The word Sabbath is translated from the Hebrew word shabath which means “to cease to do.” The Seventh Day (Saturday) was set aside to be observed as a memorial of God’s rest after the six days of creation (Ex. 20:8-11). It was a day of rest for everyone in Israel (Deut. 5:12-14) and brought remembrance of the rest God gave Israel from their bondage in Egypt (v. 15). The Sabbath was given for the benefit of man. It was intended to be a blessing, even though Jews in Jesus’ day had made it a burden to the people (Mark 2:27).
Many people today mistakenly believe Sunday is the Sabbath or believe it should be observed as the “Christian’s Sabbath.” Others (like Seventh Day Adventists) believe the Sabbath Law is still binding today. They will ask questions like, “Why don’t you keep the fourth commandment to remember the Sabbath day?”
The Sabbath observance was given to Israel, not to all mankind. “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed” (Ex. 31:16-17, emphasis mine - HR; c.f. Ezek. 20:10-13).
Although God blessed and sanctified the seventh day of creation (Gen. 2:3), the binding of its observance was given to Israel through the Law of Moses. “You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant” (Neh. 9:13-14). If this command was given to all mankind from the time of creation, why don’t we read of the patriarchs keeping the Sabbath? Noah walked with God and found grace in His sight (Gen. 6:8-9), yet we don’t read of him halting construction on the ark every week to keep the Sabbath. Abraham was a friend of God (James 2:23), but we don’t read of him keeping the Sabbath. The Sabbath isn’t even mentioned by name until the time of Moses (Ex. 16:22-30).
The Law of Moses, which required Israel to keep the Sabbath, was taken away when Jesus died on the cross (Col. 2:14). It was literally a part of the law that was “written and engraved on stones” which Paul says has passed away (2 Cor. 3:7-16). The old covenant, containing the Sabbath Law, has been fulfilled and taken away, having been replaced by a new and better covenant (Heb. 8:6-13). Because of this, no Christian is to allow their faithfulness to God to be judged or called into question because they fail to keep the Sabbath. “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col. 2:16-17).
The Jews kept the Sabbath Day, but in the New Testament we find that a different day was special to Christians: the first day of the week or the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10). This day is significant to followers of Christ for numerous reasons. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Mark 16:9). Jesus later appeared to His disciples on this day (John 20:19). The gospel was first preached and the church was established on this day (Pentecost always occurred on the first day of the week – Lev. 23:15-16). Christians made it a point to assemble for worship on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2).
Christianity was not a modification of Judaism. It was a complete change in the way God would have fellowship with redeemed man. So significant was the change in the covenant that it required a change in the day of observance. Many centuries-old practices came to an end, including the observance of the Sabbath Day. These practices served as a shadow (Col. 2:16-17) or a schoolmaster leading Israel to Christ (Gal. 3:24). Christ has come and we keep the Lord’s Day.