Jesus, the Sabbath, and Us

Jesus, the Sabbath, and Us

Introduction

This study explores the subject of "The Sabbath" in light of some interesting details given to us in "Torah" and the life/ example of Jesus, our Teacher. What exactly is lawful and not lawful? We will see that there are some interesting traditions, perversions, but most importantly we will also see that to do good things on Sabbath isn't a sin.

The Creation and Sabbath Consecration

Genesis 2:2,3
And God completeth by the seventh day His work which He hath made, and resteth by the seventh day from all His work which He hath made. And God blesseth the seventh day, and sanctifieth it, for in it He hath rested from all His work which God had prepared for making.

The Hebrew word for “work” here, as in Exodus 20:10 where the command is given, is מְלָאכָה (melakhah). In scholarly lexicons, this term is defined as follows:

1. Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB):

   • מְלָאכָה (melakhah) is defined as work or occupation, specifically related to business, service, or craftsmanship. It refers to general labor, especially that which is forbidden on the Sabbath.

2. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT):

   • HALOT defines מְלָאכָה (melakhah) as "work," "deed," or "task," often relating to employment, craftsmanship, or assigned duties. It particularly applies to labor that is restricted during sacred or set-apart times like the Sabbath.

3. Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon:

   • מְלָאכָה (melakhah) refers to occupation, business, or employment. It covers various kinds of work, from manual labor to intellectual tasks. On the Sabbath, this word denotes the kinds of activities that are prohibited, such as physical work or professional duties.

The word מְלָאכָה generally emphasizes purposeful, productive labor, which includes any kind of work that requires physical or mental effort, especially the kind that violates the Sabbath commandment of rest. This definition and explanation of the word will be crucial in understanding Jesus' and our relationship to Sabbath.

The Torah and Sabbath: What Exactly Is Required?

Exodus 20:8-10
'Remember the Sabbath-day to sanctify it; six days thou dost labour, and hast done all thy work, and the seventh day [is] a sabbath to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not do any work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and thy cattle, and thy sojourner who is within thy gates.

The interesting thing about this command is that it's assumed that all those to whom it applies (you, your son/ daughter, servants/ employees, cattle, and even "sojourners" [gentiles in the land]) are working six days and resting on the seventh (Sabbath means rest). Wouldn't it seem logical to conclude that a two-day weekend is a violation of this command? Based on the plain language of the command, it would seem so. Let's see another interesting aspect associated with Sabbath, the concept of "preparation day." We read the following:

Exodus 16:23-25
And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

Here the command is given to not go and gather anything on Sabbath, but to prepare what's needed the day before. We would say "our Friday," as many consider "our Saturday" to be the Seventh Day. Many in Judaism, as well as the variety of Sabbatarian Christian denominations--like the Seventh Day Baptists and their Seventh Day Adventist cousins--are keen to observe this. Or are they? In verse 29 of Exodus 16, we read, "See, for that YHWH hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth youon the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." Based on this verse, not only should everything be prepared before Sabbath, but nobody is technically permitted to leave their dwelling. Yet, what do we see every Sabbath around the world? People leaving their homes to attend Sabbath services. It can't be said that all of them stop for fuel or food this day, but having been to these mainstream, modern Sabbath places, I can assure you that many will stop for fuel or catch lunch after service. This is a total "violation" of Sabbath. Or is it? We shall see.

The Sabbath: A Matter of Life and Death?

Now we discover there is a penalty for violating the sanctity of Sabbath. The famous passage is found in Numbers.

Numbers 15:32-36
And the sons of Israel are in the wilderness, and they find a man gathering wood on the sabbath-day, and those finding him gathering wood bring him near unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto all the company, and they place him in ward, for it is not explained what is [to be] done to him. And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'The man is surely put to death; all the company do stone him with stones, at the outside of the camp.' And all the company bring him out unto the outside of the camp, and stone him with stones, and he dieth, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

We aren't told why the man was gathering wood. We should ask, was he gathering wood for a wood project related to his trade? Was it cold enough so that he had to gather fuel in order to warm his home (a matter of human safety)? We aren't told. And we should be careful to use discernment (a fruit of wisdom) so as to not assume one way or the other. Certainly, this verse is used to "expose" the "difficulty" of Sabbath keeping--or so says the Sunday keeper. But would you know that all of this is exposed by none other than Jesus/ Yashua himself? Now we enter into the next section of this study.

In John 5:17, Jesus says, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (KJV), which implies that even though God rested on the seventh day after creation (Genesis 2:2-3), His work of sustaining the universe and overseeing all creation continues. This isn't an uncommon view. It's shared by both Jewish and Christian apologists, as well as myself.

