Jesus and the Sabbath

tim April 28, 2021

Throughout His life on earth, Jesus observed the seventh-day Sabbath. Luke 4:16 records, “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 reason for His Sabbath observance went deeper than the fact that He was a Jew, because He also stated, “The sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27), indicating that the obligations of the seventh day extend to all of humanity. Jesus also argued for a Sabbath observance focused on bringing blessings to other people, rather than a self-focused abstinence from normal work or selfish pleasures. On one occasion, when challenged about a Sabbath miracle He had just performed, Jesus said, “What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days” (Matthew 12:11-12).

Categories: Sabbath Timeline

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