This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our series entitled “The Messiah’s Mission,” by looking at Matthew 12:1-21. Here, Jesus offers tangible examples of His invitation to find rest for our souls that we explored last week.

I spent quite a bit of time expounding on Matthew’s quotation of Isaiah 42. Specifically I talked about the significance of this very important verse:

A bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. (Matthew 12:20)

You can find the message video and outline below. You can also view the entire series here, as well as the devotional that accompanies the series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

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“The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8)

What Is the Sabbath?

• The biblical background (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15)
• The rabbinical background

Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath (12:1-8)

• The accusation
• The comparisons
• Greater than the Temple
• The call to mercy

Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus, Doing Good (12:9-14)

• The entrapment
• The comparison
• The healing

Jesus, the Promised One (12:15-21)

• The summary of His activity
• The quotation from Isaiah

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Dig Deeper:

This week dig deeper into Matthew’s understanding of Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath in one or more of the following ways:

• Memorize Matthew 12:8 or 12:17-21.
• Paint, draw, or ink one of the stories or the Isaiah text quoted by Matthew in 12:1-21. As you do that, prayerfully ask the Lord to grow your relationship with Him.
• Read and study Hebrews 4:1-13, which expands on the Christian understanding of the sabbath in light of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath.
• Explore the 39 Melachot, the rabbinical categories of “work” prohibited on the sabbath here
• Consider reading this interview with pastor and author Mark Buchanan: “I Know You’re Busy”