3) Jesus and the Sabbath
How Christ kept and honored the Sabbath - The Lord of the Sabbath
If Jesus is our example of Christian life, we must examine how He related to the Sabbath. Was the Sabbath important to Christ? Did He keep it? Did He change it? In this lesson, we will see that Jesus honored the Sabbath and taught us its true meaning.
The Custom of Jesus
What was the custom of Jesus on the Sabbaths?
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Answer: He entered the synagogue as was his custom
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."
The expression “as was His custom” indicates a regular and established habit. Jesus did not keep the Sabbath occasionally — it was His constant practice throughout His life.
What did Jesus do in the synagogues on the Sabbaths?
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Answer: Taught and read the Scriptures
Luke 4:16-17: "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. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,"
Jesus used the Sabbath to teach, heal, and proclaim the Kingdom of God. He demonstrated that the Sabbath is a day for spiritual activities and works of mercy.
“He had come to free the Sabbath from those burdensome requirements that had made it a curse instead of a blessing.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 206, par. 1.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
What did Jesus declare about His relationship to the Sabbath?
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Answer: The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath
Mark 2:28: "Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."
Jesus did not say He was “Lord of Sunday” or “Lord of any day”: He declared Himself Lord of the SABBATH. Being “Lord” means having authority over something. Jesus did not abolish the Sabbath; He is its Master and Protector.
Why did Jesus declare Himself 'Lord of the Sabbath'?
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Answer: Because He created the Sabbath
Colossians 1:16: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath because He is the Creator who instituted the Sabbath at the beginning. When Genesis 2:2 says that “God rested on the seventh day,” this includes Christ!
Jesus’s Conflicts with the Pharisees
Why did the Pharisees criticize Jesus about the Sabbath?
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Answer: Because Jesus and His disciples violated rabbinical traditions, not God's law
Matthew 12:2: "But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day."
Jesus’s conflicts were NOT about the Sabbath itself, but about human rules added by the Pharisees. They had transformed the Sabbath into a burden with hundreds of extra regulations.
What is lawful to do on the Sabbath, according to Jesus?
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Answer: It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath
Matthew 12:12: "How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days."
Jesus did not abolish the Sabbath: He restored its true purpose! The Sabbath is for doing good, not for oppressive legalism.
What do Jesus' Sabbath healings teach about the purpose of the day?
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Answer: That it is appropriate to do good and relieve suffering on the Sabbath
Luke 13:10-16: "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?"
Jesus INTENTIONALLY healed on the Sabbath to teach its true meaning. Sabbath healings recorded: the man with the withered hand, the man at Bethesda, the blind man from birth, the bent woman, the man with dropsy, and others.
“By sweeping away the senseless restrictions of the Jews, Christ honored the Sabbath.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 287, par. 2.
Jesus Confirmed the Permanence of the Sabbath
What did Jesus say about the law (which includes the Sabbath)?
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Answer: **He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it**; not one dot will pass from the law.
Matthew 5:17-18: "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."
“Fulfill” does not mean “abolish” — it means “give full meaning” or “complete.” Jesus fulfilled the law by living it perfectly and revealing its true spirit.
What did Jesus say about keeping the commandments?
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Answer: 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments'
John 14:15: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
The Sabbath After the Crucifixion
When Jesus died on the cross, what day was it?
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Answer: Day of Preparation (Friday), and the Sabbath was about to begin
Luke 23:54: "And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on."
Jesus died on Friday afternoon and rested in the tomb during the Sabbath — keeping the Sabbath even in death!
What did the faithful women do on the Sabbath after Jesus's death?
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Answer: They rested according to the commandment
Luke 23:56: "And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment."
Even after the cross, the disciples kept the Sabbath! They did not understand that the Sabbath had been abolished — because it was not.
And Now?
Jesus’s example teaches us:
- Jesus kept the Sabbath: It was His regular and constant custom.
- Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath: As Creator, He has full authority over the day.
- Jesus restored the Sabbath: He removed only human burdens, keeping the original commandment.
- Jesus confirmed the law: He came to fulfill and give full meaning to every point.
- His followers continued faithful: They kept the day even after the crucifixion.
If we follow Jesus, why would we ignore His example and teaching about the Sabbath?
My Decision
I recognize that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and that He faithfully kept this day throughout His life. I desire to follow His example, treating the Sabbath as He treated it — a day of worship, communion, and doing good.