Mark 2:28 “Therefore, the son of man is lord, even over the Sabbath!”
When people read the above verse, they have been taught to hear Messiah saying, “He is Lord of the Sabbath” but this is not what He is saying.
When you read the context, what He is saying is that "we" are lord even of the Sabbath. That's because the 4th commandment no longer has lordship over those who are in Christ, but that does not mean the Sabbath is no longer a holy and blessed day to be used for the gathering of YAH's people to hear the word of God.
Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Now, let’s read the context of Mark 2:23-28. When you read the context, pay close attention to the fact that the subject of Messiah’s statement are the disciples, not Messiah so when you get to His statement He says, “Therefore”. The word “Therefore” means, what He is about to say, is based on what He just said. One, more thing you need to understand is that the title “son of man” is a title for mankind, which is us, as well as Messiah in human flesh.
Psalm 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?
Hebrews 2:6 But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?
Now, let’s read the context with all this in mind.
Mark 2:23-28 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. Therefore, the son of man is lord, even over the Sabbath!”
Today, we can’t break the law of the Mt. Sinai covenant, which is where we find the 4th commandment Sabbath restrictions. We can’t break a law that no longer has authority over those in Christ.
Galatians 3:23-26 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore, the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.
The Mt. Sinai law was like a disciplinarian; this is no longer so for those in Christ.
Disciplinarian: a person who enforces strict rules, demands exact obedience, and uses order or punishment to control behavior.
So, who or what should lead us and inspire us to honor the Sabbath by gathering as worship to learn the word of God if it’s not the law?
Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
If you are being led by the Spirit, you will be moved to honor the Sabbath by gathering on the Sabbath for worship, as worship.
Leviticus 23:3 You have six days in which to do your work, but remember that the seventh day Sabbath, on that day do not work, but gather for worship. The Sabbath belongs to the Lord, no matter where you live.
If you find someone putting restrictions on you during the Sabbath, that person’s mindset is still under the disciplinarianship of 4th commandment.
A person who is being led by the Spirit needs no law to force them to gather on the Sabbath, they will actually beg to gather on the Sabbath.
Acts 13:42,44 So, when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Amen…