Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation; and they placed him in custody, because it had not been decided what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Numbers 15:32-36)

“For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the LORD; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” (Exodus 35:2-3)

Theologians and ministers teach that Christ never broke the law. They say that it was the disciples and the man at Bethesda who broke the law. But, Jesus admitted that he did not keep the law. Here, the Jews persecuted Jesus for telling the man to pick up his pallet and walk. Christ admitted that he made him work and he also worked on the Sabbath.

For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath. But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” (vv. 16-17)

Earlier I wrote about the Lord of the Sabbath in my post on Matthew 12 (9 Nov 2022). Before the law, Christ is not like other people. Christ identified Himself with the Father. The Father is not subject to punishment by His own law. The Son is also not judged by the law because He is one with the Father. Christ became a man to fulfil the law by showing God’s perfect love on the cross. He did not become a man to keep it to gain righteousness.

Working on the Sabbath was strictly forbidden as we read the OT. Christ said that He works because the Father always works. Should God be punished for His works on the Sabbath? The true believers say no to this question. But false theologians and ministers say yes. They believe that Christ was subject to punishment by the Father if He disobeyed the law. They say that Christ had to meet the condition given to Adam. They say that Christ had to keep the law to gain the eternal life which Adam could not. Here, Christ tells us He is not like the descendants of Adam.

For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. (v. 18)

The perfect sacrifice required not just sinlessness but the person who knows and loves the Father. In other words, only the Son of God can satisfy God. The OT teaches us that the countless animal sacrifices did not please God.

You have not desired sacrifice and meal offering; You have opened my ears; You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; It is written of me in the scroll of the book. I delight to do Your will, my God; Your Law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:6-8)

The Gospel of John is directly against the idea of the active obedience of Christ (AOC). I wonder if John was concerned about a particular cult group at that time. The fact that Iranaeus wrote about the immaturity of Adam indicates that there might have been some people who believed that Adam was holy and righteous, and that Christ had to keep the law perfectly to gain righteousness.

I do not think that Anselm was a reborn Christian because he did not believe in 100% grace of God. It is not that everything he wrote is wrong. Even Balaam the son of Beor said truth of God, but he was a son of the devil. Those who are saved understand the meaning of the cross of Christ. Christ’s work on the cross gave us the eternal life. We do not believe in the righteousness that comes from the law.

Christ has freed all His people. We no longer serve at an earthly temple where there is no true grace. Christ is the incarnation of the Father who is full of grace and truth. Those who do not know God always reject Christ’s work on the cross. They preach the AOC so that they can enslave others. They say that the cross is not enough.

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)