As we study the life of Jesus in the four Gospels we should keep several concepts well in mind.
Transition between the covenants
The Gospels record the historical time period between the old and new covenants. Sometime between the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist1 and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost2 the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant was fully made.
Transition: a process with a point in time
The transition from the old covenant to the new covenant is made in stages. Certain aspects of the new covenant seem to come into play before others. We should expect this, as the giving of the old covenant to the sons of Israel was done in increments starting at the exodus from Egypt and continuing to just before they entered into the land of Canaan.3 Within that forty-year period, however, the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai and the events connected with it are usually seen to be the starting point of the old covenant. In the same way we will find the new covenant comes in stages over a three-and-a-half-year period with the resurrection of Christ as the key point of the transition.
The example of Jesus is limited
We should not be surprised to find Jesus observing and even teaching about old covenant convocations. We know that He was “born under law” (Gal. 4:4). We know that he was circumcised according to the direction of the law (Lk. 2:21). He observed the Passover on more than one occasion (Lk. 2:41, 42; Jn. 2:13; Jn. 5:1; Lk. 22:11), as well as other old covenant convocations (Jn. 7:2,10; 10:22). He wore tassels on the bottom of His garment as prescribed in old covenant law (Num. 15:38 cf. Mt. 9:20). Even Jesus’ teaching includes demands that the people hallow the temple (Mk. 11:15−18) and present old covenant sacrifices (Mt. 5:23,24). We cannot use Christ’s example in Sabbath observance to enforce present-day Sabbath keeping unless we are also willing to use His example to enforce circumcision, the Passover, temple worship, the wearing of tassels on the bottom of garments and the other old covenant practices.
Examine how Jesus related to Sabbath law.
We have seen that Jesus always let the moral and ethical considerations of a given situation dictate his actions regardless of the constraints of ritual law. We have also seen that when Jesus was teaching on the moral laws of the old covenant he always modified and expanded the moral laws to a much higher moral plain and broader scope. By carefully examining Jesus’ teaching and behavior relative to the Sabbath we should be able to tell if He considered the Sabbath to be a moral or ritual law.
The Gospels are history and theology
Fourth, while the Gospels are historical accounts of the life of Jesus, they are more than history. They are theological works as well. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the Gospel writers selected and recorded certain events from the life of Jesus for theological reasons. While they all did this, John is the most forthright in stating this fact.
Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name (Jn. 20:30,31).
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written (Jn. 21:25).
Therefore, we ought to look for the theological reasons for the inclusion of certain incidents and historical details in the life of Jesus. Also, we should thoughtfully observe the exact wording and what may appear as miscellaneous factual detail. Sometimes in these facts we may find hints of truth which the casual reader would miss. As the Gospels were written many years after the resurrection, the writers may have chosen to include certain Sabbath incidents which would, by their inclusion, speak to the theological needs of that time.
Method of study
In this study of the life and ministry of Jesus as it relates to the Sabbath we will seek to discover what He taught regarding the Sabbath, and what Jesus did on Sabbath days. We will examine both the immediate and wider context.
Jubilee Fulfilled
(Lk. 4:16−30; Mk. 6:1−6; Mt. 13:53−58)
This chapter starts out, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Lk. 4:1). While in the wilderness Jesus was tested by the devil for forty days. After successfully withstanding Satan’s temptations,
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” And He closed the book, and give it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:14,16−21).
Picture yourself in the synagogue at Nazareth as Jesus reads this portion of Old Testament Scripture, which all recognize as a prophecy of the Messiah proclaiming the Jubilee, the favorable year of the Lord. Watch as Jesus takes His seat, which was the approved place for a teacher to give further comments on the reading. Then listen to Jesus say, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!”
The first sermon of Jesus consisted of three points: (1) He was the Messiah, (2) the Jubilee had come, and (3) His mission was one of liberation, of setting the captives free! Let us consider each point.
Jesus, the promised Messiah
We immediately note that Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1, a Messianic prophecy couched in Jubilee language and a phrase from Isaiah 42:7, “To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” The context of this second passage must not escape our attention. This is a prophecy of the coming Messiah, set forth in the terms of “My Servant” with overtones of the Jubilee.
Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon him; He will bring justice to the nations…I am the Lord, I have called you [the Messiah] in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations. To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison…Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things. Sing to the Lord a new song (Isa. 42:1, 6, 7, 9, 10).
Here we see several things of major importance to our study that relate to this “Servant,” the Messiah.
Descriptions of the nature and work of the Messiah:
- He is God’s Chosen (elect) One (v. 1).
- He has the Spirit of God upon Him (v. 1).
- His ministry brings justice to the nations (plural) (v. 1).
- He is a covenant to the people (v. 6).
- His work is to free those living in bondage (v. 7).
- He declares “new things” (v. 9).
This ministry cannot fit within the framework of the old covenant. The Messiah is now the elect One. Through the long centuries from the day when God told Abraham, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,” God had slowly been narrowing His elect. “For through Isaac your descendants shall be named” (Gen. 21:12). It is narrowed further as Esau is rejected and the covenant is through Jacob (Gen. 27,28). Years later the covenant promise is narrowed to the house of David (2 Chron. 13:5). Then it is limited even further to One who was to be born in Bethlehem (Mich. 5:2). The prophecy quoted above says that God would have an elect “One.” We can sense the excitement of the disciples as they announced, “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn. 1:41). Jesus was that One. Then, as this One perfectly fulfills God’s will and makes reconciliation for the sins of the world, from this Elect One flows out a joyful proclamation of blessing and forgiveness to all nations.
The ministry of the Messiah was to be a Spirit-filled ministry. Thus we read of Jesus, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan…And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Lk. 4:1,14).
No longer is the covenant limited to the “sons of Israel throughout their generations,” but Jesus is to bring justice to the nations.
But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose” (Lk. 4:43).
For forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations (Lk. 24:47).
No longer is the covenant the words engraved on two tablets of stone; Jesus is the covenant. He, Himself, is “a covenant to the people” (Isa. 42:6).
The ministry of this Servant is a liberating ministry. We see Jesus releasing the demonized (Lk. 4:31−36), rebuking fever (Lk. 4:38,39), healing various diseases (Lk. 4:40) and preaching the gospel to the oppressed poor (Lk. 7:22).
The coming of the Messiah is a new revelation.
And amazement came upon them all, and they began discussing with one another, and saying, “What is the message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Lk. 4:36).
The passage in Luke 4:16−30 and the Old Testament scriptures quoted by Jesus in these verses openly teach that Jesus is the promised Messiah.
Jesus, the fulfillment of Jubilee
The context of Isaiah 42 fits perfectly within the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1, 2. Both have strong overtones of Jubilee. As we review the queen of the Sabbaths, the Jubilee, we find the following facts:
The Jubilee (Lev. 25:8−17)
- Started on the Day of Atonement (v. 9).
- Was ushered in with the blowing of a ram’s horn (v. 9).
- Was a proclamation of release to all inhabitants of the land(v. 10).
- Made provision for each to return to his own family and property (v. 10).
- Allowed for no sowing or reaping (v. 11).
- Instructed the people to eat the crops directly out of the field(v. 12).
- Brought justice to all (vv. 14 −17).
The “year of release” points to forgiveness of sin
The heart of the Jubilee was the proclamation of release to all the inhabitants of the land. The word “release” as used in Luke 4:18 is the same word that the Septuagint Greek translation of the Old Testament used in translating the Jubilee Scripture in Lev. 25:10. However, the New Testament expands the meaning of this word to include not only release, but also forgiveness of sin.4 In fact, it becomes one of the key words used in the New Testament for forgiveness.
As we look at the ministry of Jesus, we immediately see Him proclaiming both release and forgiveness “Woman, you are freed from your sickness…Should not this woman have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” (Lk. 13:10−17). “My son, your sins are forgiven” (Mk. 2:5).
Scripture stated that at the coming of the Jubilee each person was to return to his own family and the land of his fathers. Therefore, it is no accident that Luke records the coming of Jesus to Nazareth in these words: “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up” (Lk. 4:16). There, in His hometown, with His family present, Jesus announced that Jubilee had arrived.
