Jesus and the Sabbath We’re certainly interested in knowing for sure which day Jesus observed as the Sabbath. We won’t consider our own convenience in this question at all. If Jesus kept Wednesday holy, then we want to keep that same day. If He commanded the observance of Tuesday, we’re all willing to make that our Sabbath. Personally, I’m not particular which day it is so long as I know that it’s the one He blessed and kept. Our purpose now is to approach the Word of God with an unbiased, sincere mind in order to find the truth on this question and know for sure which day is holy. Which day did Jesus observe? Luke 4:16 tells us, “And 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 for to read.” Because most of the Christian world keeps Sunday as a day of rest and worship, we will investigate the Bible authority for this practice. If the Scriptures teach Sunday- keeping, then certainly we ought to be in the forefront to stand right with it. It’s only right and honest that we give careful study to every mention of the first day of the week in the New Testament before making any decision. There are only eight references to Sunday, and we will consider them separately. If there is any authority, it is bound to appear in one of these Scripture texts. Let’s read first in Mark 16:9. “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.” Here we have the simple historical account of the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week. The crucifixion, as we know, took place on Friday afternoon, and Jesus rested in the tomb over the Sabbath. Early on the first day of the week, Sunday, he rose from the grave. This forms the basis for the observance of Easter Sunday. Mary was one of the first to discover that He was risen when she came seeking Him early that morning. Notice verses 1 and 2 of the same chapter. “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. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.” One interesting thing about this text, friends, is that it contains no intimation that Sunday was to be a special day of rest. The Sabbath was past when the first day of the week had come, making it plain to see that Sabbath and Sunday are two different days altogether. Now let’s turn to Luke 23:54-56; 24:1. “And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.” This is simply another reference to the events of the resurrection day. The women came to see the body of Jesus on Friday afternoon and then returned to their homes to prepare spices for the actual burying. And what did they do on the next day, Saturday? Notice the wording, they “rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.” And according to the commandment, “the seventh day is the sabbath,” so these women knew nothing about any change of the Sabbath. They saved their work until the Sabbath was past, then came early the first day of the week to prepare the body for burial. Please remember that this account was written about 35 years afterward, giving plenty of time for any change of the Sabbath to be known by all. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the gospel writers would have made clear any new institution in the matter of Sabbath observance. Since all the gospels contain a consistent record of faithful seventh-day Sabbath-keeping, there is absolutely no intimation of first-day observance.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 07:06:50 +0000
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