God gives Israel the gift of the Sabbath to rest and remember God’s faithfulness. The Pharisees took the command and turn it into everything but resting. We see in the sermon this morning that they would rather someone starve or suffer than to help them. All in the effort to not work. They had twisted God’s gift for their own Glory. They had raised their traditions to the level of scripture and accused Jesus of breaking the Law.

They accuse the law giver of breaking the law, while they were breaking the true spirit of the law. They confused the law of God as a challenge or a job to be done rather than a gift to be enjoyed. They turned to legalism, which is not from God, not for God, and not needed. Religious work is serving God for grace. Worship is serving God in response to Grace. Jesus is the Sabbath to all those who cry out to him for s ...