While the Day of Atonement is not mentioned by name in the New Testament, the book of Hebrews shows how this old covenant sabbath pointed forward to the atonement brought by Christ’s death on the cross. In the old covenant the Day of Atonement had to be repeated every year. By contrast Jesus,
…having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God…For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Heb. 10:1− 4, 12, 14).
Jesus not only fulfilled the Day of Atonement, but the atonement He brought far superseded the old covenant concept of atonement. The Day of Atonement served as a pointer to direct the people to the death of Christ. But when that “one offering” was sacrificed, the function of the yearly Day of Atonement ceased to exist in the presence of the true atonement for sin: Jesus Christ.
The Jubilee was ushered in by the blowing of a ram’s horn. It was a way of proclaiming the good news of freedom, rest, and release to the captives. With the coming of Jesus, the fulfillment of the Jubilee, we see a proclamation of even better news than the old covenant Jubilee.
I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Lk. 2:10, 11).
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit; and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district (Lk. 4:14).
Later, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Luke records:
And He [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations” (Lk. 24:46,47).
The proclamation of the Jubilee pointed forward to the proclamation of the gospel. During the Jubilee there was to be no sowing or reaping; people were to eat the crops out of the field. Correspondingly we read of Jesus:
And at that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat (Mt. 12:1).
Jesus ushered in and fulfilled the Jubilee. The Jubilee was a shadow of a greater rest, a greater release, a greater redemption and a greater proclamation. The Gospels teach that Jesus “fulfilled” that to which the Jubilee pointed. As the Messiah, He proclaimed the favorable year of the Lord—the Kingdom rule of Christ.
The Jubilee ministry of Jesus
- Cast out an unclean demon (Lk. 4:31−36).
- Rebuked a fever and it left (Lk. 4:38,39).
- Healed those with various diseases (Lk. 4:40).
- Cast out many demons (Lk. 4:41).
- Preached the kingdom of God (Lk. 4:43,44).
- Forgave sin (Lk. 5:20).
- Opened the eyes of the blind (Lk. 7:21).
- Released a woman bound by Satan (Lk. 13:10−17).
Not only did Jesus announce that Jubilee had arrived, but His ministry testified to that truth.
Sabbath Behavior of Jesus
In the foregoing section we studied the Sabbath teaching of Jesus. In this short section we will see what we can learn from His Sabbath behavior.
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read (Lk. 4:16).
As a good Jew, it was the habit, or custom, of Jesus to attend Sabbath services in the synagogue. This is reinforced several times in this chapter.
And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And He was teaching them on Sabbath days (Lk. 4:31).
We should also note that we have no record of Jesus ever attending a Sabbath service when He was not the teacher. One could argue that Jesus’ Sabbath attendance at the synagogue was primarily to gain a hearing. We will later see that this was also Paul’s reason for synagogue attendance.
Summary of Luke 4:16–30
- The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus.
- Jesus was anointed (as Messiah) by the Spirit to:
- Preach the gospel to the poor,
- Proclaim release (and forgiveness) to the captives,
- Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind,
- Proclaim freedom to the downtrodden,
- Proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (Jubilee).
- The ministry as set forth in the whole of Luke 4 was a ministry of liberation which included:
- Freeing the demonized,
- Rebuking fever,
- Healing the sick,
- Proclaiming the kingdom of God,
- In this passage nothing is taught regarding the Sabbath.
- Jesus declared that:
- He was God’s chosen (elect) One,
- He had the Spirit of God upon Him,
- His ministry was to bring justice to the nations,
- He was a covenant to the people,
- His work was to free those living in bondage,
- His coming was a new revelation.
- Sabbath behavior of Jesus:
- It was the custom of Jesus to attend the synagogue services on the Sabbath.
- On this occasion Jesus participated in the synagogue service by reading and commenting upon the Scripture read.
- There is no record of Jesus attending synagogue Sabbath services when He was not the speaker.
Jubilee Experienced
(Luke 13:10−17)
Luke is the only Gospel writer to record this Sabbath healing. Since this incident falls within the scope of Jesus’ Jubilee ministry I have included it with this chapter.
