Jesus Christ was persecuted because he did not keep the Sabbath to suit the Pharisees, the scribes, and the priests, in his days on earth.
Christ was not only persecuted, but he was rejected, and a robber and murderer was chosen in his stead, and he was crucified, because he would not keep the Sabbath to suit the Pharisees, the scribes, and the priests.
Although Lord of the Sabbath, himself, yet he was denounced as a Sabbath-breaker, was spied upon, was persecuted, was rejected, and a robber and murderer chosen in his stead, and was crucified, because he would not conform to the narrow, bigoted ideas of the Sabbath held by the Pharisees, scribes, and doctors of the law.
All this is worthy of peculiar attention in every way just now, when the Pharisees, the scribes, the chief priests, and the doctors of the law, are making such a great stir over the Sabbath question, and are spying upon, and persecuting, and imprisoning people as "Sabbath-breakers," who are actually Sabbath- keepers, according to the plainest word of the Lord, and according to the lifelong example of Jesus Christ himself. In view of this it is well to study the life and example of Jesus in this matter.
"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him." (Hebrews 3:1-2)
The one thing for us all to do all the time is to consider Christ Jesus. In him all perfections meet; in him we find faithfulness on every point; and if you want to be faithful, and want to "hold out faithful," just consider Christ Jesus who was faithful, and draw from him faithfulness.
We are to draw from him faithfulness, as we are to draw righteousness and every other virtue. He is to be unto us faithfulness, just as he is to be unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
"Wherefore.consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him."
This verse begins with a "wherefore;" that is, for this reason; and the reason is expressed in a previous verse.
"Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconcilia tion for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." (Hebrews 2:17-18)
"Wherefore," that is, for this reason, "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful." That is true in everything, and to us, especially now, is it emphatically true; and we are to consider his faithfulness in connection with the Sabbath of the Lord, and its keeping, if we would be faithful in the keeping of it.
The Sabbath means Christ, and Christ means the Sabbath. The Sabbath is the Lord's own sign of what Jesus Christ is to men; and we are to consider him in respect to it, and his faithfulness in keeping it.
And along with that we are to consider his faithfulness in keeping the Sabbath under persecution and at the risk of his life, and in giving up his life even, rather than to give up the Sabbath of the Lord.
Because it was for not keeping the Sabbath to suit the Pharisees and the scribes and the doctors of the law, that he was persecuted first. And when he persisted in his way of keeping the Sabbath, that is, the Lord's way, in spite of their persecution, then they went about to kill him. And when he would not give it up, then they did kill him.
But God raised him from the dead, and took him to a world where he can keep the Sabbath without being annoyed, and without "disturbing" anybody.
When Jesus came, he did not come in exactly the way that suited the Pharisees and the scribes and the doctors of the law; nevertheless they were not certain but that he might de velop into that after awhile. Consequently they studied his course for a considerable time, without making any positive opposition against him publicly.
In fact, for about eighteen months of his public ministry, this people were studying him, and looking to see what would develop. Of course as he did not come according to their ideas, they would have nothing to do with him if he did not develop into what would conform to their ideas. And they watched him to see how the matter would come out.
But he made no great demonstration of putting himself forward or calling attention to himself; he simply went on qui etly teaching and healing the people, doing good everywhere that he went. They could not very well find fault with that, and it would be all right if in the end he should develop into what they expected.
But when a year and a half had gone by, his fame had spread through the land, and had attracted the attention of the Pharisees, the scribes, and the doctors of the law, as well as the common people. By this time he had attracted their active attention, their interested attention, and their selfish attention, too; because as they watched him in his course, they saw not only that he did not develop into what they expected, but, on the contrary, they saw that he was gaining an influence with the people in a way that was not playing into their hands; and that as he went on longer, the people were drawn more to him.
They hoped that if he did not develop into what they wanted,-in fact, they thought, they really supposed, that if he did not develop into what they expected,-then, of course this would be evidence in itself that he could not possibly be the Messiah, and therefore his work would come to nothing.
But there appeared in his words a something that held the attention of the people-the common people. And they were glad to hear him again when they had heard him once; for his words were mildly spoken, and with a simplicity that everybody could understand. He did not speak in the learned, high flown utterances of the doctors of the law and the scribes, but always used language that the people could understand. They did not have to use a dictionary to find out the meaning of the words that he used.
His word was in simplicity and with power, and it clung to the people and remained with them, and had a tendency always to draw them more and more to him. The Pharisees and scribes seeing this, began to see that they would have to do something if they were to save their own credit with the people.