Sermon #31 Luke
Sermons
Title: “The Second Sabbath After The First”
Text: Luke
6:1-5
Subject: Christ's Disciples Picking Corn
Date: Sunday
Evening —
Tape # V-88a
Introduction:
(Luke 6:1-5) “And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that
he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn,
and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. (2) And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that
which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? (3) And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as
this, what David did, when himself was an hungered, and they which were with
him; (4) How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the showbread,
and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for
the priests alone? (5) And he said
unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”
There is a phrase used in the opening verse of this
sixth chapter of Luke that is found nowhere else in the Bible. It is a phrase
which has been the subject a much debate about nothing for hundreds and
hundreds of years. The phrase is — Second Sabbath After The
First.”
Some of the great theologians of the past tell us
that this phrase refers to the sabbath following the cutting of the first sheaf
of harvest during the Jews’ passover week. Others say the phrase refers to the
three great sabbaths kept by the Jews every year (The Feast of Passover —
The Feast of
Pentecost — The Feast of Tabernacles), and that this sabbath was the sabbath kept
during the Feast of Pentecost.
As I read the various opinions of the “theologians”
concerning this phrase, I thought, “How utterly ridiculous and useless!”
Certainly, this phrase refers to a sabbath day commonly known to the Jews
living at the time as “the second sabbath
after the first,” or (more literally) “the second first sabbath.” But who
cares which one it was?
What is important is this: ―
Why did God the Holy Spirit inspire and
direct Luke to these particular words here? That I am interested in
knowing. The answer is very simple. The Lord of the Sabbath had come to fulfill
and forever abolish the first, carnal, ceremonial sabbath of the law, that he
might establish that blessed second sabbath of the gospel, that he might
forever be the Sabbath Rest of his people.
Proposition: Christ is our Sabbath.
Let me call your attention to three things in this
short paragraph.
I.
First, the Spirit of God here sets
before us a glaring example of A DEADLY SIN.
We are told here that on a certain sabbath day our
Lord and his disciples walked through the corn fields. As they did, the
disciples. being hungry. picked some ears of the grain, rubbed it in their
hands, and had a snack.
Immediately, the Pharisees charged the Lord’s
disciples with what they thought was a very serious crime. These men had broken
the fourth commandment of the law. They had done work on the sabbath day! The
deadly sin revealed here is not seen in the action of the disciples, but in the
action of the Pharisees.
Hear me now, and hear me well. —
The most
deadly of all is the sin of self-righteousness. Our Lard warns us in many
ways and repeatedly to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. That leaven which
corrupts and destroys everything it touches is self-righteousness and
hypocrisy.
Self-righteousness and hypocrisy attach great
importance to outward things in religion, things which other people see,
applaud and reward; but neglects inward, spiritual heart worship.
These Pharisees were sticklers for sabbath keeping,
but notorious for covetousness (Luke
They strained the tiniest gnat from their ceremonial
religious cup regarding some things, and swallowed the camel in other matters.
These men were quick to censor, criticize, and
condemn others.
A. God hates the spirit of the
Pharisee!
God almighty hates self-righteousness. Nothing is
more abhorrent to him than the stench of self-righteousness (Isa. 65:1-5; Luke
18:9-14; Mic. 6:6-8; Matt.
(Isaiah 65:1-5) “I am sought of them that asked not
for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me,
unto a nation that was not called by my name. (2/ I have spread out my hands
all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good,
after their own thoughts; (3) A people that provoketh me to anger continually
to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of
brick; (4) Which remain among the
graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of
abominable things is in their
vessels; (5) Which say, Stand by
thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that
burneth all the day.”
(Luke 18:9-14) “And he spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised
others: (10) Two men went up into the
temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. (11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus
with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even as this publican. (12) I fast
twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (13) And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much
as his eyes unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man
went down to his house justified rather than
the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
(Micah 6:6-8) “Wherewith shall I come before the
LORD, and bow myself before the high
God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
pleased with thousands of rams, or with
ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require
of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy
God?”
(Matthew 23:23) “Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
omitted the weightier matters of the
law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave
the other undone.”
B.
Nothing is more likely to keep a sinner from
Christ than self-ri2hteousness (Rom. 9:30-109:4).