And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, and behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. And when Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands upon her; and immediately she was made erect again, and began glorifying God. And the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the multitude in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; therefore come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” And as He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him (Lk. 13:10−17).
It appears that Jesus considered the Sabbath not only as an appropriate day upon which to heal, but a most desirable day for this activity. He took the initiative to call this bent-over woman to Himself as soon as He saw her. It should be recognized that her illness was not life threatening, because she had already been in this condition for eighteen years. Jesus obviously could have waited until the Sabbath was over to minister to her, but He chose to heal her in the synagogue in the presence of the multitude with Jewish leaders closely observing His actions.
Luke states that her condition was “caused by a spirit” (Lk. 13:11). In harmony with this, Jesus said that Satan had bound her for the duration of her illness. The fact that Jesus calls her “a daughter of Abraham” indicates that she was a believing Israelite, a member of the covenant community.
The actions of Jesus must be seen as spiritual warfare. Satan had made inroads upon God’s true child. He had “bound” this daughter of Abraham for eighteen long years. In the presence of Jesus, however, Satan’s kingdom is driven back, the woman is “released” from her bondage, and this captive is set free. This is Jubilee ministry; it is a demonstration of the kingdom rule of God. How fitting that Jesus should overthrow the power of Satan on the Sabbath, a day which was a reminder of the deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5:15) and restore this woman to the “rest” which existed before Satan had overcome Eve, the first daughter of God.
Isaiah prophesied that when the Messiah would come, a new song of praise would be sung (Isa. 42:10). As soon as this woman was made erect by the touch of Jesus she “began glorifying God” (Lk. 13:13). This praise was not something required by the law. It was the natural response of the woman’s heart which overflowed in gratitude to God for her “release” from the power of Satan. This woman, who had been bound as a captive of Satan, was called by Jesus into personal fellowship, delivered from the power of her oppressor and healed from her physical condition. She experienced the true rest of the Jubilee Sabbath! She now had a new motive for service. She was experiencing new covenant life.
The Jewish leaders, on the other hand, were enslaved under the letter of the old covenant Sabbath law and could not experience the release of the new covenant nor could they rejoice with the woman in her healing.
Jesus defended His Sabbath conduct of releasing this woman by referring to the Sabbath behavior of the Jewish leaders who would untie their ox or donkey on the Sabbath and lead it to water. In doing so the opponents of Jesus were humiliated and the multitude rejoiced over what Jesus was doing.
Summary of Luke 13:10−17
- The woman healed was not in a life-threatening condition.
- Jesus, upon seeing this woman, immediately called her toHimself.
- This woman’s physical condition was caused by a spirit.
- Jesus spoke freedom to this woman and then, after laying Hishands upon her, released her from the power of Satan.
- After being healed this woman immediately began praising God.
- The synagogue official considered the actions of Jesus as a violation of Sabbath law.
- Jesus defended His Sabbath conduct on the basis of the Sabbath behavior of the Jewish leaders. If Sabbath law allowed the Jewish leaders to untie and water their animals on the Sabbath, in the same way Sabbath law must allow for a true child of God to be “released” from the power of Satan on the Sabbath.
- The underlying theme of this Sabbath healing is one of release from the power of Satan and freedom in the presence of Christthemes found in the Jubilee and the Sabbath.
- It appears that Jesus considered this Jubilee-type ministry to be especially appropriate on the seventh-day Sabbath.
- While seeking to enforce the letter of Sabbath law, the Jewish leaders completely missed the experience to which these laws pointed: freedom from the power of Satan and fellowship with God.
Endnotes
- “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John” (Mt. 11:12,13); “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it” (Lk. 16:16).
- Acts 2.
- For example, the laws regarding the Passover were given as Israel was leaving Egypt. Later, in the wilderness of Sin, Israel was given the Sabbath. At Sinai more laws were given. Then just before the entered the land of Canaan more were given.
- Gerhard Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI., 1963), Vol. I, p. 510.
- 9. Jubilee Sabbath - May 8, 2025
- 8. Jesus and Old Covenant Moral Laws - May 1, 2025
- 7. Jesus and Ritual Law - April 24, 2025