Did Jesus do away with the Sabbath?

[Hobie]

o When the Son of God came, He kept the seventh day all His life.Luke 4:16 "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 for to read.¨ Thus Jesus followed His Father's example at creation. Shall we not be safe in following the example of both the Father and the Son?

o The Ten Commandments were not part of Moses’ ceremonial law as Exodus 19, 20, and 31 clearly show. Also, there are many Bible references that show there was a distinguishment made between the Commandments and that of Moses’ book of the law.

o Instead of abolishing the Sabbath, Jesus carefully taught how it should be observed.Matthew 12:1-13

o Jesus is also known as the Lord of the Sabbath.Matthew 12:8. Why be Lord of something you were going to abolish?

o Christ instructed His apostles that the Sabbath should be prayerfully regarded forty years after His resurrection.Matthew 24:20. When one reads all of Matt 24 they’ll see that Jesus was warning the disciples of the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem – which occurred about 40 years after His resurrection. Are we to believe that Christ didn’t know when this siege would take place?

o Thirty years after Christ's resurrection, the Holy Spirit expressly calls it "the Sabbath day." Acts 13:14-16.Sounds like the Sabbath was still in effect even then, well after Christ's death.

o The New Testament alone mentions the Sabbath day no less than 84 times - sounds like God is trying to tell us something. And never once is there a change of the Sabbath day to any other nor was it abolished.

o Luke 23:56 - And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Jesus' own mother observed the Sabbath AFTER Jesus died. If He had changed or done away with the Sabbath day (having nailed it to the cross), wouldn't His own mother have known it? She was a follower of the Messiah; Mary was certainly a Christian despite her ethnicity, just as Christians all over the world are.

He kept the seventh day all His life, and Christ is our example, and He says to keep the Commandments.

[Hobie]

The book of Hebrews uses creative comparisons to emphasize to its Jewish audience that the weekly Sabbath is a reminder of something more than just that God was the Israelites’ Creator and the One who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt.

After a close examination of all the verses you'll see that Paul did something very clever when talking to the Jews here in Hebrews, he weaves together three themes of “rest”: 1) the rest promised to Israel from enemies, 2) the weekly Sabbath, and 3) the spiritual rest through Christ. One of these kinds of “rest” does not preempt or nullify any of the others as we will see in this study.
Let’s start off with the verses in Hebrews and then take it from there:

Hebrews 4:1-11:(KJV)
1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:3-11 affirms that physical ‘Sabbath rest’(sabbatismos) is the weekly outward manifestation of the inner experience of spiritual rest (katapausis) in which the final…rest is…experienced already ‘today’(4:7). Thus ‘Sabbath rest’ combines in itself creation-commemoration, salvation-experience, and eschaton [end-time]-anticipation as the community of faith moves forward toward the final consummation of total restoration and rest.”

We do have a spiritual rest in Christ – I do not doubt that at all. The main point of this study is to reveal to the reader that there is also a physical rest that we are to observe and that our rest in Christ is not the same as the seventh-day Sabbath rest. One of the main texts that describes the “rest” that Christ gives us is found in Matthew 11:28-30:

Matthew 11:28-30 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. " 30"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The word Christ used in verse 28 is anapauo, which means (Strong’s #373)

1) to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength

2) to give rest, refresh, to give one's self rest, take rest

3) to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation

[Hobie]

Christ did not use the words sabbaton nor sabbatismos, for He wasn’t talking of the Sabbath at all. If Christ had meant that He was to become the new Sabbath He would have used one of those words else He would have confused everyone, including His disciples. The clear fact of the matter is Christ was telling them exactly what He said, that He would give them spiritual rest from sin. There is nothing in His statement, or those that follow, that indicate He was talking about Sabbath at all. As such, those that say “Christ is my Sabbath” really haven’t studied the texts; I’m sorry to say it that way but it is the only honest observation that can be made. In fact, I have looked at most of the available Bible translations and here is what I found:

The WEB, RKJNT, ASV, BBE, BWE, DBY, KJV, WBS, WEY, YLT, LITV, NIV, NAS, AMP, CEV, ESV, MSG, NLT, NLV, ISV, K21, NAB, RSV, NRS, ALT, GMT, CSB, and the NCV (28 in all) all render anapauo as “rest”; only the Douay-Rheims Bible (RHE) renders it differently as “refresh”. Notice that not a single Bible version makes the claim, even the expanded Bible versions, that Christ meant the Sabbath in this verse.

