Sabbaths and Sundays

“The Sabbath was made to benefit people, and not people to benefit the Sabbath. I, the Son of Man, am master of the Sabbath!” Mark 2:27, 28 NLT

My nagging question is, “Just what am I supposed to be doing on Sundays?”
First, let us define Sabbath. It is Hebrew for rest, or intermission.
Next, let us search the Bible for information.

How did the Sabbath get started?
“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation” (Genesis 2:1-3).

What were the reasons for the Sabbath?
-To help you “remember that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”
-As a sign of God’s covenant (promise) with the Israelites, to be his chosen people, who would receive his blessings.
(Exodus 31:13, 16)

How were the Israelites to observe this day?
-On the seventh day of the week
-As a day of rest from the regular work and activities of the other six days
-As a holy day when they would try to avoid sinning
-By dedicating the day’s activities to the Lord
-Under threat of death if they did not obey God’s rules for this day
(Exodus 16:23-24, 20:8-11, 31:12-18, 31:13, 35:2, Lev 23:2, Deut 5:12-15)

What were the benefits for the Israelites?
-A day of rest from usual daily activities
-Experience holiness
-Receive blessing(s) from God
-Time to focus on the Lord

What does Christ have to do with the Sabbath?
-He is the Lord of the Sabbath. (Mark 2:28)
-Today, our holiness is secured “through the death of Jesus Christ for all time. His sacrifice paid for the sins of all humankind, thereby making those who believe holy in God’s eyes” (Hebrews 10:10-14). In other words, Christians are holy every moment of the week, not just on the Sabbath.
-His Spirit enables believers to live holy lives every day. (Romans 8:2, 1 Thes 4:3, 7, 5:23)

If Christians, through Christ and by his Spirit, can live holy lives every day, then why bother with a day of rest?
-To dedicate regular time to focus on God, just as we schedule other important things during our week (Exod 20:10)
-To change our pace of living – our physical bodies need regular rest to maintain good health (Mark 6:31)
-To walk closer with God through prayer, reading the Bible, worship, and friendship with other believers (Acts 2:41-47)
-To remember that His power can overcome all our challenges - this gives us peace of mind (Matt 11:28-30)
-To reflect upon our future eternal rest with God in heaven (Heb 4:1-11)

Finally:
As I meditated upon God’s many words about the Sabbath, being holy, and resting, God revealed that, on our ‘day of rest’, it is more about our focus than our activities. No matter whether a Christian’s ‘day of rest’ is on the seventh day of the week, or the first, God still wants us to enjoy this time to ‘rest in him’. Taking this weekly ‘day of rest’ allows God to pour out upon us many blessings such as the regeneration of our frail bodies, the calming of our busy minds, and the soaring of our tender spirits.

Therefore, Lord, in my quest to honour you on my Sundays, which is the traditional Christian Sabbath, I pray that my actions will reflect your desires and that my heart will rest in your greatness. Thank you for your sacrifice that makes me holy every day of the week. And, thank you for my ‘day of rest’!