I have been thinking about this Sabbath issue for a while now. It is an issue that has Christendom somewhat divided. A majority believe that the Sabbath is Sunday, while not many believe it is Saturday and was never changed.
I'm just sharing my thoughts on here by the way, and our perspectives ultimately lie with us but I pray that not only I but all of us will come to understand God not only on this Sabbath question but to understand Him overall, and to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
We have been instructed to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy in the 4th commandment:
[8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
[11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11.
The first thing to keep in mind is that, the Sabbath is one of the the 10 commandments, God's Holy Law, which is the standard for righteousness, as is written:
...for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20.
The 10 commandments are that standard and the Sabbath commandment is one of them.
There is nowhere I have seen in the Bible so far, and if I missed it hopefully I will catch it, where it says that God's Law was changed. If God's Law He did not change it Himself, then the 10 commandments continue to stand as His Law with the Sabbath commandment being one of them, as is written:
[7] The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
[8] They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. Psalms 11:7,8.
[17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
[19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-19.
The above are Christ's words and He is telling us that the law He did not change. If there was ever an opportune time, it was when Christ Himself walked this earth among us, to tell us that something as important as the broken Law which he came to die for, had been changed.
Instead He emphasized the immutability of God's Law!
This is something that I don't think many of us consider. Christ came to die for the broken Law that he would make a way for us to be reconciled to Him again. If God wanted to change His Law, He would not have gone to the trouble of becoming a man to die for our sins.
He could have modified the law instead such that we would not be guilty of breaking it. But there was no other way and only by the shedding of blood is there remission of sins, as is written:
[22] And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22.
We are all guilty of breaking His Law and only by the shedding of Christ's blood could we be reconciled to God as is written:
[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23.
[23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23.
... the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4.
He did not modify the law so that we would not be guilty anymore but instead:
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
[17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17.
He did not modify His Law which is unchangeable, but instead sent His begotten Son to die for our sins, that there would still be a way to be reconciled to Him without changing His Law.
That means that His Law is serious business, if not one jot or one tittle shall in any wise pass from it. If He will not change the Law because it has been broken, but rather send the remedy which is Christ, His only begotten Son to die for our sins, that means that His Law is serious business.
So if His commandments stand fast forever, that means His Law as He said Himself, He did not change therefore there is no basis for us to think otherwise.
There is no basis for us to think that the Sabbath was changed thus, because it is one of His 10 commandments.
So what is the Sabbath day then?
In the commandments, it is specified that the Sabbath is the seventh day, which in our case would be Saturday and not Sunday.
The calendar which we use now considers a day from the way it was in the beginning and even as the Jews continued to do.
According to our modern calendar, a day starts at midnight, but according to the way God called a day, it started at dusk and ended at the next dusk. Read this for a little bit more on whether our modern Saturday is the Sabbath. So at dusk would be the ending of one day and the beginning of another as is written:
And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:5.
At the end of each day of Creation, "the evening and the morning" were the end and beginning of another day.
In the new testament we also see this:
[1] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew28:1
[42] And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Mark 15:42
[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[2] And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1, 2.
[54] And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
[55] And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
[56] And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:54-56.
We see some key things in these verses:
1. Dusk was the beginning of another day.
That the transition of a day was as in the beginning, at dusk and not as we count a day at present, that it begins and ends at midnight. So according to the way it had always been done before the changing of the calendar, the Sabbath actually starts at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. That would be the Sabbath.
[1] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew28:1
[42] And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Mark 15:42
[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[2] And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1, 2.
[54] And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
[55] And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
[56] And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:54-56.
2. Jesus was crucified on Friday
We all know that he was crucified on Friday, which was the preparation day or the day of preparation for the Sabbath.
[31] The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. John 19:31.
[54] And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
[55] And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
[56] And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:54-56.
3. Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday
We all know and it is confirmed in the verses that Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday. He was crucifed on Friday (day of Preparation), was in the grave on Saturday and rose on Sunday.
