... particularly the Sabbath reveals some truth in the popular quote of Blaise Pascal, "men never do evil so completely
Sabbath School Summary Resting In Christ Lesson 6 Memory Text: Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
SATURDAY: Christ lived a sinless life and nobody at His time could found Him guilty of sin. He came to live the law out in humanity. He obeyed the law to the latter without trampling one of them, even the Sabbath commandment. By learning from Him, we get to know what entails in keeping the law including the Sabbath and how to keep it not as hypocrites.
SUNDAY: Jesus openly rebuked the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum for hardening their hearts to the truth. He had lived with them and had wrought many miracles in their sight yet they refused the truth (Matt. 11:20-27, Jn. 14:6). He then bids His hearers not to imitate the deeds of these cities but to come to Him when weary, for He has power to give rest (Matt. 11:28-30). In His rest, like the Sabbath, we find peace.
MONDAY: Jesus showed how to keep the Sabbath. The Pharisees made several laws to protect the Sabbath to deter others from breaking it because Israel went into captivity for disobeying it (Matt. 12:1, 2; Luke. 14:1-6; Mark 2:23-28; Jn. 5:9-16). One was not allowed to eat an egg from an egg-laying hen, to look in the mirror, to pick more than one set of clothes from his house that had caught fire and to spit on the Sabbath.
TUESDAY: The Sabbath which was supposed to cause people to recognize God as the creator, bring families together and provide rest was ruined by the Pharisees who made it so rigid, and this was such an environment in which Jesus ministered. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and make it clear how God's children are of much value than rituals for other purposes (Matt. 12:3-8, 23:23, 24, 1 Sam. 21:1-6).
WEDNESDAY: Though the four Gospels were written years after the death of Jesus, all records the encounters between Jesus and the Pharisees on the Sabbath. This shows how Jesus sought to reveal the right way of keeping the Sabbath, and that it was never abolished. Jesus broke traditional barriers to the Sabbath which was valued than humans by healing a paralytic knowing He'll be tagged as a lawbreaker (Matt. 12:9-14).
THURSDAY: The Sabbath was rather freed from rigid laws that made it a burden not that Jesus came to do away with. It was kept several years after Jesus by most ancient churches until because of tradition the Christians at Rome refused to keep it. Jesus showed the need to do well on the Sabbath, and healed as opposed to native customs (Matt. 12:12). He came to point out the joys of the Sabbath rest (Matt. 13:52).
FRIDAY: The take-on between Jesus and the Pharisees about the law, particularly the Sabbath reveals some truth in the popular quote of Blaise Pascal, "men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." Whilst Jesus was saving life and bringing happiness to the throng, the Pharisees hunted His life with bitter hatred.
—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 287.