Further Apologetic for Apparent Contradiction:

The Sabbath rest in Genesis refers specifically to God ceasing from His creative work, but God’s providential and sustaining work never ceases. Recognizing this distinction allows Jesus to say that God is always working, even on the Sabbath, in maintaining creation, guiding history, and enacting salvation. Jesus, as God’s Son, participates in this ongoing divine activity. Let's cite our witnesses.

Scholarly Perspective:

1. Craig S. Keener:

   • Keener explains that the Jewish understanding of God’s rest on the Sabbath was not absolute cessation of all activity. He writes, “Although God rested on the first Sabbath (Gen 2:2), Jewish teachers recognized that God continued to sustain the universe, including allowing children to be born and people to die, even on the Sabbath.” This provides the context for Jesus’ claim that His work mirrors the Father’s continual work .

2. D. A. Carson:

   • Carson notes that “God’s rest was not cessation of all activity but cessation of a specific kind of activity: the work of creation. By contrast, God’s providential and redemptive work never ceases.” He suggests that Jesus identifies His own divine authority with that of the Father, as both continue their redemptive and sustaining work, even on the Sabbath .

3. Leon Morris:

   • In his commentary, Morris explains, “The Jews conceded that God worked on the Sabbath, for life and death matters did not cease. Jesus’ argument is that His work, like that of the Father, is part of this ongoing divine activity, especially in the work of healing and salvation.” This reveals that Jesus was claiming divine prerogative in continuing to work on the Sabbath.

By claiming to work as the Father works, Jesus affirms his divine unity with his God and Father's mission, suggesting that the Sabbath does not restrict God's ongoing involvement in the world. Even though this is admitted by Jewish people today, this apparently either wasn't understood or accepted by first-century Jewish leaders, or was ignored. because of a blind hatred for the Messiah, Jesus obviously made such a distinction in contradiction to their mere traditions. Interestingly, despite the case in Numbers 15, we have no evidence that Jesus' own supposed Sabbath breaking was used as evidence against him in his trial, though we are told that many false witnesses were brought against him. If the religious elites were keen on Sabbath to that extreme, then Jesus would have been found guilty and punished for that. We can ask whether or not such a case was presented, and if so, was it dismissed? Despite the lack of evidence for that in his trial, we still find several instances where this tension in the Gospels around Sabbath exist. Each instance is given, despite the redundancy. It will suffice to bring only those pertinent details to your attention.

Matthew 12:1-13
At that time did Jesus go on the sabbaths through the corn, and his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck ears of corn and to eat, and the Pharisees having seen, said to him, 'Lo, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on a sabbath.' And he said to them, 'Did ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, himself and those with him--how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to him to eat, nor to those with him, except to the priests alone? Or did ye not read in the law, that on the sabbaths the priests in the temple do profane the sabbath, and are blameless? and I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here; and if ye had known what is: Kindness I will, and not sacrifice--ye had not condemned the blameless, for the son of man is lord even of the sabbath.' and lo, there was a man having the hand withered, and they questioned him, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the sabbaths?' that they might accuse him. And he said to them, 'What man will be of you that shall have one sheep, and if this fall on the sabbath into a ditch, will not lay hold on it and raise it? How much better, therefore, is a man than a sheep?--so that it is lawful on the sabbaths to do good.' Then saith he to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand,' and he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole as the other.

Mark 2:23-28
And it came to pass--he is going along on the sabbaths through the corn-fields--and his disciples began to make a way, plucking the ears, and the Pharisees said to him, 'Lo, why do they on the sabbaths that which is not lawful?' And he said to them, 'Did ye never read what David did, when he had need and was hungry, he and those with him? how he went into the house of God, (at the time of Abiathar the chief priest,) and the loaves of the presentation did eat, which it is not lawful to eat, except to the priests, and he gave also to those who were with him?' And he said to them, 'The sabbath for man was made, not man for the sabbath, so that the son of man is lord also of the sabbath.'

Mark 3:2-5
and they were watching him, whether on the sabbaths he will heal him, that they might accuse him. And he saith to them, 'Is it lawful on the sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? life to save, or to kill?' but they were silent. And having looked round upon them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their heart, he saith to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand;' and he stretched forth, and his hand was restored whole as the other;

Luke 6:1-10
And it came to pass, on the second-first sabbath, he is going through the corn-fields, and his disciples were plucking the ears, and were eating, rubbing with the hands, and certain of the Pharisees said to them, 'Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbaths?' And Jesus answering said unto them, 'Did ye not read even this that David did, when he was hungry, himself and those who are with him, how he went into the house of God, and the loaves of the presentation did take and eat, and gave also to those with him, which it is not lawful to eat, except only to the priests?' and he said to them,--'The Son of Man is lord also of the sabbath.' And it came to pass also, on another sabbath, he entered into the synagogue, and taught, and there was there a man, and his right hand was withered, and the scribes and the Pharisees were watching him, if on the sabbath he will heal, that they might find an accusation against him. Then said Jesus unto them, 'I will question you something: Is it lawful on the sabbath-days to do good, or to do evil? life to save or to destroy?' And having looked round on them all, he said to the man, 'Stretch forth thy hand;' and he did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other;

