Are Christians Supposed to Keep the Sabbath?
God Orders that the Sabbath must be kept
In the Law given to Moses (pbuh) God orders that the Sabbath must be kept holy and no work must be done on this day. God made the Sabbath so important that he ordered that anyone who breaks the law and does not observe the Sabbath must be put to death and cut off from the people.
Deuteronomy 5:14
14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.
Leviticus 23:3
3 “ ‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the LORD.
Exodus 20:8-11
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping 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, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy
Exodus 31:14
14 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.
Jesus (pbuh) always kept the Sabbath
Jesus (pbuh) obeyed God’s law and always kept the Sabbath. On the Sabbath day Jesus (pbuh) regularly taught in the temple.
JOHN 15:10
10 If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
MARK 6:2
2 And when the Sabbath day came, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From where has this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given to him, that even such mighty works are done by his hands?
MATTHEW 9:35
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
MATTHEW 4:23
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
LUKE 13:10
10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
LUKE 4:16
16 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 to read.
LUKE 6:6
6 And it came to pass on another Sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
LUKE 4:31
31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days.
Here are more important facts
- Did Jesus ever break the Sabbath Commandment? The answer is no. “I have kept my Father’s commandments” (John 15:10)
- “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4) – We know that Jesus (pbuh) has never sinned.
- As Jesus was “made under the law” (Galatians 4:4) he would never sin.
Jesus (pbuh) taught us to keep the commandments
MATTHEW 5:17-19
17 Do not think that I came to destroy the law, or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18 For amen I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whoever 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 whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
MATTHEW 19:16-19
16 And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said to him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He says to him, Which? Jesus said, You shall not commit murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
19 Honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbour as yourself.
MATTHEW 23:1-3
1 Then spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 All therefore whatever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not you do after their works: for they say, and do not do.
MARK 10:17-19
17 And when he had gone into the way, there came one running, and kneeled down to him, and asked him, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.
LUKE 18:18-20
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? none is good, except one, that is, God.
20 You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.
Matthew 5:15
“Whoever therefore shall break one of these shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
The early church started to change the teachings of Jesus (pbuh)
- Historical Context: Early Christians were primarily Jewish and observed the Sabbath. However, as the movement spread to Gentile (non-Jewish) populations, the practices began to change.
- Resurrection of Jesus: The primary reason for the shift from Saturday to Sunday is the belief in the resurrection of Jesus, which is said to have occurred on a Sunday. This day became known as the “Lord’s Day.”
- Early Church Practices: Early Christian writings and documents, such as the Didache and writings from church fathers, indicate that Christians began gathering on Sunday for worship, viewing it as a day of celebration and rest.
- Council of Laodicea (4th Century): This council encouraged Christians to honor Sunday instead of the Sabbath. It reinforced the practice of gathering for worship on Sunday and discouraged the observance of the Jewish Sabbath.
- Diversity of Practice: Throughout history, different Christian denominations have developed varying views on the observance of the Sabbath, with many adhering to Sunday as their day of worship while others may emphasize rest on different days or not at all.
- Cultural Integration: As Christianity spread and became the dominant religion in various regions, practices and customs often integrated with local cultures, further solidifying Sunday as the primary day of worship.
In summary, Christians do not typically keep the Sabbath on Saturday primarily due to the resurrection of Jesus, early church practices, and historical developments within Christianity that established Sunday as the new day of worship. This shows how the creation of Christianity has left the teachings of Jesus and God’s Law to establish their own teachings thus defying God’s Law and Jesus (pbuh) teachings. According to the law, Christians are considered sinners and the least in the kingdom of Heaven for the breaking of the law. In the strictest sense, those who break the law according to Exodus 31:14 must be put to death.