Jesus and the Sabbath




Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever.   Exodus 31:16 9

And he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."  Luke 6:5


Most denominations teach that honoring the Sabbath is now not biblical and was part of Old Testament Jewish law as found in the Law of Moses.  That is simply not true according to the word of God as seen in the scriptures. The first mention of the Sabbath was in Genesis 2:3

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Notice that God made a distinct action in “blessing” and “sanctifying" the Sabbath Day.

God sanctified this day as the supreme lawgiver and as the Creator.   The Sabbath command was one of the only two commands given in the Garden of Eden and was an element of obedience.


In Exodus 16:23,30 we see the Sabbath also was in place before the Law of Moses

"Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD...So the people rested on the seventh day".  Exodus 16:23,30

Jesus kept the Sabbath and repeatedly taught on the Sabbath and emphasized that the Sabbath was not just for rest, but also a time to do good and a time to learn

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.  Luke 4:16

And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath,  Luke 4:31

And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  —so that they might accuse him.  He said to them,  "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value is a man than a sheep!  So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."   Matthew 12:10-12

Jesus also said that He was Lord of the Sabbath

"So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath".  Luke 2:28

Also notice Christ's prophesy on the last days clearly warning His future believers to pray this

And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be   Luke 2:28

The Sabbath was also still in place after the death of Christ

Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment  Luke 23:56

The Bible shows that Paul and the apostles also did keep the Sabbath

...the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.  Acts 13:42-44

It is abundantly clear that all throughout the New Testament the Sabbath was kept by Christ, the Apostles, and the Jewish and Gentile believers.

In 321 A.D. Sunday was declared to be the official day of rest and worship instead of the true Sabbath which was commanded by God. This was done to appease the Roman pagan population who were used to worshiping their false sun god Sol Invictus on that day.

Here are some interesting quotes

“Sunday is a Catholic institution and its claim to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles...From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.” Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, August 1900.

“Sunday is our mark or authority...the church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.” Catholic Record of London, Ontario, September 1, 1923.

“It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.” Priest Brady, in an address reported in The News, Elizabeth, New Jersey, March 18, 1903.

“Protestants...accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change...But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that...In observing the Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the Pope.” Our Sunday Visitor, February 15, 1950.


Note that God says the Sabbath will be kept in the Millennium according to Isaiah 66:23

And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another,  And from one Sabbath to another,  All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD.

As we can see from the word of God, the Sabbath is not simply an outdated law from the Old Testament and the Ten Commandments. The Sabbath is an eternal command existing from the creation of man to the Millennium and on to eternity.

The Sabbath day rest is truly forever !