Luke 13:10-16
And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath, And the chief of the synagogue answering--much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed--said to the multitude, 'Six days there are in which it behoveth to work; in these, therefore, coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.' Then the Lord answered him and said, 'Hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or ass from the stall, and having led away, doth water [it]? and this one, being a daughter of Abraham, whom the Adversary bound, lo, eighteen years, did it not behove to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?'

Luke 14:1-5
And it came to pass, on his going into the house of one of the chiefs of the Pharisees on a sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him, And Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful on the sabbath to heal?' and answering them he said, 'Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a pit, and he will not immediately draw it up on the sabbath-day?'

John 5:9,10;16;18
and immediately the man became whole, and he took up his couch and was walking, and it was a sabbath on that day,

v. 10 - the Jews then said to him that hath been healed, 'It is a sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to take up the couch.'

v. 16 - and because of this were the Jews persecuting Jesus, and seeking to kill him, because these things he was doing on a sabbath.

v. 18- because of this, then, were the Jews seeking the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the sabbath, but he also said God was his own Father -- making himself equal to God.

John 7:22,23
because of this, Moses hath given you the circumcision -- not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers -- and on a sabbath ye circumcise a man; if a man doth receive circumcision on a sabbath that the law of Moses may not be broken, are ye angry with me because a man I made whole on a sabbath?

John 9:14,16
and it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Of the Pharisees, therefore, said certain of them, 'This man is not from God, because the sabbath he doth not keep;' others said, 'How is a man -- a sinful one -- able to do such signs?' and there was a division among them.

We should recall the definitions and explanations of "work" given by the lexicographers and scholars: "The word מְלָאכָה generally emphasizes purposeful, productive labor, which includes any kind of work that requires physical or mental effort, especially the kind that violates the Sabbath commandment of rest." Jesus underscored the fact that the priests still officiated (worked) in the temple, saying that they profane the sabbath but remain blameless; that nobody would be so cruel as to see their animal fall into and remain in a ditch but would instead rescue it, even on Sabbath; or that a man is circumcised on Sabbath, yet all parties are blameless. And we of course see Jesus healing on the Sabbath in contradiction to the hypocrites' rigid teaching. The thing to keep in mind, therefore, as a follower of Jesus are two crucial things that neither the first-century, nor modern-day, hypocrites are capable of discerning: God favors mercy above sacrifice, and that it isn't unlawful to do that which is good--even on sabbath. Why? For Jesus says, "God made Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath. The son of man is Lord of the Sabbath." And so we have our example. Jesus never broke Sabbath. Despite the scholarly admissions of this being the case, and despite what the Gospels actually (and very clearly show), many Christians will flatly state, "Jesus broke the sabbath" in their poor attempts at justifying why they no longer need to keep it, in contradiction to the Ten Commandments. They, like the first-century religious elite hypocrites and persecutors, have adopted traditions of men. There tradition is the Papist Sunday abomination. This means they make their own precious "spotless lamb" a spotted goat. Wisdom is justified of her children. Here are some questions I like to ask people who would oppose this:

• Would it be a sin to gather wood on Sabbath if one needed it to warm their home and not freeze to death?

• Is eating food a sin? (remember the disciples and Jesus not only ate, but gathered the food for eating)

• Is enjoying the day with your family at the park, or in the yard playing games, a sin? Remember, we are to work at our occupation six days leaving just one day of quality time, not just with The Creator, but also our family.

We could continue our thought experiment, but I think these are three easy questions to ask yourself and meditate on. And I think in light of Jesus' own example, we could conclude the answer to all three is a resounding NO. The trouble is that the Christian standard for whether or not a person should "keep Sabbath" isn't the Fourth Command, nor is it Jesus' own example, but it's how the Pharisees and religious elite reacted to Jesus' behavior and Paul's teachings in Romans 14 and other places where he blasphemes God's Torah. Who do we follow, the one who said "My burden is easy, and my yoke is light" or the ones who never pretended to come under that yoke and who killed and blasphemed Messiah?

***

In addition to the sources and references presented in this essay, here is a link to a website that will supplement some of the things explained here, namely the idea of "cooking on the Sabbath." I haven't explored everything on the website, and I wouldn't say I endorse more than what I've been exposed to. But the material found at this link seems to be a thorough study into the Sabbath question and what's permitted or not. Take what you can from it and pray.

https://nazarenesoftheworld.info/the-sabbath/