“Jesus kept the Sabbath, and we are supposed to imitate Him, right? So, we should keep the Sabbath, too.”
Let us consider why that conclusion is faulty.
The day of the week – The Lord told Israel, “. . . the seventh day is the Sabbath” (Exodus 20:10). The seventh day/Sabbath was Saturday (not Sunday).
The restriction – God’s Sabbath decree for Israel was, “In it you shall do not work,” a charge that applied to all Israelites, their animals, and their servants. The Sabbath was to be a day of rest, a twenty-four cycle of no labor (Deuteronomy 5:14).
The covenant – The command to keep the Sabbath was part of the covenant which Jehovah made with Israel (Deuteronomy 5:1-3). In God’s words, the Sabbath was “a sign between Me and the children of Israel” (Exodus 31:17). The Sabbath command was not given to all nations, but only to Israel.
The significance – In addition to being a day of rest, what special meaning did the Sabbath have to the children of Israel? Moses reminded them, “And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15). It is clear: keeping the Sabbath was to be a memorial, a reminder each seventh day that Jehovah had delivered them (Israelites) from Egypt. Who was charged to keep the Sabbath? Those who had been slaves in Egypt.
The penalty for violation – What if an Israelite chose to disregard the Lord’s command to abstain from work on the Sabbath? Hear God’s answer: “Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 31:15). There is a historical incident when an Israelite man worked on the Sabbath. God commanded Israel to kill him, which they did (Numbers 15:32-35).
The abolition – When Jesus died on the cross, He “abolished . . . the law of commandments contained in ordinances” (Ephesians 2:15). That is, He abolished the old law (law of Moses), including the command to keep the Sabbath. Thus, the Sabbath command no longer is in force.
The absence in the new covenant – Today, all people everywhere are under Jesus’ authority, and He wants us to keep all that He has commanded (Matthew 28:18,20). Jesus is the Mediator of a new and better covenant (Hebrews 9:15; 8:6), and that covenant does not include the instruction to keep the Sabbath. That, friend, is why Christians do not keep the Sabbath today: it is not a requirement under the new covenant.
(extracted from TRUTH, a monthly publication to help educate, edify, encourage, and equip the saints of God.)