Religion without Christ is the most damning thing
in this world. Every act, practice, profession, and pretense of religion
without Christ is eating and drinking damnation to your soul, not discerning
the Lord’s body. not understanding the gospel.
(Romans 9:30-33) “What shall we say then? That the
Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to
righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. (31) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness,
hath not attained to the law of righteousness. (32) Wherefore? Because they
sought it
not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumblingstone; (33) As it is written,
Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
(Romans 10:1-4) “Brethren, my heart’s desire and
prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. (2) For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not
according to knowledge. (3) For they
being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (4)
For Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth.”
II.
Second, the Lord Jesus Christ is set
before us in this passage as A DEFENDING SAVIOR.
No sooner did the Pharisees accuse the disciples of
evil, than the Lord Jesus took up their cause and defended them against their
accusers. He answered the cavils of their enemies. He did not leave his
followers to answer for and defend themselves. He answered for them and
defended them.
What a blessed, encouraging, delightful picture this
is of our Savior’s unceasing work on our behalf! We read in this Book of one
who is called “the accuser of the
brethren, who accuses them day and night” (Rev. 12:10). He is Satan, the
prince of darkness.
·
How often we accommodate our accuser, giving him many grounds for his
accusations!
·
How many charges he might justly lay against us!
But he who is our Savior, ever pleads our cause,
both in heaven and on earth, and defends us. Christ is my Rock, my Salvation,
my Refuge, my Defense, and my Defender!
(1 John 2:1-2) “My little children, these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2/
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also
for the sins of the whole world.”
(Romans 8:28-3 5)
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. (31) What
shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against us? (32) He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things? (33) Who shall lay any thing
to the charge of God’s elect? It is God
that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us. (35) Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril,
or sword?”
A. When my adversary, the
devil, accuses me of some evil by the lips of a man on earth, I respond, “Let
Christ answer for me.”
B. When the fiend of hell
accuses me of horrid evils in my own mind and conscience, as he often does, I
respond, “Let Christ answer for me.”
C. In the day of judgment,
should that wicked one be allowed to appear, point his accusing finger and
attempt to have my crimes charged against me, I will yet respond, “Let Christ
answer for me.”
III.
Third, the Spirit of God points us
to A DELIGHTFUL SABBATH.
I read one commentator’s explanation of this
passage, and could hardly believe what he put on paper. I knew he was inclined
toward legality; but I was still surprised by what he wrote. As he attempted to
protect sabbath observance, he said, -We must not interpret the
Lord’s words in this passage as an indication that the fourth commandment is no
longer to “bind Christians.”
Well, if I convey nothing else in this message, let
me convey this, Christ did not come here to bind his people with the rigors of
legal bondage. He came here to set his people free. He who is our Savior is
both the Lord of the sabbath and our Sabbath (Luke 6:5).
(Luke 6:5)
"And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the
sabbath."
There are many things which could and should be said
this; but I will be brief. I want to persuade you to trust Christ and rest in
him. So, let me just briefly show you what this means.
(Romans 10:4) “For Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believeth.”
(Colossians 2:16-17) “Let no man therefore judge you
in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of
the sabbath days: {17J Which are a
shadow of things to come; but the body is
of Christ.”
A. Christ, as the Lord of the
sabbath, is the one who established it.
B. He is the one for whom it
was established.
C. He is the one to whom it
pointed, the one typified by it.
D. Christ is the one who
fulfilled it.
E. Having fulfilled it, he
abolished it forever (Rom. 10:4; Col. 2:16-17).
(Rom 10:4)
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every
one that believeth."
(Col 2:16-17)
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect
of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: (17) Which
are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
F. We rejoice to keep the
gospel Sabbath of faith.
We keep that which is here called, “the second sabbath after the first,” the
blessed sabbath of rest in Christ. Coming to him, we cease from our own works and
rest in him (Matt. 11:28-30).
(Matthew 11:28-30) “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. (29)
Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. (30)
For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light.”
The penalty of not keeping this Sabbath is
death, eternal death. That is the penalty God places upon all the works men do
for salvation (John 3:36).
(John 3:36) “He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him.”
I heard the voice of Jesus
say,
“Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one lay
down,
Thy head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting
place,
And He has made me glad!
Amen.