By Ryan Ramsey
What is all of this talk of the Sabbath? In the words of one great YouTube sensation, “Ain’t nobody got time for dat!” It must be somewhat important because even God, creator of everything, issues a command:
“Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy,” Exodus 20:8
So what does it mean to take a God commanded Sabbath? The rules are laid out for us in the Old Testament. In Genesis, God rests on the 7th day of creation initiating the first Sabbath. In Exodus, the Sabbath is commanded by God that we would take a day of rest. Numbers 15:32-36 warns of the punishment of death for those who deliberately disobey the command of remembering the Sabbath. Let’s just say, the Sabbath is a big deal to God.
The Jewish people celebrate the Sabbath on the 7th day of creation as God did. The Jewish calendar begins in the evening. So, Friday evening to Saturday evening is the Jewish remembrance of Sabbath. Their laws are so strict about work that they cannot even turn on a light switch on the Sabbath. This begs the question, “What happened?” As a Christian today, we don’t observe the Sabbath on Saturday. That is to say if we even observe it at all. Let me answer that question with one word, RESURRECTION!
The resurrection absolutely changed everything! Even the day in which we remember the Sabbath. Early Christians, especially the ones who converted from Judaism, still kept the Saturday Sabbath for a short time, but then they met on Sunday (the Lord’s Day) evenings to worship Jesus together. This is because they worked during the day on Sunday’s. By the 4th century Christians were observing Sunday (the first day) as their day of rest.
In creation, we know that the days are numbered, “On the first day God created…”. If the 7th day is Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath and the day God rested, then we surmise that Sunday is the first day. It is no accident that Jesus rose on the first day of creation as a sign that there is a new creation, and that is eternal life. When we gather together on Sunday, The Lord’s Day, the first day, we are recognizing that Jesus is doing something new. As individuals, and as a church body, we are “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Jesus Christ. Since this is the day we worship, and set aside time to be with Jesus as a church body, it makes sense that they would keep their Sabbath on Sunday as a day of rest and reflection.
This does however pose a problem for those who work in ministry. Sunday is anything but a day of rest. Thankfully Jesus dealt with this issue. In Mark 2, the Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for picking some grain to eat on the Sabbath. Jesus sums up his reply to them by saying:
“Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” Mark 2:27.
We are not bound to the letter of the law as the Pharisees tried to hold to so tightly. In Jesus we are free to live outside of the legalism of the law, as long as that freedom doesn’t cause us or others to sin. Because of this we can remember the Sabbath on whatever day we need to in order to give it the attention and rest it deserves. To forget the Sabbath completely is an error. We need to rest, to reflect, and refresh ourselves both physically and spiritually on a weekly basis.
I’d like to know how you Sabbath? What do you do on your day of rest to refresh yourself spiritually and physically? When do you take your Sabbath? Is it the traditional Sunday, or is there another day that works best for you? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading, until next time… Keep Shouting
