SABBATH
The
The Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 2:28). He could have broken the Sabbath anytime He wanted and He did break the Sabbath many times (Mk 2:23-28 ; Mk 3:1-6 ; Jn5:8-11). The Jews wanted to kill Jesus because He broke the Sabbath (Jn 5:18). When Jesus was laying in the tomb, He as the Lord of the Sabbath, could have broken the day of rest the Sabbath and rise from dead on Saturday. He hasn’t done it, because He wanted to bring across a message that another day (not the Sabbath) would become the Day of the Lord, the Day of Life. If Jesus had risen from dead on Saturday, it would have been obvious to the first Christians that Saturday became the Lord’s Day, the day of life, the day of worship for them. Thanks be to Christ, He have not risen from the dead on Saturday. Riseing from the dead on the first day of the week, on Sunday, Jesus has fulfilled the Jewish Law (Mt 5:17). Sunday has replaced the Jewish Sabbath. For the first Christians it became obvious, the Sabbath has lost its power (Col 2:16-17). The first Christians kept coming for the Eucharistic celebration (breaking of the bread) on the first day of the week - on Sunday (Ap 20:7). It stays that way unchanged in the Church for more than 2000 years.
You may watch a video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sovTjAY7K7o&t=30s
SUNDAY-the day of Christ's RESURRECTION
God has made a Covenant with the Israelites on Mt. Sinai (Horeb) (Dt 5:1-3). The Sabbath was a sign of that Covenant made by God with the Israelites (Ex 31: 16-17). The Israelites (the Jews) were obliged to keep the Sabbath ( Ex 31:12-13).
Are you a Jew? Have you been circumcised? (Gen 17:13:14). In order to feel obliged to keep the Jewish Sabbath you would have to become a Jew, a member of the Jewish religion. You have to be circumcised.
Because the Sabbath is for the Jews. God has obliged the Israelites to keep His Covenant, unfortunately they did’t. As a result of it, God became upset with their Sabbaths (Is 1:13) and desired to put an end to it (Hos 2:13). God decided to make a New Covenant, this time with all people (Is 42:1-7). Jesus Christ in His Blood has made the New Covenant (Mt 26: 27-28 ; Heb 9:15).
The question arises: Are we obliged to keep both Covenants? The old one with its Sabbath and the New one? Of course not. The Old Covenant has already expired (Ga 4:22-31). A New Covenant is better than the Old one (Heb 7:22 ; 8:6-13). The Apostles became the workers of a New Covenant (2 Co 3:6). The Good News of Jesus, the new Mediator (Heb 9:15), the Founder of a New Covenant has to be proclaimed to all people (Mt 28: 19-20).
Some people got an idea that the first century Christians kept the Jewish Sabbath? They can’t prove it from the Bible, can thay? The
Bible says something opposite. The first day of the week (Sunday , the day of Christ resurrection from the dead) was an important day for them, not the seventh (Ac 20:7). Christ has never preached and the Apostles have never preached either about necessity of keeping the Jewish Sabbath. The teaching about the necesity of keeping the Jevish Sabbath, came only from Ellen Gould White, the founder of the Seven Day Adventist in the nineteenth century.
It is necesary to know that the Church came first and the Bible (New Testament) came latter. Before the Bible (New Testament) was written the Church kept the TRADITIONS of the Apostles (2Th 2:15 ; 3:6) which say about the first day of the week being kept by the Christians, not the seventh. It is suggested to read the writings of the first Christians ( Didache, Ignatius. Justin…).
We can hear some people say, the Romans have killed Jesus. Yes, the pagan Roman soldiers have killed Jesus (Jn 19:23). The pagan Roman governor - Pilate wanted to set Jesus free (Jn 19:12). The Jews - the Sabbath keepers however put a pressure on Pilate to kill Jesus (Jn 19:14-15). Pilate gave in and ordered to crucify Him (Jn 19:16). St John in his Gospel points out at the Jews (the Sabbath kippers) who decided to killed Jesus. Paul confirms it in his First Letter to the Thessalonians (1Th 2:14-15). You can read about it as well in (Ac 4:5-10).
Saint Paul - the Jew, the Pharisee - the Sabbath keeper has converted to Christianity (Ac 9:1-19). He gave up the Old Covenant and became the worker of a New Covenant (2Co 3:6). He rejected the Jewish Sabbath calling it a shadow (Col 2:16-17).
Good example of Paul’s conversion might be of some inspiration to some of the Sabbath keepers to follow him, to do the same.
The emperor
CONSTANTINE
After becoming an emperor, Constantine continued persecuting Christians as his predecessors did. After winning the decisive battle at Milvian Bridge over his enemy Maxentius on 28 October 312 AD, Constantine was strongly convinced that the victory he achieved, came with the help of the Christians’ God - Jesus Christ. From that moment he changed his attitude towards Christians. He stopped persecuting the following of Christ. Constantine allowed Christians to come out of the catacombs (places where they were hiding out of fear for being persecuted by the pagan governments).
Constantine wanted to show his good will towards Christians. Being aware that thay worship God on the first day of the week- on Sunday, he imposed the governments law of rest on Sundays in the cities (Edict of Milan 331 A.D.). It is good to notice that Constantine did not impose the law of rest in the whole country but in the big cities only. Here are the words of the Emperor: “On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.”
It is false to suggest that the law of rest on Sunday was promulgated by Constantine for all people.
Secondly there is not a single sentence which says that Constantine has changed the law of worship from Saturday to Sunday. To claim, Constantine has changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday is an evidence of lacking fundamental knowledge regarding this matter. Had the first Christians worshiped God on Saturday, (as SDAs members claim), Constantine would have promulgated the Edict with different words. He would have written: “On every Saturday let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.” He never did so because he knew that the Christians worshiped the Resurrected Jesus on the first day of the week - on Sunday.
You may watch a video clip:
SUNDAY has fulfilled the Jewish Sabbath
The Bible speaks clearly: the Old Covenant is finished (Heb 7:22 ; 8:7-13 ; Ga 4: 21-31). What about the Ten God’s commandments? Are we to keep them? Of course we are obligated to follow them but not because they came through Moses, but because CHRIST has given them to us. Christ didn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17).
A young man came to Jesus and asked Him: Master what should I do to possess eternal life? Jesus replied: Keep the commandments: You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal….(Mt 19:16-19). But Jesus didn’t say keep the Sabbath. If the Jewish Sabbath were so important, Christ definitely would have instructed the young man to follow it, but He didn’t. The commandment regarding the Sabbath was going to be fulfilled after Christ’s Resurrection. It explains why none of the Apostles EVER preached about the necessity of keeping the Jewish Sabbath.
The Bible says: Truth came through Jesus Christ (Jn1:17). The Law has found its fulfillment in Christ (Rm 10:4). Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6). Paul speaks openly that Sabbath became only a shadow (Col 2:16-17). The Jewish Sabbath has nothing to do with Christianity any more.
Sunday, the day of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead, the day of LIFE, has become the fulfillment of the Jewish Sabbath. Christians came for their Eucharistic Meal on the first day of the week- on Sunday (Ac 20:7).
The Bible say: We are to follow the Leaders of the Church: ‘Remember your leaders, who preach the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, take their faith as your model’ (Heb 13:7). You can see also (Mt 18:18 ; Lu 10:16).
You may watch a video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQO97W4xYRM&t=9s