Welcome the Sabbath

Genesis 2:2-3 “2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

The very first Sabbath in written history. After all the work of creation was finished, God rested.

The Sabbath must have been a pretty important idea for God. When God gave Moses the 10 Commandments, it was number 4, Exodus 20:8-11 “8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

The Sabbath is a sign pointing out his goodness toward all people as their Creator, but also showing his mercy toward his chosen people. Ezekiel 20:12 “12 Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”

I want to skip ahead to the New Testament tonight though. We read so often about Jesus’ confrontations with the Jewish religious leaders over sabbath observance. Funny nothing was ever brought up about it at his trial.

But Jesus never saw himself as a sabbath-breaker. He went to the synagogue regularly, where he would read, preach and teach. Mark 1:21 “21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.” Luke 13:10 “10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.”

The issue that Jesus had, was where their tradition departed from biblical teaching and he called the Pharisees out on it. Mark 2:23-26 “23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”

He even went a step further to bring up God’s creation purpose for the Sabbath, Mark 2:27 “27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

Jesus was at odds with the religious leaders because of his healings on the sabbath. The Old Testament did not forbid cures on the sabbath, but the rabbi’s labeled all healing as work which must be avoided unless life was at risk.

I think Jesus knows best, because the sabbath sign post, pointed right to Jesus, Mark 2:28 “28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Nothing of Jesus’ or His disciples’ actions were contrary to the purpose and intent of the Sabbath observance. As such, Jesus was not rewriting the law, but fulfilling and clarifying the original law as described in the Old Testament writings.

Even after the crucifixion of Jesus, the legalism of the Sabbath did not get any better. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he wrote Colossians 2:16 “16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.”

I have heard some other denominational pastors use this verse stating Paul was abolishing the Sabbath concept. But, when you start reading and studying this letter, the text is discussing the misperception that performance of ritual was a pathway to salvation. Paul was arguing that nobody needed to follow any of these things for salvation, for only the grace of God can give us that.

The writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 4:9 “9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,”

If the Sabbath meant so much to God right after his six days of creation…if it meant enough to give it as a commandment to the Hebrews, and as a reminder of bringing them out of slavery…if it meant a lot to Jesus when he walked the earth to keep, where he would read, and teach…shouldn’t it mean a lot to us as well? Just as it was a reminder to the Hebrews about God leading them out of slavery in Egypt, why not use it as a reminder of Jesus leading us out of slavery of sin.

And we don’t need to condemn people for how they observe the Sabbath either. I know some people frown upon me when they hear that sometimes I mow my lawn on the Sabbath. But, I enjoy it, I listen to my worship and praise music, and I have time to talk to God. What is wrong with that?

We just need to sit back and enjoy the Sabbath for what it is. A day that God set aside as holy, a time of rest, a time to worship our triune God, and a time to give him all the glory and praise for what He has done in our lives.