In Matthew 24:20 the Messiah tells us to hope that fleeing on the Sabbath is not something to be desired. Why is this? What did he mean by this and what may be some greater implications of such a statement?
Did the disciples of Messiah break the Sabbath when they plucked grains? Did Messiah indicate the Sabbath no longer mattered? Could he do whatever he wanted on the Sabbath because he was lord of the Sabbath as declared in the Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28, and Luke 6:1-5 accounts?
In Do Whatever They Tell You, we explore Yeshua’s words in Matthew 23:2–3, where He tells the crowd to obey the scribes and Pharisees who “sit in Moses’ seat.”
Did Yeshua affirm their teachings—or was He pointing to something deeper?
This teaching examines the historical and textual background showing that Yeshua wasn’t validating Pharisaic tradition but affirming obedience to the words of Moses they read aloud each Sabbath (Exodus 18:13–16; Acts 15:21; Matthew 23:1–4).
When understood in context, Yeshua’s command calls His followers to heed the Torah itself, not the traditions that make void the Word of God.
Takeaway:
Yeshua directs His people to hear Moses’ words and live them—testing every teaching by Scripture, not by man-made authority.
An eye for an eye, turn the other cheek, do not resist the one who is evil. What do all of these phrases mean? What was the Messiah teaching us in Matthew 5:38-42, was he contradicting the Law? Imagine if what he was teaching is the exact opposite of what we have been taught he meant, something that could change your world.
In Matthew 11 Messiah said that we should take His yoke because it is light and that He will give us rest for our souls. What would these phrases have meant to His audience, and what do they mean for us today?