The Sabbath

By John Sun

The Fourth Commandment

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then he rested on the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11 NLT)

Lets find out the Words of God in the New Testament regarding the Sabbath:

1. ‘I did not come to abolish the law’

Jesus said: “Don’t misunderstand why I (Jesus) have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you – unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!” (Matthew 5:17-20)

2. ‘Obey all of the Lord’s commandments’

“Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist) was a member of the priestly order of Abijah. His wife, Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist), was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.” (Luke 1:5-6 NLT)

3. “It is stronger and more permanent than heaven and earth“

“Until John the Baptist began to preach, the laws of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached and eager multitudes are forcing their way in. But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force in even the smallest point. It is stronger and more permanent than heaven and earth.” (Luke 16:16-17 NLT)

4. Jesus Preached on the Sabbath Day

“Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Soon he became well known throughout the surrounding country. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.”(Luke 4:14-16 NLT)

“Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum, and every Sabbath day he went into the synagogue and taught the people.” (Mark 1:21 NLT)

5. ‘they rested all that day as required by the law’

“He (a good and righteous man named Joseph) went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation for the Sabbath.

As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where they placed his body. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him. But by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the law. (Luke 23:52-56 NLT)

6. “Pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

In Matthew 24:20, Jesus told His disciples many signs about His Second Coming and the end of the world. Jesus made the above statement because He expected that all God’s believers would keep the Sabbath Day holy as the Fourth Commandment – until the end of the world.

7. After the Resurrection of Jesus

“Now (after the resurrection of Jesus) Paul and those with him left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. But Barnabas and Paul traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia.

On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services.” (Acts 13:13-14 NLT)

“As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he interpreted the Scriptures to the people. He was explaining and proving the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead. He said, ‘This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.’” (Acts 17:2-3 NLT)

“Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.” (Acts 18:4 NLT)

The day of worshiping God had been changed from the Sabbath Day (Saturday) to Sunday in about 320 A.D. by man, not God.

Jesus said: “NOT ALL PEOPLE WHO SOUND RELIGIOUS ARE REALLY GODLY. THEY MAY REFER TO ME AS ‘LORD’, BUT THEY STILL WON’T ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THE DECISIVE ISSUE IS WHETHER THEY OBEY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN.” (Matthew 7:21 NLT)