Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ²⁵  And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;

 ²⁶  how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?”

 ²⁷  Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 

 ²⁸  “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:23-28.

Consider the fact that Jesus does not attempt to argue that outside of His Lordship, on its face, what both He (Jesus) and David did was lawful on the Sabbath.  For the direct accusation against Himself and His disciples, Jesus did not at least first directly defend Himself, but rather Jesus pointed to the example of David.  Even then Jesus referred to what David did as “which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests”. 

Consider that when Jesus states, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath”, Jesus is not just limiting one commandment of the Law to this application.  Jesus, in effect, is stating:  “The Law was made for man, and not man for the Law.”  This teaching is consistent with Galatians 3:22-27 stated below after the following comments.

Consider that David is a type and shadow of Christ, but David is also a man as Christ was also a man.  Also consider that Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son of Man”, identifying Himself with men, compared to how He could have identified Himself in His unique position such as “Son of God”.  Considering this point, we should not think something like:  “Jesus, as God, can break the Sabbath.”  But rather, we can better understand the importance of Jesus’ statement:  “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” 

This Scripture for today helps us to understand the Law and the role of the Law. 

Some people think of the Law as so preeminent that it is above even God like some philosophers might rate form above substance.  Some may think of God as just, because He complies to the higher standard of the Law, rather than thinking that the Law is just, because it complies to the higher standard of God.  I think the following verses help us to better understand the nature of the Law and the fact that it derives its nature, position, and authority from God.  “The works of His hands are truth and justice; …” Psalm 111:7 and “The sum of Thy Word is truth,…” Psalm 119:160.

So, what is the role of the Law?  For Christians, the role of the Law is to be our tutor to lead us to Christ.  “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”  See the following context which which contains this quote.   

^“But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  Galatians 3:22-27. 

As an analogy, high school students graduate and are no longer under the authority and supervision of their former high school teachers.  For those going to college, in effect, the high school teachers “turn the students over” to the college professors, or in other words, the high school teachers “defer” to the college professors.  Likewise, the Law turns us over to and defers to the authority and supervision of Christ. 

In conclusion, drawing the specific teaching of today’s Scripture with the rest of the Scripture presented today, we can better understand that the Law of the Sabbath defers to the Lordship of Christ.  All the Law defers to the Lordship of Christ.