Before we look at the four Sabbath day conflicts between Jesus of Nazareth and Israel's leaders, let's first consider that we should note that Israel was a that time a theocratic nation. Israel's religious leader, the Elders, Chief Priests, Pharisees, Saducees, and Sanhedrin were the ruling government of Israel, overseeing both the religious and secular life of Israel.

Of course, at the time of Jesus of Nazareth Israel and its government was as prophesied to be, under "the Gentiles" in the form of Rome. Israel's religionists had made their Judaism so legal (under 'law') that the actual meaning and heart of "the Law of Moses" had taken a second place to their "Traditions of the Elders" (i.e., Matt 15:2, Mk 7:5); these were laws and practices were 'added' manmade law. Jesus addressed the heart of Israel's need and that of all men's hearts.... to be in right relationship with God inwardly... not based solely upon prescribed external ritual and rites.

Paul wrote, a real Jew is one who is circumcised of the heart. Paul says we as grace believers in "the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph 3:2) are already circumcised in heart by our co-death with Christ. "In whom (in Christ) also Ye Are Circumcised With The Circumcision Made Without Hands, In Putting Off The Body Of The Sins Of The Flesh By The Circumcision (the flesh death) of Christ" (Colossians 2:11). Paul says, "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a New Creature. (Gal 6:15)

As we've seen, Jesus of Nazareth was fully equipped with His Father's "Spirit" UPON Him and His "Spirit of life" within Him at His core. The "Spirit" was given "UPON" Jesus from the time of His water baptism, to equip Him for His ministerial service to "the circumcision (Israel)" (Rom 15:8) and to proclaim that "the kingdom" as being "at hand."

Israel's leaders of Jesus' day were corrupt as they had been through out history. "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means (authority); and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? (Jeremiah 5:31) Jesus said Israel's religious leaders cared not for the sheep. "he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and Careth Not for the sheep." (John 10:12-13)

His ministry was solely to Israel (Matt 15:24. He had many conflicts with the hypocritical, religious, unfeeling, uncaring, leaders of Israel. This is readily seen by the following four Sabbath Day conflicts.

The 1st SABBATH DAY Conflict - Jesus' Disciple's Law-breaking

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. 3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him" (Matthew 12:1-3)

(See 1Sam 21:1-16 and read how David's hungry men ate the Lord's "shewbread" of the Holy Place.)

According to Israel's religious "tradition" the Lord's hungry disciples had 'illegally' picked corn on the "Sabbath Day." The "Sabbath Day" Law in Israel was such that anyone breaking it was to be "put to death."

"Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be PUT TO DEATH." (Exodus 31:15)

You should know that Israel's religious leaders enforced the Mosaic Law God gave Israel. Moses was given 613 law for Israel to keep. These included offering to make sacrifices that would be for the sins of the people and necessary for salvation by their faith being in expressed in their 'works' of obedience to keep these laws and offerings. But then also, Israel's religious leaders added many nuances to "Moses Law." Even today at Yeshiva University their are Rabbis who try to decipher, slice and dice the Talmud (Law),  and add to "Moses Law" such things as "You are not allowed to rip toilet paper on the Sabbath." The Talmud, is a later written form of that which in the time of Jesus was called "the Traditions (added laws) of the Elders," and to which Jesus makes frequent allusions and spoke against.

Of course, today no Jew could keep "the Law" if they wanted to since there's been no Temple and no priesthood since 70 AD when Titus destroyed the Temple just as Jesus predicted it would be. Today the only offering for our sins is to place faith in Jesus' shed blood and death for "the sins of the whole world."

The nuances of manmade law ('Tradition' of the Elders) were a problem between Jesus of Nazareth and the religious leaders of Israel. For instance, when tasked with deciding what it meant to "do no work on the sabbath," the Pharisees decided that all physical exertion on the Sabbath should be banned. This prohibited a paralyzed man from moving his bed-mat more than a few inches, or pulling a wayward animal out of a ditch. In this account it prohibited picking a few kernels of grain to eat when hungry, or Jesus healing the ailing people... on the Sabbath day.

The Pharisees always nuanced "the Law" against the people. Jesus said that their nuances burdened people with loads that were hard to carry, and that their understudies were only perpetuating the cycle of religious oppression. They were faithful, but unfruitful in that they knew the letter of "the Law," but they did not understand the spirit of "the Law." They had "the Law" but missed the point.

