Law. As long as people appear to keep the Law, the church authorities were satisfied. The irony is that people who boast of their works are considered as “evildoers” by the Lord. Those who do not know God are all evildoers regardless of how much they are respected within churches. Among all the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath law is considered the most important by church authorities. I hear that Christians have been struggling to understand what is allowed to do and what not on Sundays. This is because they believe their righteousness comes from the Law. People live in fear because of the church authorities.

In this chapter, especially v3-8, Christ tells us the true meaning of the Sabbath. Christ mentions two episodes in the OT which shows the violation of the fourth commandment. Yes, Christ who knows the true meaning of the Sabbath, who is the Lord of the Sabbath, did not judge people by appearance. Christ has fulfilled and still fulfills all the Law and the prophecies. Christ makes everything new. He is the beginning and the end. Saints are free from judgements and our accuser, the devil, will be thrown into the fire.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:10)

Christ was considered as a lawbreaker by the Jewish authorities. He was a sinner from their eyes. But from the Father’s point of view, His Son is righteousness itself because the Father and the Son are one.

I and my Father, We are One. (John 10:30)

Because of the Libertines, who promoted immoral living, the reformers adopted the ideas of the Roman Catholic church and made Christianity a religion of many. Indeed, with their ideas, all people on the earth can become a Christian. But only the remnant who truly know God by the power of God are saved.

People are persuaded to believe that Christ’s perfect keeping of the Law and death are their righteousness. Church authorities tell them they can now keep the Law by the Spirit when they only want people to obey them. Christians still live in a constant fear that God’s wrath would come any minute if they upset their church authorities. There is no Sabbath for them. While they say they keep the Law, they are considered as evildoers by God. Righteousness from the Law is breakable and conditional. Disobedience comes from believing in the wrong doctrines. Disobedience comes from not knowing the Lord of the Sabbath. Disobedience comes from making an idol, who is the anti-Christ.

Therefore I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest. (Psalm 95:11)

Christ’s righteousness does not come from the keeping of the Law. God sees the heart of a man and judges according to the heart. A man may appear to have broken the Law, but God may see him righteous.

Do not judge by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. (John 7:24)

Because of social and political reasons, the reformers in the 17^th century shifted the focus from grace to the Law. And Christ speaks the same words against the church authorities just as He did to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.

As long as you hold on to the doctrine of the active obedience of Christ, there is no Sabbath. Even through you may be invited to the banquet, you will be thrown out by an act of disobedience. You may tell God that you are saved by Christ’s perfect keeping of the Law, and that you are saved by that faith. Christ will tell you His righteousness is not from keeping of the Law. He has always been righteous. Because He is righteous, He fulfills all righteousness. And by uniting with Him, His church (His Kingdom) is righteous.

But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.’ For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:11-14)