Matthew Chapter 12

Matthew 12:1-2 ~ The Explanation of the Sabbath

Jesus Christ is our Sabbath rest.  You see, when God created the Sabbath day, He was presenting what He was going to do for people through Jesus Christ.  He was going to sanctify them and save them with His finished and completed work, but they would have to cease from their own works. They would have to trust solely in the Lord to be saved and not in their own works.  We spiritually enter into God's rest.  All of salvation has been completed for us, and we walk in that Sabbath rest.  That is why Jesus said at the end of Matthew 11, "Come to Me, and I will be your rest." He is not going to give us rest.​​  He is going to be it for us. "And I will bring you to be at rest in Me."  Those are the words of Jesus.  He is our rest.  He is our Sabbath rest.

Matthew 12:3-8 ~ The Purpose of the Sabbath

Man was not created to keep Sabbath day rules and regulations.  The Sabbath was created by God as a gift to man.  When God said, "Stop working," He did not mean focus on not working.  He meant stop what you are doing, and go be with God's people, and receive from the Lord His mercies and compassions.  He actually has to command us to stop work, and go to fellowship, and receive from Him.  If He did not, we would not stop.  We wrestle with it all the time.  We know what we should do, but we have other things to do.  And it is to our own spiritual detriment that we do not take advantage of the gifts that God has given to us.