[1] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew28:1
[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[2] And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1, 2.
4. Jesus taught on the Sabbath in the temple and did not mention about any change or that a different Sabbath should be kept.
Jesus told it like it was and if anyone was to speak on the changing of the Sabbath, it would have been Him. He Himself said no change would be made to the Law. The Pharisees were legalistic about the Sabbath and would ask Him about what could and could not be done on the Sabbath, but in those confrontations, He would try to draw them to the deeper meaning of the Sabbath but not once did He mention that it was changed.
[21] And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. Mark 1:21.
[2] And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Mark 6:2.
5. Paul kept the Sabbath and taught the gentiles on Sabbath
He did not mention about any change to His disciples and they continued with the Sabbath as the Hallowed day of the Lord as had always been, and even Paul who was to teach the Gentiles the truth did not mention about any change to them but taught them himself on the Sabbath. So the reason that it was only for the Jews does not apply in this case because Paul, an apostle to the gentiles taught them on that day. Something that important he could have told them if they were to keep a different Sabbath from that which the Jews kept. So if it was only for the Jews only, who better fitting to teach the gentiles that it was changed than Paul Himself who had been called to minister to them?
[14] But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
[27] For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
[42] And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
[44] And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. Acts 13:14,27,42,44.
[19] Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
[20] But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
[21] For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Acts 15:19-21.
[13] And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. Acts 16:13.
[2] And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Acts 17:2.
[4] And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Acts 18:4.
So we have seen that God's Law is unchangeable and He told us that not one jot or tittle will in any wise pass from the Law. The Sabbath is one of His unchangeable commandments. It was not for the Jews only but is for all believers. He did not mention any change of the Sabbath to His disciples and even Paul who called to minister especially to the Gentiles did not mention of a change to the Sabbath and even taught them himself on the Sabbath. So it is not only in the old testament or for the Jews only as some say, but Christ taught on the Sabbath and the disciples continued to keep it after Christ's resurrection.
Will continue next time and God Bless.
I'm just sharing my thoughts on here by the way, and our perspectives ultimately lie with us but I pray that not only I but all of us will come to understand God not only on this Sabbath question but to understand Him overall, and to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
We have been instructed to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy in the 4th commandment:
[8] Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
[11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11.
The first thing to keep in mind is that, the Sabbath is one of the the 10 commandments, God's Holy Law, which is the standard for righteousness, as is written:
...for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20.
The 10 commandments are that standard and the Sabbath commandment is one of them.
There is nowhere I have seen in the Bible so far, and if I missed it hopefully I will catch it, where it says that God's Law was changed. If God's Law He did not change it Himself, then the 10 commandments continue to stand as His Law with the Sabbath commandment being one of them, as is written:
[7] The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
[8] They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. Psalms 11:7,8.
[17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
[19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-19.
The above are Christ's words and He is telling us that the law He did not change. If there was ever an opportune time, it was when Christ Himself walked this earth among us, to tell us that something as important as the broken Law which he came to die for, had been changed.
Instead He emphasized the immutability of God's Law!
This is something that I don't think many of us consider. Christ came to die for the broken Law that he would make a way for us to be reconciled to Him again. If God wanted to change His Law, He would not have gone to the trouble of becoming a man to die for our sins.
He could have modified the law instead such that we would not be guilty of breaking it. But there was no other way and only by the shedding of blood is there remission of sins, as is written:
[22] And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22.
We are all guilty of breaking His Law and only by the shedding of Christ's blood could we be reconciled to God as is written:
[23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23.
[23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23.
... the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4.
He did not modify the law so that we would not be guilty anymore but instead:
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
[17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:16-17.
He did not modify His Law which is unchangeable, but instead sent His begotten Son to die for our sins, that there would still be a way to be reconciled to Him without changing His Law.
