"Lord of The Sabbath"

 "Lord of The Sabbath"


Our blessed and glorious Lord Jesus Christ called Himself "The Lord of the Sabbath" in Matt. 12:8 and Lk. 6:5; (and He uses similar language in Mk. 2:27).  All of these citations refer to the same instance of His disciples eating grain in the fields on the old Sabbath Day.

 

This "Lord of the Sabbath" appellation that our Messiah gives to Himself is an interesting and intriguing one.  He is not found referring to Himself as, "Lord of the Old Testament," or, "Lord of the Law," or, "Lord of History," (for instance), but, "Lord of the Sabbath."  Jesus is "Lord" of all those other things, and everything else God ever did or created--but we do not find Him calling Himself by those titles.

 

I suspect we believers have underestimated the significance of Christ's being "The Lord of the Sabbath"--and I hope that this humble effort (of this short paper) will help rectify that situation.

 

First of all, this helps explain why and how our Redeemer changed the Sabbath Day from Saturday (of the Old Covenant/the old world), to Sunday (of the New Covenant/the new world).  This was no minor alteration; it signified the reality that the entire creation was now subject to the existence of the inauguration of, "The new heavens, and the new earth."  This "new world" officially began at the very moment that the foot of the just-Resurrected Messiah touched the once-radically-sin-cursed earth, on that first Easter Sunday morning.  From that very moment, the "old" was gone/the "new" had come, (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).

 

Our Lord's disciples asked Him these insightful questions, in Matt. 24:3b: "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (ESV/my emphasis).  The thing to note (here) are the words, "The end of the age."  The disciples seem to understand that their Master had been talking about the destruction of Jerusalem (see Matt. 24:2); and they perceived that this was, in a certain climactic sense, "The end of the age."  The old temple would be no more; the old religion would be no more; the old priesthood would be no more; the old sacrifices would be no more; the ceremonial law would be no more.  Everything old had to go, including the old Sabbath Day.  There would still be a Sabbath Day; but there would [of necessity] be a new Sabbath Day.  [The other nine commandments of the decalogue needed no alteration.]

 

This "Lord of the Sabbath" newness had at least three critical applications: priesthood, people, and program. . . . With regard to the priesthood, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be forever now the one and only perfect and eternal High Priest (see Heb. 7:26 ff.)--whose new Sabbath Day would be crowned by the commemoration of His bodily resurrection.

 

As pertaining to the people of God, the Sabbath's shift from Saturday to Sunday would aid, not only the Gentiles, but the Jews, as well.  A clear distinction would be made between the old day (and ways), and the new day (and ways).  (See Heb. 12:18-24 as a principle of this.)

 

And then, touching on the program of God, the new Sabbath Day would usher in the glories--not of anticipation (as in the Old Covenant), but of fulfillment in Jesus (in the New Covenant).  This is one of the reasons the psalmists of old, (especially David), wrote words like these: "[The LORD] put a new song in my mouth a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD," (Ps. 40:3/ESV).

 

Let all God's churched and regenerated children rejoice in "The Lord of the Sabbath"!

 

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #68

25 January 2026

https://theologicaltreatisesinretirement.blogspot.com

https://henningerdevotions.blogspot.com/

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