You know the verse in Exo 20:8
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
For many Christians, this raises an important question:
Are we to keep the Sabbath?
Some groups insist that Christians must still observe a specific Sabbath day, usually Saturday. Others believe the Sabbath has deeper significance that finds its fulfillment in Christ. So what does the Bible actually teach?
Let’s walk through it.
What Is the Sabbath?
The Sabbath was originally a day of rest.
The concept first appears in creation:
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work.” (Genesis 2:2)
God established a pattern of rest after work. Later, under the Mosaic Law, Israel was commanded to observe the Sabbath as a holy day.
The Fourth Commandment states:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
For Israel, Sabbath observance was a covenant sign and a required part of life under the Law.
Who Was the Sabbath Made For?
Jesus gave a remarkable statement about the Sabbath:
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
The Sabbath was intended as a gift, not a burden. It was designed for humanity’s benefit.
Yet Jesus immediately follows with another statement:
“Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28)
The Sabbath belongs to Him.
The One who instituted it is also the One who fulfills its purpose.
A Curious Exception Under the Law
One often-overlooked detail is that not everyone stopped working on the Sabbath.
The priests continued their temple duties.
Jesus pointed this out:
“Have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?” (Matthew 12:5)
The priests worked because they were serving God.
This becomes significant in the New Covenant because believers are now called: “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) and “a kingdom of priests” (Revelation 1:6)
Something has changed.
Did Jesus Work on the Sabbath?
Yes.
When criticized for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus replied:
“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” (John 5:17)
God had never ceased sustaining creation.
Jesus was showing that the Sabbath was never intended to prevent God’s work.
The religious leaders had turned the Sabbath into a burden of regulations, but Jesus revealed its true purpose.
What Is the Christian Sabbath?
The New Testament shifts the focus from a day to a person.
Jesus said:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Notice that He did not say:
“Come to a day.”
He said:
“Come to Me.”
The ultimate Sabbath is not found in a calendar. It is found in Christ Himself.
Resting in the Finished Work of Jesus
The heart of the Gospel is that Jesus finished the work.
On the cross He declared: “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
Under the Law, people worked and then rested.
Under grace, believers begin with rest because Christ has already completed the work.
We do not work to obtain salvation.
We do not strive to earn God’s acceptance.
We rest in what Jesus has already accomplished.
This is why Hebrews speaks of believers entering God’s rest:
“For we which have believed do enter into rest.” (Hebrews 4:3)
Faith itself is entering into God’s rest.
Do Christians Need a Specific Sabbath Day?
The New Testament gives a surprising answer.
Paul writes:
“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” (Romans 14:5)
And again:
“Let no man therefore judge you… in respect of an holyday… or of the sabbath days.” (Colossians 2:16)
If observing a particular day were still mandatory for Christians, these statements would be impossible.
Instead, believers are given freedom.
A Christian may choose to rest on Saturday.
A Christian may worship on Sunday.
A Christian may gather on another day entirely.
The issue is no longer the day.
The issue is Christ.
Why Then Do Some Groups Insist on Saturday Sabbath Keeping?
Groups that require Sabbath observance often argue that the Fourth Commandment remains binding exactly as it was given to Israel.
The problem is that the New Testament consistently presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law.
The Law is not abolished.
It is fulfilled.
The shadows pointed to the substance.
The Sabbath pointed to Christ.
Returning to mandatory Sabbath observance as a requirement for righteousness or spirituality risks placing believers back under a covenant that has already reached its fulfillment in Jesus.
The Fourth Commandment Fulfilled
The Fourth Commandment was:
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)
The New Covenant reality is greater. We do not merely remember one holy day. We live in continual dependence upon the One who is our rest.
Christians do not enter rest one day a week. They enter rest every day through faith in Christ.
Sabbath Is Now a Lifestyle
The Christian life is not about striving, earning, and performing.
It is about trusting.
Every day we wake up resting in:
- Christ’s finished work
- Christ’s righteousness
- Christ’s forgiveness
- Christ’s acceptance
- Christ’s life within us
The Sabbath was never merely about stopping work.
It was always pointing toward the day when God’s people would cease striving to establish their own righteousness and would instead rest completely in His provision.
That day arrived in Jesus Christ.
So the question is no longer: “Have you kept the Sabbath?” The question is: “Are you resting in Christ?”
Because for the believer, Sabbath is no longer one day out of seven.
It is life in Jesus, every day, forever.
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