That means that His Law is serious business, if not one jot or one tittle shall in any wise pass from it. If He will not change the Law because it has been broken, but rather send the remedy which is Christ, His only begotten Son to die for our sins, that means that His Law is serious business.
So if His commandments stand fast forever, that means His Law as He said Himself, He did not change therefore there is no basis for us to think otherwise.
There is no basis for us to think that the Sabbath was changed thus, because it is one of His 10 commandments.
So what is the Sabbath day then?
In the commandments, it is specified that the Sabbath is the seventh day, which in our case would be Saturday and not Sunday.
The calendar which we use now considers a day from the way it was in the beginning and even as the Jews continued to do.
According to our modern calendar, a day starts at midnight, but according to the way God called a day, it started at dusk and ended at the next dusk. Read this for a little bit more on whether our modern Saturday is the Sabbath. So at dusk would be the ending of one day and the beginning of another as is written:
And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:5.
At the end of each day of Creation, "the evening and the morning" were the end and beginning of another day.
In the new testament we also see this:
[1] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew28:1
[42] And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Mark 15:42
[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[2] And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1, 2.
[54] And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
[55] And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
[56] And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:54-56.
We see some key things in these verses:
1. Dusk was the beginning of another day.
That the transition of a day was as in the beginning, at dusk and not as we count a day at present, that it begins and ends at midnight. So according to the way it had always been done before the changing of the calendar, the Sabbath actually starts at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. That would be the Sabbath.
[1] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew28:1
[42] And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Mark 15:42
[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[2] And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1, 2.
[54] And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
[55] And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
[56] And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:54-56.
2. Jesus was crucified on Friday
We all know that he was crucified on Friday, which was the preparation day or the day of preparation for the Sabbath.
[31] The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. John 19:31.
[54] And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
[55] And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
[56] And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:54-56.
3. Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday
We all know and it is confirmed in the verses that Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday. He was crucifed on Friday (day of Preparation), was in the grave on Saturday and rose on Sunday.
[1] In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Matthew28:1
[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
[2] And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. Mark 16:1, 2.
4. Jesus taught on the Sabbath in the temple and did not mention about any change or that a different Sabbath should be kept.
Jesus told it like it was and if anyone was to speak on the changing of the Sabbath, it would have been Him. He Himself said no change would be made to the Law. The Pharisees were legalistic about the Sabbath and would ask Him about what could and could not be done on the Sabbath, but in those confrontations, He would try to draw them to the deeper meaning of the Sabbath but not once did He mention that it was changed.
[21] And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. Mark 1:21.
[2] And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Mark 6:2.
5. Paul kept the Sabbath and taught the gentiles on Sabbath
He did not mention about any change to His disciples and they continued with the Sabbath as the Hallowed day of the Lord as had always been, and even Paul who was to teach the Gentiles the truth did not mention about any change to them but taught them himself on the Sabbath. So the reason that it was only for the Jews does not apply in this case because Paul, an apostle to the gentiles taught them on that day. Something that important he could have told them if they were to keep a different Sabbath from that which the Jews kept. So if it was only for the Jews only, who better fitting to teach the gentiles that it was changed than Paul Himself who had been called to minister to them?
[14] But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
[27] For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
[42] And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
[44] And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. Acts 13:14,27,42,44.
[19] Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
[20] But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
[21] For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Acts 15:19-21.
[13] And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. Acts 16:13.
[2] And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Acts 17:2.
[4] And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Acts 18:4.
So we have seen that God's Law is unchangeable and He told us that not one jot or tittle will in any wise pass from the Law. The Sabbath is one of His unchangeable commandments. It was not for the Jews only but is for all believers. He did not mention any change of the Sabbath to His disciples and even Paul who called to minister especially to the Gentiles did not mention of a change to the Sabbath and even taught them himself on the Sabbath. So it is not only in the old testament or for the Jews only as some say, but Christ taught on the Sabbath and the disciples continued to keep it after Christ's resurrection.
Will continue next time and God Bless.
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