I have read about many different groups arguing about what day is the Sabbath, and what should be done on that day. For some groups they believe that the Sabbath is Saturday, as it is the last day of the week in our current calendar, and then I have heard some argue that it is Sunday, because they believe that around the time of Christ that Sunday was actually the last day of the week, or something along that line of thought. And I have heard these arguments get quite heated, but what they seem to fail to recognize is that the Sabbath is a day like all of the others. So whether a person chooses to set aside a certain day as their time to worship the Lord, or whether it is every day if that it their choice, you must always remember the words that Jesus spoke.
Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
In the Old Testament, on the Sabbath day there were certain things that a person was required to keep. On the Sabbath, no work was to be done, for example. The other six days of the week were to be used to do all of your work, but on the Sabbath if someone did any work it was commanded that they be put to death (Exodus 35:2). And this is where people need to understand the time that we are in right now. All of the Old Testament Law, including those laws about the Sabbath day, they have all been taken away. All of those laws such as the eating or not eating of certain creatures, and the observance of holy certain days, feast days etc, those were all taken away by Jesus’ death on the cross.
So now with all of those laws taken away, we have received the gift of grace. We have been set free from those restrictions that were once required to be kept, and Jesus showed in his conversation with the Pharisees that the Sabbath is a day to do good on, and that was we had just read earlier, man was not made for the Sabbath.
Luke 6:1-10 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Here the Pharisees had been so legalistic about keeping the law, but Jesus explained that the Sabbath day is a day to be used for good, and on that day Jesus healed a man. Which when you think about it, we are supposed to do good every day, not just a single moment, but all the time we should do good. And since that is the case, couldn’t we just say that every day could be our day that we dedicate to the Lord? Not just Saturday, or Sunday, but why not any of the other days?
You have to remember that the Apostle Paul was himself a Pharisee, and after his conversion he realized the truth that Jesus had released everyone from the burdens of the Law, and he wrote to not let anyone judge another in respect to the keeping of holy days and the Sabbath that they had been commanded to keep as Jews.
Colossians 2:16-17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
If you choose to set aside a certain day to worship the Lord, that is wonderful! If you choose to worship Him each of the seven days of the week, wonderful! But to sit and fight and argue and bicker about a day which the Lord has created for us to enjoy and do good on, it just shouldn’t happen. Because “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”
In Christ
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 