Jesus has just defended his disciples for plucking grain on the Sabbath, arguing that human need and mercy take precedence over rigid ceremonial observance. He cited examples from David eating the showbread and priests working on the Sabbath, declaring himself Lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees, already hostile to Jesus's interpretation of Sabbath law, have been seeking grounds to accuse him of violating their traditions. This confrontation has intensified the religious leaders' opposition to Jesus's ministry and teaching authority. The tension between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding proper Sabbath observance has reached a critical point, setting the stage for another direct challenge to their legalistic approach. Jesus is now entering a synagogue where this conflict will continue to unfold.
[9] Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. [10] And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.
[11] Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? [12] Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” [13] Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. [14] Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.
[15] But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
Paul has been explaining how believers have died to sin and are no longer under the law but under grace. He emphasized that sin shall not have dominion over Christians because they are not under law but under grace, and he warned against using this freedom as a license to sin. He clarified that believers are slaves to righteousness, having been freed from slavery to sin, and that the wages of sin is death while God's gift is eternal life. Paul now transitions to illustrate the believer's relationship to the law through the analogy of marriage, showing how death releases one from legal obligations. Paul is addressing the Roman Christians, particularly those familiar with Jewish law.
[1] Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? [2] For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. [3] So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. [4] Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. [5] For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. [6] But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
[7] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” [8] But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. [9] I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. [10] And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. [11] For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.