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Would it surprise you to
know that as late as the writing of the Book of
Revelation (around the year 95 A.D.), the New Testament
Church, both Jewish and Gentile congregations, were
observing the seventh day Sabbath? We know based upon
the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that Jesus
Christ was a Sabbath keeper. Yet some believe He
minimized the Sabbath commandment because he healed
people on the Sabbath day. Others believe Christ changed
the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. There is also the
belief that Christ willfully broke the fourth
commandment to let the Jews know that the Sabbath
command was now abolished. What did Jesus believe about
the seventh-day Sabbath?
Christ’s Custom
You can discern what a person believes by observing his
or her actions. If we want to understand Jesus’ teaching
on the Sabbath question, we need to examine His actions.
One of Christ’s earliest sermons confirms that He kept
the Sabbath. Notice what Jesus’ CUSTOM was as stated in
Luke 4:14-16:
“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to
Galilee, and news of Him went out throughout all the
surrounding region. And he taught in their synagogues
being glorified by all. So he came to Nazareth, where he
had been brought up. AND AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, He went into
the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and stood up to read.
What was the first public action Jesus took after his
forty-day fast and the ensuing temptation by Satan
described in Matthew 4? He went into the synagogue on
the Sabbath day “As His Custom Was…” All his life He
kept the Sabbath day on the seventh day of the week (our
Saturday). He never once kept the weekly Sabbath on
Sunday—not once! It was on the Sabbath day that He said
Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled as He began His public
ministry:
Luke 4:17-19: 17 And there was delivered unto him the
book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the
book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the
acceptable year of the Lord. KJV
If changing the Sabbath to Sunday were on Jesus’ agenda,
He would have certainly prepared the disciples for such
a change. Such a drastic alteration of one of the Ten
Commandments would have taken a lot of explaining on the
part of Jesus. Isn’t it reasonable to conclude that if
Christ changed the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh
day of the week, to Sunday, the first day of the week,
that He would have had many discussions with his
disciples concerning such a major change?
But the Bible is totally silent on this matter. Why? It
may surprise you to know that this change simply never
took place. Had Christ made the announcement that the
Sabbath was to be kept on Sunday, the Jewish community
would have viciously attacked him, even stoned him.
Also, we would have an ample number of scriptures to
turn to that would show us this change took place under
Christ’s direction. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John would
have recorded the disciples’ reactions to this
alteration to the law of God. The silence of the
scriptures on this matter is overwhelming—there is no
evidence, anywhere that Christ changed the Sabbath day
to Sunday.
Did Christ Ever Abolish The 4th Commandment?
Many sincere churchgoers believe Christ’s crucifixion
symbolically nailed the Sabbath command to the cross,
thus abolishing the need to observe the Sabbath. But the
Bible speaks to the contrary: Jesus Himself clearly
stated that He did not come to abolish any
of the Ten Commandments, including Sabbath observance.
Christ actually came to Magnify or enlarge the spiritual
understanding of the commandments of God. Jesus’ own
words were, “Do not think that I came to destroy the
Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to
fulfill. For assuredly I say to you till heaven and
earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no
means pass from the law…”—Matthew 5:17-18.
The Greek word translated fulfill (pleroo) means to fill
to the full, such as filling up a glass to the very top
with water. It means to make totally complete. Christ
came to show the full meaning of the law so we would not
only live by the letter of the law, but also strive to
live by the spirit of the law. There are those who seek
to twist this scripture by saying that since Christ
came, there is no longer a need to live by the law of
God because Jesus fulfilled the law for us. But this
cannot be the explanation of this passage because the
rest of the chapter (Matthew 5) gives us example after
example of how we are to live by the spirit of the law.
For example, Christ taught that a man must not only
refrain from committing physical adultery, he must also
control his mind so as not to look upon a woman with
lust in his heart (verse 27-28). Christ came to magnify
the law and make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21), not to
minimize it or cast it aside. Christ knew humans need
moral principles to live by if they are to have a decent
society. In making the law honorable, he affirmed its
major importance. Jesus gave us the true intent of God’s
Holy Law – to govern the way we both think and act.
