Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 2:28
Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Verse 28. The Son of man is Lord] See on Mt 12:7-8. Some have understood this as applying to men in general, and not to Christ. The Son of man, any man is Lord of the Sabbath; i.e. it was made for him, for his ease, comfort, and use, and to these purposes he is to apply it. But this is a very harsh, and at the same time a very lax, mode of interpretation; for it seems to say that a man may make what use he pleases of the Sabbath; and, were this true, the moral obligation of the Sabbath would soon be annihilated.
GOD ordained the Sabbath not only to be a type of that rest which remains for the people of God, but to be also a mean of promoting the welfare of men in general.
The ordinances of religion should be regulated according to their end, which is the honour of God, and the salvation of men. It is the property of the true religion to contain nothing in it but what is beneficial to man. Hereby God plainly shows that it is neither out of indigence or interest that he requires men to worship and obey him; but only out of goodness, and to make them happy. God prohibited work on the Sabbath day, lest servants should be oppressed by their masters, that the labouring beasts might have necessary rest, and that men might have a proper opportunity to attend upon his ordinances, and get their souls saved. To the Sabbath, under God, we owe much of what is requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Therefore the son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Meaning himself, who had a power not only to dispense with it, but to abrogate it as he did, with the rest of the rituals of the ceremonial law; [See comments on Mt 12:8]. So that it did not become them to find fault with what his disciples did, with his leave and approbation.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Even of the sabbath ( ). Mark, Matthew (Mt 12:8), and Luke (Lu 6:5) all give this as a climax in the five reasons given by Christ on the occasion for the conduct of the disciples, but Mark has the little word “even” () not in the others, showing that Jesus knew that he was making a great claim as the Son of Man, the Representative Man, the Messiah looked at from his human interest, to lordship () even of the sabbath. He was not the slave of the sabbath, but the master of it. “Even of the sabbath, so invaluable in your eyes. Lord, not to abolish, but to interpret and keep in its own place, and give it a new name” (Bruce).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Therefore the Son of man,” (hoste ho huios tou anthropou) “So then the Son of man;- Jesus Christ in His Messianic. position, representing the interest of humanity’s need, as opposed to the temporary imposition of a Mosaic Law need, Mat 12:8; Joh 5:16-19.
2) “Is Lord also of the sabbath.” (kurios estin kai tou sabbatou) “Exists also (as) Lord of the sabbath,” that was so inviolable in the eyes of the Pharisees. No disparagement was meant with regards to the sacredness of the sabbath, but it, as a once Sanctified day, was to be replaced by Sunday, the first day of the week, as a day or worship, rest, and Divine Service, Mat 6:33; 1Co 16:1-4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
‘So that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’
That is, has the right to shape and mould the Sabbath Law just as the Rabbis had, and as David had cultic Law, and had the right to, as it were, go above the Rabbis’ heads because of His position of extreme authority. This was an essential part of Jesus’ argument. It was the factor that justified His argument.
Mark therefore intends his readers to recognise in this argument and statement one more reason why they can recognise Jesus as the Son of God. It is because as the glorious Son of Man He is Lord over the Sabbath.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
REFLECTIONS.
