The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath

The Bible says, “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath,” a declaration stated in Matthew 12:8 and echoed in Mark 2:28. The word or idea recurs in at least 5 verses across 2 books and 3 episodes.

In the Matthew passages, the text also quotes, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13). It says that failure to understand those words led to condemning the innocent (Matthew 12:7), and it states that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:12).