Legalism and the Sabbath

We will continue in our exposition of Mark this Sunday, focusing on chapter 2:23-28. In our text, the Pharisees are being legalistic in their interpretation of sabbath law leading to their accusation of the Disciples being law breakers as they ate grain! We will consider the dangers of legalism. Legalism, in its basic form believes that we can earn God's favor by what we do. It undermines the gospel and what Christ has already accomplished for us.

We will also be discussing the Sabbath since that is what the they were being legalistic about. Some Christians think that the Sabbath Day only applied to the Israelites and has no application to us today. They know that it is one of the Ten Commandments, and yet, they often dismiss the honoring of it as some Old Testament ceremonial law, no longer applicable to the Christian today. He speaks to the Pharisees about how in their attempt to honor the Sabbath, they had actually dishonored it by adding to what God had prescribed. Christ clearly says that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath in our text. That is, man is not to be forced by list of do's and dont's, but rather to realize that that Sabbath is intended to bring emotional, spiritual and physical refreshment for man as we cease from regular affairs. It is is a creation ordinance, and just like marriage and work, is still applicable today. God's Moral Law, the Ten Commandments are indeed binding today, but also remember that we can never keep it and that Christ has perfectly fulfilled the law, He is our righteousness and our Sabbath rest.