Jewish Legalism Does Not Nullify The Sabbath
It is true that religious Jews often attacked Jesus
concerning the Sabbath. But their contention was not
over when Christ kept the Sabbath, but how Christ kept
the Sabbath. The Pharisees and Sadducees were extremely
strict in their observance of the seventh day of the
week--so much so, that they made observing the Sabbath
day a burden by adding all sorts of manmade rules and
regulations. God had intended the Sabbath day to be a
day of rest. It was actually a feast day (see Leviticus
23:2-3), a time when families were to physically desist
from the toils of earning a living and keeping the home,
and instead focus on worshipping God: it was to be an
enjoyable day of fellowship and study. God did not
intend that observance of the Sabbath be so difficult
the observer would have to fearfully focus more on
minute details of how to keep it, rather than enjoy the
refreshment that comes from keeping it within the clear
guidelines God gave them.
You can see from the following example in Luke 6:6-10
that the Jews attacked Jesus over how he kept the
Sabbath, not over what DAY the Sabbath was to be kept or
whether it should be kept at all:
“On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and
taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was
withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to
see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they
might find an accusation against him. Even though he
knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had
the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and
stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it
lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save
life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of
them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did
so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with
fury and discussed with one another what they might do
to Jesus.” NRSV.
Jesus' healing on the Sabbath actually was a sign of who
he was and foreshadowed the miraculous healings to come
when he returns to this earth to establish the Kingdom
of God. Isaiah prophesied of this time yet in the
future: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the
lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb
sing" (Isaiah 35:5, 6).
The Sabbath had become a heavy burden because the
pedantic Scribes and Pharisees had turned Sabbath
observance into a long and impossible list of do’s and
don’ts--something God never intended. Jesus Christ
condemned human laws and traditions that distorted true
worship of His Father (Mark 7:7-8). Yet Jesus never
stopped observing the Sabbath, and even the Apostles,
including Paul, continued to keep the seventh-day
Sabbath all their lives. The Bible states Paul taught
Jews and Gentiles about the hope of the Kingdom of God
on the Sabbath, never once commenting to them that the
Sabbath was, by the way, now changed to Sunday (Acts
13:42-44; 17:1-4).
Keeping The Sabbath Is A Moral Issue
Many professing Christians fall for the poisonous
argument that the Sabbath command was merely a
ritualistic law that ended at the cross; but this line
of thinking is blatantly wrong. First of all, Christ
never said that when He died, the Sabbath Command would
end; or that Sabbath observance would change to Sunday.
Secondly, breaking the Sabbath involves far more than
breaking a minor rule. The Sabbath Command is spiritual
in its intent and purpose--it was not just a ceremonial
law that could be cast aside on a whim. And because
Christ was Lord of the Sabbath (See Mark 2:28), He alone
could nullify it or change it. Rather than changing it,
however, as stated earlier, he fulfilled and confirmed
it by setting the example of keeping the Sabbath for us.
Most would never think of missing an important
anniversary date, ignoring a loved father on Father’s
Day, or missing an important social function. But many
people ignore God when He tells them to keep His Sabbath
Holy. God considers violating the Sabbath command a
blatant act of rebellion. Read Isaiah 58:13-14. How does
God tell us to honor Him? This passage makes it plain:
“If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from
pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call
the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD
HONORABLE; if you HONOR it, not going your own ways,
serving your own interests, or pursuing your own
affairs; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I
will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will
feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for
the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Morally, the Sabbath, along with all of the
commandments, teaches humans how to live decent, orderly
lives. Just setting aside one day to worship God
prevents greed from over-sweeping individuals. It also
keeps observant individuals mindful of the reality of
God and their relationship to him. It promotes humility
in the human mind when one takes time every Sabbath to
focus on God’s greatness and that He is the creator.
Worshipping Him when He tells us to, not when we choose
to, goes a long way to remove pride from the human
heart. Obedience is required in the keeping of the
Sabbath; and as is obvious, there are few who truly are
obedient to God today. Whether to honor or not to honor
the Creator of the whole universe is indeed a serious
moral decision.
If you have been told that the Sabbath is not part of
the “Moral law”, think again! Morality concerns itself
with behavior. Obedience and honor toward your Creator
are moral actions, and there is none more deserving of
honor than God. We learn to honor God on the seventh day
of every week by ceasing from our physical labors and
spending time studying His word, going to Church, and
fellowshipping with those whom God has called (Hebrews
10:25). Ignoring the Sabbath command is tantamount to
saying to God, “I choose neither to respect nor revere
You!” Christ set the example for us by carefully
observing the Sabbath.
