Week 15- Jesus Thanks His Father, declares Himself Lord of the Sabbath and fulfills the prophesy: In His name the Gentiles will hope.

Jesus Thanks His Father

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

Here we see the importance of repentance and active faith beyond simple knowledge of the law. The Pharisees and scribes knew the law so well they could bend it, twist it to meet their selfish purposes to the point of complete disregard for God's intent.  The Father sent the Son to bring the Good News of the redemption of mankind to the poor, the weak, the enslaved, the downtrodden. We are called to cast aside our burdens and take up the yoke of service and holiness. 

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests. Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” 

This text can be related back to Exodus 31:

The Sabbath Law

The LORD said to Moses: You yourself are to speak to the Israelites: “You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, given in order that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among the people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the Israelites shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” 

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Ex 31:12–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

From these two texts now, we can pose and answer some questions with interesting answers pointing to the eternal and full deity of Jesus Christ.

Who is the Son of Man? (Jesus Christ is the Son of Man cf Mt 16:13-19)
Who is the Lord of the Sabbath? The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath (Jesus Christ)
Who is the Lord of the Sabbath? Yahweh is the Lord of the Sabbath (Yahweh "You shall keep my sabbaths in order that you may know that I, Yahweh sanctify you." Ex 31:12)
What is the Sabbath? (Yahweh "It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.")
Who made heaven and earth? (Yahweh)

The Sabbath day is held in honor of the Lord of the Sabbath as a perpetual covenant and a sign forever of the six days of creation and the day of rest on the seventh. The position/title of Lord of the Sabbath can obviously only apply to GOD, the creator of heaven and earth; a title he lays claim to in Exodus 31. Therefore, Jesus Christ, who also establishes that He is the Lord of the Sabbath must be as one with GOD.  

God’s Chosen Servant

But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 

    “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, 

    my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. 

    I will put my Spirit upon him, 

    and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 

    He will not wrangle or cry aloud, 

    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 

    He will not break a bruised reed 

    or quench a smoldering wick 

    until he brings justice to victory. 

    And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” 

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 11:25–12:21). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

For our JW friends and others... Isaiah invariably and emphatically prophesies the deity of Jesus Christ and... note here... it is the servant's name through which the gentiles will receive their hope of salvation. Ummm... that would be Jesus by the way.