Wesley’s commentary on verse 28 reads as follows and I concur with his statement here

“Come to me - Here he shows to whom he is pleased to reveal these things to the weary and heavy laden; ye that labour - After rest in God: and are heavy laden - With the guilt and power of sin: and I will give you rest - I alone (for none else can) will freely give you (what ye cannot purchase) rest from the guilt of sin by justification, and from the power of sin by sanctification.”

Wesley’s conclusion is right on target. Notice that he does not even hint that the “rest” equates to the Sabbath in this verse.

[Hobie]

The reasoning used for the "Jesus is my Sabbath" belief is actually based on a play on words; since Sabbath is called a "rest" in the scriptures and then Christ states "He will give us rest" then that must mean Christ IS our Sabbath! Now wait, does this actually make logical sense? Does Jesus say that "He is our rest" or does He say "He will give us rest"? Clearly Christ said He will give us this rest, not that He is that rest. In studying this verse we also need to look at the verb being used "will give". "Will give" denotes a future action not a present one. Could it be that Christ was actually talking about His second advent? For that is when He comes with His rewards (Revelation 22:12).

The book of Hebrews is addressed to converted Jews to explain the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant for there was much confusion as we would expect. The Sabbath and circumcision have long been considered two of the cardinal tenets of Judaism, identifying the Jews as “the people of god.” However, by the time of Christ, the meaning of the Sabbath had become buried under a mountain of do’s and don’ts. The Sabbath had become a heavy burden as Sabbath-keeping degenerated into the bondage of legalism, perpetuated by the narrow-minded scribes and Pharisees. Jesus Christ condemned these human traditions and set the example of how to keep the Sabbath as God’s gift to mankind (Mark 2:27,28). What could be more appropriate to the book of Hebrews than the elevation of the Sabbath to its full meaning and intent in the plan of God?

So the Sabbath retains its Old Covenant meanings that identify God’s specially sanctified people (“the people of God”) and pointing them back to God as Creator. Added to that is the New Covenant meaning of entering into another rest through Christ, the anti-type that fulfilled the type of the rest given to Israel during Joshua’s time (Hebrews 4:8). This spiritual rest begins now in this life and reaches its consummation in the resurrection to eternal life at the return of Christ (Revelation 20:6).

It is plain enough that the Sabbath Commandment is still alive and in great need of remembering, just as the commandment itself states.

Exodus 20:4 - Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, not thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

[Hobie]

Jesus made statements that confirm the Sabbath in the New Covenant.

Matthew 12:8 "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.''

Mark 2:27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Matthew 12:12 "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.''

Mark 3:4 And He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?'' But they kept silent.

Luke 6:9 Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?''

The early church all the way up to 321AD, during the reign of Emperor Constantine, kept the Sabbath holy. "Unquestionably the first law, either ecclesiastical or civil, by which the sabbatical observance of Sunday is known to have been ordained is the sabbatical edict of Constantine, A.D. 32I." Chambers" Encyclopedia, Article "Sunday."

So did Jesus abolish the fourth commandment after His death?

The scripture shows the answer, ABSOLUTELY NOT!
"And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:55,56.

The faithful women rested on the Sabbath day. They knew they could not embalm the body of Christ on the Lord''s Day. No work was done until Sunday morning, the resurrection day.

Jesus never stated that after His death, the Sabbath would be changed and celebrated on Sunday.

