Many Christians fail to reap the benefits of the Sabbath due to a lack of understanding of its purpose. Moreover, they often struggle to articulate their thoughts when discussing Sabbath observance with fellow believers.

First and foremost

The first Sabbath in the Bible is found in Exodus 16:23, “Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.” The Lord commanded the Sabbath to be kept in connection with the giving of manna.  “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.” (Exodus 16:25-26) God gave the Israelites manna six days a week, and he did not give it on the seventh day, Saturday. That is why he gave them twice as much on Friday. On the seventh day, they were commanded to rest, not even taking the manna.

But some people planned to pick the manna on the seventh day, as we see in this passage: “Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[a] refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? 29 Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.” (Exodus 16:27-30).

In the Ten Commandments 

The Ten Commandments state this about the Sabbath: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

God gave more details about the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. According to the above verses, the Sabbath is to be kept holy by God. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. The Lord Himself created in six days and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, humans are to work and labor only for six days. They are to rest on the seventh day. God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.

Punishment for not keeping the Sabbath 

The Lord said to punish those who did not keep the Sabbath:  “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. (Exodus 31:14-16) The Lord commanded that anyone who broke the Sabbath should be put to death. Not only that, but he would also be cut off from his people. Therefore, breaking the Sabbath is a very serious sin. Furthermore, keeping the Sabbath is said to be an everlasting covenant.

No fire shall be lit on the Sabbath

When observing the Sabbath, even fire must not to be lit at home as seen here: “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. 3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 25:2-3) If you do not light a fire, you cannot cook food. Therefore, you will need to prepare the food you will eat for the Sabbath in advance.

One must practice restraint on the Sabbath

The Sabbath must be observed with rigor. The Bible says that you must not indulge in pleasures: "It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance." (Leviticus 16:31).

Man found gathering wood on Sabbath must be put to death

"While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses" (Numbers 15:32-36)

Sabbath day observed by servants, guests, and even animals

"but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." (Deuteronomy 5:14-15)

If you keep the Sabbath

The Lord commanded the Israelites to keep the Sabbath through the prophet Isaiah: ““If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land  and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 58:13-14)

If you don't keep the fast

The Lord warned through the prophet Jeremiah that if the Sabbath was not kept, Jerusalem and its fortresses would be destroyed and burned down. " Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors. 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline. 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’" (Jeremiah 17:22-27)

The land of Israel kept the Sabbath

Despite God's warnings, the Israelites disobeyed God and continued to break the Sabbath. For that reason, Israel was given into the hands of the Assyrians and Judah into the hands of the Babylonians. When they were taken away to a distant land, the Bible tells us that their land kept a sabbath: “The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.” (2 Chronicles 36:21) God did not drive the Israelites out of the land because they didn't keep the Sabbath alone but it was also one reason. Therefore, according to God's command, their land kept a sabbath for seventy years. That is, it lay desolate without people living in it or working on it.

The time of Nehemiah

When the Jews returned from Babylon, they were not keeping the Sabbath but were doing business on the Sabbath, so Nehemiah decreed that they should keep the Sabbath, as can be read in the Bible: "In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. 16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. 17 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.” 19 When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love." (Nehemiah 13:15-22)

Nehemiah's zeal forced the Sabbath to be observed, and so the Sabbath was observed later. During the time of Christ, fasting became very important. Therefore, even Christ was criticized by the religious leaders for not keeping the Sabbath.

A day trip on a Saturday

"Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city." (Acts 1:12) In the time of Christ, a Sabbath day’s journey was defined as the distance from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. That distance was about 1,000 yards. If anyone traveled more than 1,000 yards on the Sabbath, the person was considered to have broken the Sabbath. That was not God’s standard, but man’s.

The Sabbath and Christ

If Christ healed the sick without their asking, it would happen to fall on the Sabbath. On the Sabbath, the sick did not ask to be healed but Christ healed them. Why did he do that? He has a reason; read on.

Exorcism

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. (Mark 1:21-26)

Healing the wounds of a dying person

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (Mark 3:1-6)

18 year old demon possessed person

A woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. (Luke 13:11-17)

Healing a 38-year-old invalid man

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath.  (John 5:1-9)  So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. (John 5:16)

Making the blind see

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.  (John 9:1-7)

Why did Christ heal the sick on the Sabbath? Couldn't He have healed on other days, as a scribe said? Wasn't it true that Jews were persecuting Him because He healed the sick on the Sabbath? Did He have a purpose in doing so?

Traveling on the Sabbath

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:1-8)

Why did Jesus travel on the Sabbath? Why didn't they just travel but also pick grain and eat it? When he was accused, he justified their actions by pointing out that David and his companions ate consecrated bread in the house of God. Was it proper for him to do so? After all, he is said to be the Lord of the Sabbath. Does this mean he has the right to act however he pleases on the Sabbath? Shouldn't the Lord of the Sabbath be the one who observes it most carefully?

Fulfilling the Sabbath Day

Paul wrote that Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath, the feasts, and the new moons. "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. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17) So how did Christ fulfill the feasts, the new moons, and the sabbaths? He himself said,  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17). But how did he fulfill them?

Sabbath means rest

Sabbath means rest, not working. Christ said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) This means, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you a chance to rest.” Think of it: the sick do not rest when they are sick. They can only be healed and rested when they meet the Lord Jesus. All those who have problems cannot rest. They can only rest when they lay their problems on the Lord Jesus. Therefore, those who do not meet the Lord Jesus and lay their burdens on him—Jesus—are those who work hard and do not keep the Sabbath. Therefore, if they rest on the seventh day (Saturday), but do not bother to meet Christ and surrender themselves to Him, they are still working. Therefore, they are breaking the Sabbath. Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath. Those who do not receive him—anyone who does not trust in Him, no matter how much they keep the Sabbath—is a Sabbath breaker in God's sight.

Christ healed the sick on the Sabbath to reveal that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, but many people fail to understand this. Just as the Israelites misunderstood, so do many Christians today. Observing the Sabbath means relying on Christ—for yourself, your family, your work, and your challenges. This doesn't mean doing nothing. In fact, just as relying on a person does not wear you out, relying on Christ does not lead to exhaustion either. If that's the case, how many days should you rely on Christ? Only on Saturday? No, you should rely on Him every day. When you do, you are truly keeping the Sabbath. In essence, keeping the Sabbath means depending on Christ daily—not just on Saturday. By doing so, you will no longer be overwhelmed by the problems around you. This way, you can live a victorious life even in the midst of life's storms.

Is Sunday worship a Sabbath?

So, is Sunday worship a Sabbath for Christians? No. The purpose of Sunday worship is to praise God because it's the day of Christ’s resurrection, and believers are being raised with him. We only know that Sunday is the day of Christ’s resurrection. The Bible says that believers also rose with Christ. "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:4) "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6) "We were buried with him in baptism, and we were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12) "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1).

Because the apostles and early Christians worshiped on Sunday, so are Christians today. It was found that the apostles and early Christians worshiped on Sunday as written here: "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 about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) In the days of the apostles, we see that the first day of the week, which is Sunday, was the day of worship.

Therefore, it is not accurate to claim that the Roman Catholics moved the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday; that the Pope made this change; that Emperor Constantine changed it; or that the Council of Nicaea was responsible for it; and so on.

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