The 10 Commandments require rest. Jesus taught a different Sabbath. Jesus taught the Sabbath as a day to work to heal and restore people.
By arguing with the Pharisees about what is allowed on the Sabbath, Jesus implied that certain things are not allowed. He thereby admitted the Sabbath as binding.
But the seventh day, as practiced and taught by Christ, was a different Sabbath than prescribed by the Ten Commandments.
THE SABBATH IN THE LAW OF MOSES
The Law of Moses, and specifically the Ten Commandments, required the seventh day simply as a Sabbath, which means it is a day of rest. Everybody had to rest; including servants and animals. It was “a sabbath of complete rest … You shall not do any work” (Lev 23:3). Contrary to popular belief, the Law of Moses did not require people to have religious meetings or to worship God on that day. Exodus 16:29 says “Remain every man in his place.” The only requirement was rest. The religious leaders applied this extremely conservatively; disallowing anything that even remotely looks like work; even healing.
THE SABBATH ACCORDING TO CHRIST
While the Ten Commandments state negatively what is not allowed on the seventh day; “you shall not do any work” (Exo 20:10), Christ never indicated what is not allowed. His focus always was on what may and must be done on the seventh day. As shown in the previous articles, He taught that:
Man may work on the Sabbath if that work will relieve the distress and suffering of people or animals.
Man must work on the Sabbath to restore man spiritually and physically.
This means that Christ did more than interpret the Sabbath commandment; He gave a new meaning to it. He converted the seventh day from a day of compulsory idleness to a day that is filled with purpose, activity and work; a day to show kindness and mercy; a day to free people from the physical, psychological and spiritual bonds of Satan, to elevate the entire man to God’s ideal; in particular, a day to heal.
THE SABBATH FROM THE BEGINNING
That meaning cannot be derived simply from reading the Ten Commandments or the Law of Moses. Christ derived His understanding of the seventh day from its original purpose, as it existed before sin. This is, for instance, indicated by His statement, “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). This refers to the creation account, according to which the seventh day was “blessed” and “sanctified” as part of creation (Gen 2:3). (See also Matt 19:4-8).
THE LAW OF CHRIST
We should not be surprised that Christ taught a Sabbath different from the Ten Commandments because He did the same for the other commandments. Christ replaced the entire Law of Moses with a higher law with much higher moral standards. For instance, He replaced the law against murder with a law against anger. Instead of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” He taught, “turn the other (cheek).” With respect to adultery, He said “everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery”.
Christ’s higher-level Law reveals the Father’s perfect heart. The Father loves His enemies and has compassion for people. For that reason, the Law of Christ requires His followers to do the same. The “Law of Christ” (Gal 6:2) is the law as it existed “from the beginning.” The Law of Moses was God’s eternal law for mankind, but reduced to fit the condition, abilities, and needs of the enslaved and corrupt little nation of Israel. But Christ again revealed the eternal principles on which the Law of Moses was based. See the page “The Law of Christ” for a further discussion.
But this does not mean that the requirement to rest, as given in the Ten Commandments, is no longer relevant. The Ten Commandments made rest the goal. Christ shifted the focus from the requirement to rest, to the purpose of the rest. Christ taught the seventh day as the preferred day for healing. Rest is consistent with this purpose. In Christ’s teaching rest becomes a means to an end. Healing is the end (goal) and rest is one means of achieving this goal. On the seventh day, we must cease everyday work, to be renewed and refreshed.
But while the requirement for rest remains, the seventh day is now also a day for planned work to bring joy to people by helping them to be healed and restored. It also becomes a work day, but a different type of work. It is the day on which we work for the mentally, physically and spiritually sick, to heal them.
ARTICLES IN THE SERIES ON THE SABBATH
THE SABBATH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
– Blessed and Sanctified at Creation
– The Evolution theory makes the Bible null and void.
– The Sabbath before the time of Moses
– In the Ten Commandments
– In the Traditions of the Elders
CHRIST’S SABBATH HEALING MIRACLES
– A demon-possessed man and Simon’s mother-in-law
– The man with the withered hand
(The rulers wanted Jesus to heal on the sabbath.)
– The crippled woman
– The paralytic man at Bethesda
– The man that was born blind
CHRIST’S TEACHINGS ON THE SABBATH
– The Sabbath was made for man.
(The disciples picked grain on the Sabbath.)
– Jesus deliberately contravened the Sabbath.
– The Real Reason they killed Jesus
– His miracles gave Him the opportunity to teach.
– What did Jesus teach about the Sabbath?
– Jesus taught a different Sabbath.
– Jesus replaced the Law of Moses with the Law of Christ.
SABBATH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS
– The Sabbath is not repeated in the New Testament.
– Romans 14:5-6 – Each must be fully convinced in his own mind.
ARTICLE SERIES
Sabbath – List of articles
Jesus is not God, but He is God.
Daniel 9 – Overview of the four major interpretations
Seven Seal of Revelation – Verse by verse summary
General Table of Contents