[Hobie]

Here is a good article to go over on this issue...http://www.imsmedia.org/books-about-sabbath/history-of-the-sabbath

[OldDad]

And here's another: http://www.gotquestions.org/Saturday-Sunday.html

[Hobie]

Now as to the claim the Bible Sabbath didn’t exist before the time of the Jews. That it wasn’t even known until it was given on Mount Sinai, in the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20." Some point to the fact that the Sabbath is included in the Ten Commandments, in Exodus 20, saying it proves that it was not known by human beings before then.

They overlook that it says to 'Remember' the Sabbath as the Sabbath was given to mankind at the conclusion of Creation Week. "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 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."—Genesis 2:2-3. When God created man, He did not leave him to wander around, trying to figure out his own moral rules. He is a far better Father than that. He explained, to our first parents, the Moral Law; and they, in turn, shared this information with their descendants.

There can be no sin where there is no law for sin is the transgression of the law: "Where no law is, there is no transgression."—Romans 4:15. "Sin is not imputed [reckoned or counted] when there is no law."—Romans 5:13. "Sin is the transgression of the law."—1 John 3:4. For it is only by the law that we have a knowledge of sin: "For by the law is the knowledge of sin."—Romans 3:20. "I had not known sin, but by the law."—Romans 7:7. And there was so much sin, violence and transgression of God’s law by the time of Noah that, for this reason the wicked, were destroyed by the Flood (Gen 6:5-7, 11, 13). Sin was in the world before the Law was given on Sinai—and the Law was in the world before that time also: "For until the law sin was in the world,—but sin is not imputed [considered as sin] when there is no law" (Romans 5:13). Adam sinned (Romans 5:12), and so did Cain (Genesis 4:7,10-11), and the Sodomites (Genesis 13:12-13; 2 Peter 2:6). But, like Noah, Abraham was different than others in the world—he obeyed God and His laws. He received special approval by the Lord "because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5).

Before reaching Mount Sinai (which occurred in Exodus 19:1), the people of God were tested as to whether they would obey the Sabbath Commandment that they obviously already knew about.

Thoughtfully read Exodus 16. It was at that time that the people were first given the manna. The giving of this special food (which continued to be given to them for forty years) was clearly an ongoing test of their willingness to keep God’s holy Sabbath. "That I [the Lord] may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or no" (Exodus 16:4). "And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread .. And he [Moses] said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord" (verses 22-23; cf. 24-25). "Six days shall ye gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses,‘How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws’" (verses 26-28; cf. 29-30, 35)?

From all the above evidence, it is clear that God did not wait 2,500 years after Creation to give the people a moral code to govern their lives. "Sin is the transgression of the law."—1 John 3:4. Where there is no law there is no sin. Each of these four verses says that: Romans 4:15; 5:13; 3:20; 7:7. Yet there was sin from Adam onward (Romans 5:12; Genesis 4:7,10-11; Genesis 2:7-8; 2 Peter 2:7, 8). Abraham obeyed God’s commandments (Genesis 26:5). That is what set him apart. May you and I be different too: willing to obey God in a world which does not consider obedience to be very important.



Now did Jesus infer or say that  the Sabbath was just for the Jews? Or did God?

o It is not a Jewish institution, for it was made about 2,300 years before Jews existed, right at creation.Genesis 2:2-3. To say the Sabbath is just for Jews is to say that marriage is just for the Jews as well since both the Sabbath and marriage were given to Adam and Eve in the beginning.
o The Bible never calls it the Jewish Sabbath, but always "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God" or "my Sabbath¨(meaning it is God's Sabbath).
o Mark 2:27 - And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:
(Made for who? MAN! That is a silly way to spell Jew or Israelite.)“Man” here means mankind.
o God has pronounced a special blessing on all the Gentiles who will keep it.Isaiah 56:6,7

As you can see the Sabbath was a gift for man, set aside as a Holy, Sanctified and Hallowed special day so man could enjoy it and be blessed and rest from his work and come closer to his Creator...