#1.22 JESUS KEPT THE SABBATH DAY

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Greek Word Study on 4521 σάββατον sabbaton Sabbath.
Hebrew Word Study on 7676 שַׁבָּת shabbat Sabbath.
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Jesus Kept The Sabbath Index
#1.21 Jesus created Sabbath day for man
Introduction 1.22
#1.22 Jesus kept the Sabbath day himself
#1.23 Jesus taught us to keep the commandments
#1.24 Jesus came to fulfill the law
#1.25 Jesus taught us to fulfill the law by love

Introduction 1.22

It is amazing how many modern day Christians ignore the example of Jesus in what he did and how he lived. This bible study teaches that Jesus kept the Sabbath day himself and taught others to keep God's commandments.

#1.22 Jesus Kept the Sabbath Day Himself

MATTHEW 4:23
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

MATTHEW 9:35
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

MARK 6:2
2 And when the Sabbath day came, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From where has this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given to him, that even such mighty works are done by his hands?

LUKE 4:16 (About Jesus)
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

LUKE 4:31
31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days.

LUKE 6:6
6 And it came to pass on another Sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

LUKE 13:10
10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

JOHN 15:10 (Jesus)
10 If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

Note: During his lifetime on earth Jesus kept the Sabbath day perfectly. He regularly taught in the synagogues on the Sabbath day (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:31; 6:6; 13:10), and habitually went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day to read the law (Luke 4:16). He said, "I have kept my Father's commandments" (John 10:15), and these commandments included the Sabbath day:

(Exodus 20:8) "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
(Exodus 31:13-14) "Surely my Sabbaths you shall keep: ... You shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy to you."
(Exodus 31:16) "the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant."
(Deuteronomy 5:12) "Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it."

Did Jesus ever break the Sabbath commandment? No, because he himself said, "I have kept my Father's commandments" (John 15:10), and God himself referred to the Sabbath as one of "my commandments" (Exodus 16:28). Also, "sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4) [look at the context, it is referring to the ten commandments], and Jesus never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). As Jesus was "made under the law" (Galatians 4:4), he must have kept the Sabbath commandment perfectly, otherwise he would have been a sinner. This is proof that Jesus kept the Sabbath day commandment.
Every Christian has been called to follow Jesus (Matthew 8:22; 10:38; 19:21; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23; 9:59; 18:22), to be as he was (Matthew 10:25), to be conformed to his image (Romans 8:29), to walk as he walked (1 John 2:6), to follow his steps (1 Peter 2:21), and to be as he is in this world (1 John 4:17). They cannot do this without keeping the Sabbath day, because he kept it, and he is "the same yesterday, and today, and for the age" (Hebrews 13:8).
Jesus is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18), which is his body (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; 1:24), and it should be in complete subjection to him in all things (Ephesians 1:22). However, it will never be so without keeping the Sabbath day because he taught us to keep it, both by word (Matthew 5:17-19; 19:17-19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20), and by example (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Luke 4:16; John 16:10). When Jesus was alive on the earth, his physical body was in complete subjection to his spirit, and he habitually went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. If his physical body now, which is the church (Colossians 1:18; 1:24), was in complete subjection to his spirit, then it would also habitually keep the Sabbath day as Jesus did. As he has not changed (Hebrews 13:8), the church ought to be keeping the Sabbath day now, and will never be perfected in this life until it does.

#1.23 Jesus Taught us to Keep the Commandments

MATTHEW 5:17-19 (Jesus)
17 Do not think that I came to destroy the law, or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18 For amen I say to you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

MATTHEW 19:16-19
16 And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said to him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He says to him, Which? Jesus said, You shall do no murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
19 Honor your father and your mother: and, you shall love your neighbour as yourself.

MATTHEW 23:1-3
1 Then spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not you do after their works: for they say, and do not do.

MARK 10:17-19
17 And when he had gone into the way, there came one running, and kneeled down to him, and asked him, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.

LUKE 18:18-20
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? none is good, except one, that is, God.
20 You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.

Note: Jesus could not break any of the ten commandments, because if he did he would be a sinner: "for sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). Nor could he teach men to break any of them, or he himself would be least in the kingdom of heaven according to his own words.

(Matthew 5:19) "Whoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Who, of all men who ever lived, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? It is Jesus! According to his own words then, he must have kept and taught men to keep every "one of these least commandments." In fact Jesus kept all of the commandments, including observing the Sabbath day (See #1.22), and here we can see he taught others to do it also (Matthew 19:17-19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20). He even told people to obey the Scribes and the Pharisees (Matthew 23:2-3), and they would certainly have told people to keep the Sabbath day! Does the fact that these scriptures do not specifically mention the first four commandments, mean that we should not keep them? No, because keeping these is an expression of our love for God (See #1.25 Note), and loving God is the first and great commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).
Jesus' words are still applicable to us today.

(Matthew 24:35) "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
(Matthew 19:17) "if you will enter into life, keep the commandments."
(Luke 6:46) "And why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
(John 14:15) "If you love me, keep my commandments."
(John 12:48) "He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

The apostle Paul also confirmed the importance of Jesus' words.

(1 Timothy 6:3-4) "If any man teaches otherwise, and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing."

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