JESUS AND THE SABBATH

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 4:16)

And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Mark 2:27, 28)

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. (Luke 23:54-24:1)

It's exciting to think that God is so perfect and that His law is so perfect that even he didn’t break it. Why did He rise until Sunday? The biblical Sabbath has always started on Friday at sundown. That is why Friday is the day of preparation (on Friday the Israelites picked up double portion of manna in the desert). On the day of preparation (Friday) the women prepared the spices and ointments, however, if Jesus nailed the law to the cross why didn't they prepare Christ's body on Saturday? The women instead rested on Saturday according to the commandment and brought ointments and species until Sunday. Jesus himself even while establishing the plan of salvation for all humanity rested on Saturday and resurrected on Sunday. At no time did Jesus say that because of his resurrection on Sunday that would now be the day of worship. He had many opportunities to make this change but instead these were the words He uttered,

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever 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 whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

It is terrible to think that Jesus was mistaken or that he lied when he said, until heaven and earth pass, not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law. He did not say that after his death the law would change or that after his death we would no longer be under law but until heaven and earth pass away! Do you dare to go against the words pronounced by Jesus himself?

Jesus told his disciples:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (John 14:12)

If we believe in Jesus and believe in his works which included keeping the Sabbath holy then we will also do the same works. Then He continues,

If ye love me, keep my commandments... He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him... If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (John 14:15, 21; 15:10)

I also mention how Jesus summarizes the 10 commandments,

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40)

I begin by saying that the question of the great commandment was made to tempt Jesus. But in his wisdom He summarized the ten commandments into two. Notice He concludes, "on these two commandments hang all the law." He says, this is the basis of the law! Why? For if we love God:

* We will not worship other gods

* We will not make image or any likeness

* We will not take His name in vain and,

* We remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

If we love our neighbor:

* We will honor our father and our mother

* We will not kill

* We will not commit adultery

* We will not steal

* We will not speak false testimony and

* We will not covet.

Do not forget that Jesus did not come to change the law but to fulfill it and until heaven and earth has passed not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law. For Jesus himself did not change the law but fulfilled it, NO ONE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE LAW, NO ONE!

Finally in the last days Jesus said:

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (Matthew 24:20)

Why if the Sabbath has been changed does He tell the remnant to pray so our flight will not be on Saturday? Christ loves us and if we love Him we'll keep His commandments.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3)

The commandments are not burdensome not even the Sabbath which is the sign that the Lord is our God. Ezekiel 20:12

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 58:13, 14)

It should never be said that the Sabbath is a burden. I hope that the holy Sabbath, a commemoration of God our creator, is always a delight for us!

JESUS IS COMING!

*Sabbath = Saturday