HAIL thou glorious LORD JESUS! Thou hast indeed, fully manifested thy power on earth to forgive sins; and as in this instance of the man with the palsy, thou hast healed the body, in confirmation of having saved the soul. Speak LORD but the word to my soul also, and sure I am of salvation. And oh! thou dear LORD, hast thou not taught, by thy freeness of thy call of Levi, that all thy calls on sinners, are the result of thy free sovereign grace, and not their deserts? Had Levi done anything to merit thy favor? Yea, had he not done everything to merit thy displeasure? And notwithstanding all his undeservings, was he called; and JESUS found of him, who sought him not? And is not JESUS as much now, in this day of his power, as then, in the days of his flesh, passing by, in ordinances, and in providences, and calling his redeemed from this world’s custom, to follow him in the regeneration? And is it not JESUS who calls, and JESUS, who by his HOLY SPIRIT inclines, the hearts of them he calls to follow, and to take JESUS home, as this poor publican did, to their hearts and to their houses; and make JESUS a feast of his own bounties of the grace, JESUS gives them? Yea, is it not the wish and desire of every poor sinner, whom the LORD makes willing in the day of his power, to invite all poor sinners made sensible of sin, to come and sit down with JESUS and his disciples? What, though proud, unhumbled, self-righteous Pharisees, murmur at the grace of JESUS; let those who never felt the want of redemption, proudly reject it: but let every poor broken hearted sinner rejoice, in what the Sort of GOD hath said came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
And let it please thee, my gracious GOD, to bless all thou receivest with thy favor, as thou didst Levi, Never, never, may any poor sinner fast, while JESUS is with them, and in his fulness they have enough for the supply of all their poverty. Never take a part of JESUS’ robe of righteousness, to mend their tattered rags, but receive at whole CHRIST as suited for a wholly ruined sinner; and be completely covered with CHRIST’s garment of salvation. Never receive the new wine of the Gospel, into the old skin of a withered nature: but may the LORD, who sitteth on the throne, making all things new, give the new heart, and the new nature together, and make all his redeemed new creatures in CHRIST JESUS! And be thou, dearest LORD, both the corn and the wine, and the oil, yea, the very sabbath of all thy people, till thou shalt bring them all home, to thy self, in glory!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Ver. 28. Therefore the Son of man ] This Lordship taking beginning in Christ, seems to be, from him, derived to all that are in Christ. As Psa 8:4-5 cf. Heb 2:6-7 . Whatever David speaks of man, is applied to Christ, and so is proper to the saints, by virtue of their union with Christ.
Is Lord also of the sabbath ] And can dispense with it. The schoolmen say that God can dispense with the materiality of any precept in the decalogue, the three first excepted.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
28. ] as well as of His other domains or elements of lordship and power.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 2:28 . : wherefore, so then, introducing a thesis of co-ordinate importance, while an inference from the previous statement. . .: the Son of Man, as representing the human interest, as opposed to the falsely conceived divine interest championed by the Pharisees. . ., even of the Sabbath, so inviolable in your eyes. Lord, not to abolish but to interpret and keep in its own place, and give it a new name. No disparagement of Sabbath meant.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Therefore = So then.
is Lord. App-98. This is the subject of this second period of the Lord’s ministry. See App-119.
Lord also of the sabbath = Lord of the Sabbath also. Occurs only here.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
28. ] as well as of His other domains or elements of lordship and power.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 2:28. , therefore) The more obvious sense of this remarkable enigmatical aphorism is, Whatever right as regards the Sabbath any man hath, I also have. The more august sense, though one kept hidden [recondite] then, as suited to the relations in which that time stood to the whole divine scheme, is this, The end of the institution of the Sabbath is the salvation [welfare] of man as to his soul and body. The Son of Man is bound to ensure this salvation; and, in order to bring about this end, He the same has also authority over all things, and expressly over the Sabbath, inasmuch as it was made for man; and with a view to [in accordance with] obtaining this end, He regulates aright the whole use of the Sabbath.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mar 3:4, Mat 12:8, Luk 6:5, Luk 13:15, Luk 13:16, Joh 5:9-11, Joh 5:17, Joh 9:5-11, Joh 9:14, Joh 9:16, Eph 1:22, Rev 1:10
Reciprocal: Exo 16:23 – rest Exo 20:11 – General Eze 20:12 – I gave
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
No law is any greater than the authority behind it. Christ and his Father worked together in giving to man the law of the sabbath, therefore this Son would have the right, to adjust that law to any condition suggested in his wisdom.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 2:28. So that the Son of man it Lord also of the Sabbath. The connection here differs from that of the other accounts, and the idea is more full. Since the Sabbath was made for the benefit of man, it follows that the Son of Man (the Messiah, but especially in His character as the Head and Representative of humanity) is Lord (Sovereign over all that belongs to the interest of man and hence) also of the Sabbath; i.e., not for its abolition, but for its true fulfilment; comp, Mat 5:17. See further on Mat 12:8.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the {k} sabbath.
(k) Has the sabbath day in his power, and may rule it as he desires.