My frustrations with organized, hierarchical or mediatorial Christian church at large today is that many, like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, have not just nuanced "the Law," they've erroneously told Christians they are still under "the  Law" when they are not! They today ignore the inspired words of  "Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles." Paul wrote to the Gentile "body of Christ" saying ever so clearly; "... for ye are NOT Under The Law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14). We today are to live under God's grace that captures our hearts such that we now want to walk in union with the Lord.

So the Pharisees were offended by Jesus and his seeming religious subversives. Jeremiah and John (here below) indicate that with the coming of Jesus, the age would turn for Israel... if they would repent and receive the King and His Kingdom… they would be enjoy a grace union with the Lord according to the terms of the coming... New Covenant.

31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant (the Law) that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: (Jeremiah 31:31-32)

"For the law was given by Moses, BUT grace and truth (reality) came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

The ascended Lord Jesus gave the Apostle Paul the message of a new relationship called "the dispensation of the GRACE of God" (Eph 3:2) "for ye Gentiles" who make up the new incarnation of "His body (cf., Rom 11:13, Eph 3:1).

Note in Col 2:16-17 (below), Paul wrote that the "Sabbath days," though one of the Decalogue, are no longer any matter of concern for us; rather they are but a "shadow," while real object and reality is rest found in union with "Christ" (cf., Col 1:27).

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the SABBATH DAYS: 17 Which are A Shadow of things to come; but the body (the reality of these symbols) is of Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17)

Israel's 'Sabbath Law Patrol,' the Law enforcers, were observing Jesus and His disciples.

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 12 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him (Jesus), Behold, thy disciples do that which is Not Lawful To Do Upon The Sabbath Day." (Matthew 12:1-9)

Jesus said He is the promised "Greater David" and … the One "Greater than the Temple."

"But he (Jesus) said unto them (the Pharisees), Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God (the Temple), and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." (Matthew 12:3-8)

Paul tells us Jesus redefined "the Temple" of the "New Covenant," saying "The Kingdom (realm) of God Is Within You. (Luke 17:21). As prophesied in Matt 24:2, the physical Temple was destroyed by the Roman General Titus in 70AD, and the priesthood was ended. It was no longer was possible to practice Judaism as prescribed by "the Law" with its sacrifices because the One Great Sacrifice of Jesus was accomplished.

Being guided by the Lord, Paul turned from the Jews to minister to "the gospel of the grace of God" to... the Gentiles. Judaism's laws had forbade such contact with Gentiles, but the ascended Lord Himself sent Paul to be "THE Apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom 11:13).

"I (Paul) want you (Israel's leaders in Rome) to know that God's Salvation Has Been Sent To The Gentiles, and they will listen!" (Acts 28:28)

"Know ye not that Ye (Gentile grace believers) are The Temple Of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth In You? 17 ...; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Cor. 3:16-17)

"The Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit. Grace [be] with you." (2 Timothy 4:22 (Darby) (NOTE that "(be)" is in parenthesis because It was incorrectly inserted by the translators since it is not in the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.) Christ lives in the spirits of every grace believer.

Under grace today, believers can and should turn their heart to Christ within them.

The 2nd SABBATH DAY Conflict - Jesus Healing The Man With The Withered Hand

Jesus healing the man with the withered hand demonstrates religion's self-interest and utter lack of genuine care for the man.

"And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he (Jesus) to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him (Jesus), how they might destroy him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes (of Jews) followed him, and he (Jesus) healed them all; 16 And charged them that they should not make him known:" (Matthew 12:10-16)

Jesus said Israel's Sabbath was for man – not for man to serve a law of the Sabbath.

"he (Jesus) said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27):

"These things I have spoken unto you, That In (union with) Me Ye Might Have Peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation (Gk. thlipsis, pressure): but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Hebrews confirms that there is a "rest"… that is free from the "works" demanded by religious law.

"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His Rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Hebrews 4:6 Seeing therefore It Remaineth That Some Must Enter Therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:" (Hebrews 4:1)

"He That Is Entered Into His Rest, He Also Hath Ceased From His Own Works, as God did from his." (4:10)

"For BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH (ALONE); and that (Faith) Not of yourselves: it is the Gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

5 But to him that Worketh Not, but BELIEVETH on him (Jesus) that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)

Paul says, under "the dispensation of the grace of God" today, Sabbath keeping is a non-issue.

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body (reality) is of Christ." (Col 2:17)