Matthew 12:5-6

Jesus’ second argument came from Numbers 28:9-10. Technically the priests broke the Sabbath every week by changing the consecrated bread and by offering the burnt offerings the Law specified for that day. However the Law considered the priests guiltless for doing this "work" on the Sabbath.

Jesus claimed that something greater than the temple was present. He used the neuter "something" to refer to His authority because He wanted to stress a quality about the temple, its authority, that He as an individual shared with the temple. [Note: Turner, p. 21.] What is greater than the temple as a symbol of authority is Messiah, a superior authority. Another point of comparison was that God came to meet with His people in the temple and in Immanuel.

In Jesus’ argument the temple was greater than the Sabbath. However, now something greater than the temple was there, namely, Messiah, and specifically, His authority. Consequently Messiah takes precedence over the Sabbath. The Pharisees not only mishandled the Law, but they also failed to perceive who Jesus was. As the temple’s authority shielded the priests from guilt, so Jesus’ authority as Messiah shielded His disciples from guilt. Jesus was not comparing but contrasting the priests’ authority and His authority.

"In truth, the reason why David was blameless in eating the shew-bread was the same as that which made the Sabbath-labour of the priests lawful. The Sabbath-Law was not one merely of rest, but of rest for worship. The Service of the Lord was the object in view. The priests worked on the Sabbath, because this service was the object of the Sabbath; and David was allowed to eat of the shew-bread, not because there was danger to life from starvation, but because he pleaded that he was on the service of the Lord and needed this provision. The disciples, when following the Lord, were similarly on the service of the Lord; ministering to Him was more than ministering in the Temple, for He was greater than the Temple." [Note: Edersheim, The Life . . ., 2:58.]