God’s Chosen Sign
Most do not realize the Sabbath is a sign that
Identifies God and those who belong to Him. The
identifying sign of God’s people was the keeping of the
Holy Sabbath, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday
(Leviticus 23:32). In the Bible, evening began when the
sun went down (Nehemiah 13:19; Mark 1:32). It should be
noted that only God could make a day holy. To decide to
keep any other day “holy” is an act of either ignorance
or flagrant presumption. The Sabbath command is found in
several places in the Bible, including these important
covenantal scriptures in Exodus 31:13, 17:
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: surely My
Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and
you throughout your generations, that you may know that
I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the
Sabbath, therefore it is holy to you.” Verse 17
continues by stating…”It [the Sabbath] is a sign between
Me and the children of Israel FOREVER; for in six days
the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the
seventh day He rested and was refreshed.
Notice verse 17 of this special Sabbath covenant, "It
is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever:
for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on
the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed" (Ex.
31:17). It was on the seventh day of the creation
week that He rested from the work of creation. God did
not rest on Sunday, the first day of the week.
Therefore, the Sabbath Day reminds us that God is our
creator, and it is for this important reason that only
the seventh day of the week can be thought of as
consistently significant. Creation is the proof of
God—the act of creating identifies Him as OUR Creator.
The Sabbath is a sign from God that reminds His people,
“I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator….” (Isaiah
43:15)
Let’s not underestimate the importance of the Sabbath in
the lives of Jesus and His disciples—Christ taught His
disciples to live by EVERY word of God (Matthew 4:4).
Changing the Sabbath would have been tantamount to
worshipping a different God and changing the scripture.
Sabbath Violation And National Captivity
Jesus and His disciples understood the Sabbath command
was essential for worshipping the TRUE God because it
identified who the true God was and is. He and the
disciples were well aware of Israel’s history. In
Israel’s past the pagan nations surrounding Israel
worshipped a wide and strange array of humanly devised
gods; and they gave their gods names such as Baal,
Chemosh, Ashtoreth and Molech. In time the Israelites
contaminated themselves with the worship of these false
gods, violating God’s Holy Sabbath. Ignoring the Sabbath
was no small offense to God. Israel’s breaking of His
Holy Sabbath so angered God that He thrust Israel and
Judah into national captivity. We read of God’s fury and
the punishment of His people in Ezekiel 20:12-13, 18-20:
“Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between
me and them, so that they might know that I the LORD
sanctify them. But the house of Israel rebelled against
me in the wilderness; they did not observe my statutes
but rejected my ordinances, by whose observance everyone
shall live; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned.
I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not
follow the statutes of your parents, nor observe their
ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I
the LORD am your God; follow my statutes, and be careful
to observe my ordinances, and hallow my sabbaths that
they may be a sign between me and you, so that you may
know that I the LORD am your God. But the children
rebelled against me; they did not follow my statutes,
and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose
observance everyone shall live; they profaned my
sabbaths”.
An important point to remember is that in Ezekiel 20,
God calls them MY SABBATHS. They were not just the
Sabbaths of the Jews. They were God’s Sabbaths. The
weekly (Saturday Sabbath) and annual Sabbaths (Holy Days
of Leviticus 23) were created and made holy by God. As
mentioned earlier, later in history, during Christ’s
ministry, Jesus referred to himself as being “Lord of
the Sabbath”—Mark 2:28. As the Lord or ruler of the
Sabbath, Christ alone had the authority to regulate the
Sabbath law and determine what day of the week the
Sabbath was to fall on. Even to the day He died, Christ
never relinquished his title as LORD of the Sabbath. He
never cried out from the cross saying He was finished
with the old Law and now would make the First Day Holy.
Conclusion
The Sabbath is a binding law that reminds God’s people
they are His people, and He is their God! Nations
surrounding ancient Israel worshipped their gods on
various days utilizing different pagan customs. That
practice continues down to this day, with most people
receiving their religious practices from their
familiars, not from the Bible. The Bible, however, tells
us God has only one specific weekly day of worship--the
Sabbath day; and we are commanded to rest on that day.
The Sabbath is a sign from God that reminds His people
He is their creator. God alone chose the seventh day to
sanctify because he wanted us to finish every week by
honoring and worshipping Him. In doing so, He knew we
would never forget our special relationship to Him as
the one from whom we receive the gift and blessings of
life, both physical and spiritual. Man never has nor
ever will have the authority to make Sunday or any other
day of the week holy. The seventh day of the week stands
alone as being unique.
Many have questioned whether God changed the Sabbath
from Saturday to Sunday. Our free booklet, God’s Holy
Sabbath, addresses this question in depth. We invite
you to download our booklet from our website, or if you
would like a hard copy, you may order it online or call
our toll free number at 1-877-449-6753 to request your
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