Sabbintarianism: Keeping The Sabbath Day Holy

Sabbatarianism is the belief that one should keep the Sabbath Day Holy, "Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." (Exodus 20:8). The Sabbath was the Seventh Day when God rested from Creating the World, Animals, and Mankind, "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Genesis 2:2-3). He thus ordained it a holy day, or perhaps a more accurate translation is holiday, which is a holy day when you cut loose, relax, and enjoy yourself like the feasts of Tabernacles and Christmas! Several churches today take a serious stance on keeping Sabbath, The Seventh Day Adventists in particular, who believe you should do nothing on Sabbath, even fast as Jews do on their Sabbath; allowing even your body to rest. For Roman Catholics skipping the Sabbath leads to damnation, because the Sacraments are administered on Sundays, and should they skip it they risk not having imparted to them the Grace of Transubstantiation in the Eucharist; the priests act as Sacros Priests, making sacrifice for congregation (mass, for dead and living) on Sundays for penance, but Jesus confronts this in Matthew 12:7-8, and Jesus Himself was and is ultimate sacrifice for all time and does not have to keep making sacrifice: Hebrews 10:1-18, 2 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 9:25-26, Hebrews 10:14 Holy Bible. Ironically, the purpose of the Sabbath and how it is observed are often antithetical, the LORD asked man to rest on the Sabbath, and instead it is busiest day of the week for a Christian who has to attend service for an hour to three hours. The Sabbath certainly is not a Sabbath for the Pastor or Priest who is essentially doing their job (Jesus brings this up in Matthew 12:5).

So what does the Bible say about the Sabbath? Are we to observe the Sabbath as strictly as Seventh Day Adventists, Catholic, and even Jews do? What does Jesus say? The Lord Jesus actually was confronted by Sabbatarians who were so strict they took offense over people being healed on Sabbath (see), and over Jesus and His Disciples picking some grain to feed themselves on the Sabbath, " At that particular time Jesus went through the fields of standing grain on the Sabbath; and His disciples were hungry, and they began to pick off the spikes of grain and to eat.² And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, See there! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful and not permitted on the Sabbath.He said to them, Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, and those who accompanied him—How he went into the house of God and ate the loaves of the showbread—which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for the men who accompanied him, but for the priests only? Or have you never read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the sanctity of the Sabbath [breaking it] and yet are guiltless? ⁶ But I tell you, Something greater and more exalted and more majestic than the temple is here! ⁷ But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!," (Matthew 12), Jesus is the LORD of Sabbath and can decide what is fitting for that day, that is why we mustn't be like Pharisees who are so strict and methodical, but open to the Messiah to teach us (Matthew 23;4-11). 

Another incident had Jesus being accused for healing on Sabbath, "Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, ¹⁰ where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. ¹² And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”¹³ Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! ¹⁴ Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus." (Matthew 12: 9-14). Notice how Pharisees want to trap Jesus, and to kill Him, their motives are wicked, not to honor the LORD God, in fact they are at war with the LORD God, because Jesus is the Lord (Romans 1:9, Phillippians 2:8-11). Beware of anyone who makes strict laws about the Sabbath and what you can or cannot do, that is why Apostle Paul said this, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17). Not to mention that many argue which day is the proper Sabbath. The Seventh Day Adventists and Jews observe Saturday because it is technically the last day of week, while Sunday is the first day of the Week. However, the Bible says that the Apostles met on First Day of Week, "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight." (Acts 20:7). Now in those times, the Apostles observed the Sabbath as the Seventh Day, Saturday, and First Day of Week was Sunday, so they met on Sunday. The argument on what day to meet has caused great tension in the Church, but the Apostle Paul also had advice from holy Spirit on this, "One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind." (Romans 14:5). The Apostle Paul brings the conversation down to conviction and conscious regarding which day should be considered the Sabbath. But if we return to Jesus and His response on Sabbath, "I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man (Jesus, Mark 8:31, John 19 and John 20) is Lord, even over the Sabbath!." (Matthew 12:7-8). Jesus is Lord of Sabbath and He can decide which day it is, and remember that Jesus' yoke is not heavy, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30). A yoke was religious teaching and life style. Jesus makes it clear that He is not like Pharisees who lay heavy burdens on others (Matthew 23:4), and who are so strict about the Sabbath observance, but are White washed tombs full of ungodliness and lawlessness (see Matthew 23:11-28). 

The point was that Sabbath was made for man, "Then Jesus said to them, And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath was meant to be day of holiday and rest for man, where he could cease toiling and working and get some needed rest. The rest was specified as what you could or could not do, as Pharisees had turned it into. It was meant to be a day of freedom from yoke of work. Most people lose the spirit of Sabbath and practice the law of the Sabbath. The true nature of Sabbath is this, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17). It is Christ that is center and focus now (Hebrews 12:2), not law keeping, because if you believe you must observe Sabbath so strictly, then you are coming under law again, and there grave consequences of doing that, "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace," (Galatians 5:4) and, "You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years." (Galatians 4:10). We are not under the Mosaic Law, we are under Grace and Truth (John 1:17, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:6). The Sabbath may be any day we choose to rest (Colossians 2:16, Romans 14:5). 

In this day and age of 24hr connectivity and stress, many people are not resting or taking an actual Sabbath when they cease worrying and doing their work. I suggest to those types to take a day of rest, do something fun (Jesus isn't a kill joy, He delights when you enjoy going to beach with family, walking in woods, drinking coffee with friend, and etc; long as it is not sin). Being Sabbatarian today should be simply following Jesus the Son of Man and Lord of Sabbath into whatever plan He has for that Seventh Day. It could be to go to a Church service, it could be to go on picnic, or take your son or daughter to movies, let the Christ be your teacher (Matthew 23:9-11) and He will guide you in how to observe the Day of Rest, or holiday, yes the Sabbath is a holiday every week to vacate and enjoy time away from the stresses of work week. Enjoy it, and let Emmanuel (Jesus Christ) show you how to use Sabbath to apply rest for the best in your life, weither it is literal rest of sleeping in, or rest for your soul to hike in the woods, or rest for your spirit to spend time in fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters at service, Bible Study, or etc. Let Jesus guide you, for He is LORD of the Sabbath.