V.2 Jesus is the Preacher.
V.11 The Healer.
V.17 The Caller.
V.19 The Bridegroom.
V.28 The Lord of the Sabbath.
V.1-12 The consciousness of our need, and the confidence in the love, grace and power of the Lord combine to bring about this deliverance from sickness and sin, the true root of all evils (Psa. 103:33Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; (Psalm 103:3)). God delights to forgive.
V.14-17 Matthew (Levi) was a Jew and a tax-collector for the Romans. The Jews hated to acknowledge that a Gentile nation was over them, the people of God. But they detested a Jew who would work with the Romans. The scribes and Pharisees raise the question as to how it could be possible that a righteous teacher would sit and eat with unclean men and sinners. Grace is the opposite to law, with all its hardness.
V.15 They eat, but then they follow Jesus!
V.18-22 Jesus is the Bridegroom. He was present, so His followers did not fast. But later they would, for the joy of His presence would be turned into sorrow by His absence. The other reason is this: it was impossible to mix two systems, Christianity and Judaism. The new wine — the true and the spiritual power of Christianity — could not be put into the old bottles — the old institutions and ceremonies of Judaism. If done it would destroy the bottles. Sad to say, present day Christianity has taken on many of the Old Testament ceremonies, rituals, music, ministers and altars thus adapting itself to appeal to the old nature in us.
V.23-28 The Sabbath, the last day of the week, was a sign of God’s rest in the first creation. It also was a sign of the covenant (agreement) He had made with Israel. Because of sin, man can never share this rest with God. God tried again, and gave man a covenant, the law, but immediately they broke it by building the golden calf. Then finally, they crucified God’s Son. The only Man, God could have communion with the Son of His love the Lord of the Sabbath. From man’s side, all was broken and finished. David is used here as a picture of the same point. The Sabbath the sign of the first covenant was broken and so disappears. Christianity is founded on a new work — the cross of Christ. He remained dead over the Sabbath and rose on the first day of the week — the Lord’s Day, Sunday. So resurrection is the beginning of the new creation.