ReformedChristian
Puritan Board Freshman
According to some critics of the Bible, they make the accusation that Jesus broke the Old Testament law, such as when Jesus along with the disciples gathered grains, in this action, the Pharisees accused them of breaking God’s law concerning the sabbath. But a examination of the text shows that this is indeed false. For in it we read:
Matthew 12:1-5 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
To understand the context of this passage a few things must be noted. First this Jesus himself taught that he did not come to do away with the law but rather to fulfill it:
Matthew 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Philippians 2:7-8 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”
Secondly, there is no passage in the Old Testament that mentions against plucking grains/corn on the sabbath, in fact what they were doing was gleaning the fields which is permitted under Old Testament as found in the book of Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 23:25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
Third, Jesus gives other examples such David eating the shewbread (1st Samuel 12:1-9), and the priests working in the temple (Leviticus 24:8; 1st Chronicles 9:32; Numbers 28:9-10).
Finally, the law Jesus was correcting was that of the Pharisees, we have to remember that they had added their own man-made traditions to the law of God which on many occasions they had been rebuked:
Matthew 15:2-3 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”
Matthew 15:6-8 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark 7:6-9;13 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.”And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
Thus we clearly see that Jesus did not break God’s law, but rather He obeyed and fulfilled God’s law perfectly and simply was correcting the Pharisees twisting and perverting of it.
Matthew 12:1-5 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
To understand the context of this passage a few things must be noted. First this Jesus himself taught that he did not come to do away with the law but rather to fulfill it:
Matthew 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Philippians 2:7-8 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”
Secondly, there is no passage in the Old Testament that mentions against plucking grains/corn on the sabbath, in fact what they were doing was gleaning the fields which is permitted under Old Testament as found in the book of Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 23:25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
Third, Jesus gives other examples such David eating the shewbread (1st Samuel 12:1-9), and the priests working in the temple (Leviticus 24:8; 1st Chronicles 9:32; Numbers 28:9-10).
Finally, the law Jesus was correcting was that of the Pharisees, we have to remember that they had added their own man-made traditions to the law of God which on many occasions they had been rebuked:
Matthew 15:2-3 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”
Matthew 15:6-8 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark 7:6-9;13 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.”And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
Thus we clearly see that Jesus did not break God’s law, but rather He obeyed and fulfilled God’s law perfectly and simply was correcting the Pharisees twisting and perverting of it.
