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The Gospel According to Mark: Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-3:6 NIV
23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

What is the Sabbath?

Genesis 2:2-3 NIV
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Exodus 20:8-11 NIV
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 NIV
12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

  1. The Sabbath is the seventh day, according to the creation week. For God worked for six days, and rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2).
  2. God blessed the Sabbath and made it holy (set apart) (Genesis 2:3).
  3. The Israelites were commanded to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (set apart) from the other six days, in keeping with God’s own pattern of working and resting (Exodus 20:8-9; Deuteronomy 5:12-14).
  4. The primary imperative is that no work is to be performed, for the Sabbath is a day of rest (Exodus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:14).
  5. The Sabbath is not a “day off” as one might think of it; it is a day unto the Lord. As the Westminster Divines taught, “God allowing us six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself… sanctifying it to be a day for his service” (Westminster Larger Catechism, Q 120).
  6. Governors are to ensure that those under their charge keep the Sabbath. Fathers should not put children to work; employers should not conduct business as normal; magistrates should restrict activities that can be performed (Exodus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:14).
  7. God instituted the Sabbath to bless His people, to allow them a day to rest, reflect and recharge physically, mentally, spiritually– in contrast to Egypt, where they were enslaved and allowed no rest. For as Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Deuteronomy 5:15; Mark 2:28).
  8. Observance of the Sabbath is an expression of love for God by living in submission to Him, under His care (Psalm 92).
  9. The Sabbath is given as a blessing and keeping it garners a blessing; neglect of the Sabbath, however, is displeasing to God, and brings punishment and discipline (Jeremiah 17:21-27).

When is the Sabbath?

  1. “[God] hath appointed in His Word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian Sabbath, and in the New Testament called ‘The Lord’s Day'” (Westminster Larger Catechism, Q 116). From the time of the New Testament, Christians are observed gathering on the first day of the week, to commemorate the Lord’s resurrection, and the beginning of a new world (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10).
  2. “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17). Here, Paul groups the Sabbath with other ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic Law that are no longer binding for they have found their fulfillment in Christ. “No one, therefore, should be permitted to make such things a test of piety or fellowship (cf. Rom 14:1 ff.). Christianity, as Eadie explains, “is too free and exuberant to be trained down to `times and seasons’…. Its feast is daily, for every day is holy; its moon never wanes, and its serene tranquillity is an unbroken Sabbath'” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, note on Colossians 2:16, 17).
  3. Therefore, the Sabbath may be considered a “disputable matter,” meaning that whatever day(s) someone sets apart as holy is something they do “to the Lord” and not based on human approval. “One person considers one day more sacred than another;another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord” (Romans 14:5-6a).
  4. Therefore, any and all days might be considered and treated as an opportunity to rest and worship. Note that the earliest church met daily for worship and fellowship. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:46-47a). 
  5. Further, Jesus is declared to have provided a continual and forever Sabbath for His people. This is because the work of salvation has been accomplished by Him and, thus, we permanently cease from works based religion. “God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.”… For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:7a, 8-10).
  6. For this reason, we can come to Jesus daily- multiple times a day, even- to receive rest for our souls.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

What Do We Do on the Sabbath?

  1. Worship: The Sabbath is “holy” and “to the Lord.” It is the day that sacred things take precedent; common activities cease and service to God takes center stage.
  2. Fellowship: Worship in general can be private, but Sabbath worship must be in company with other believers. It is encouraged to also fellowship (break bread) with other Christians and the members of our household. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
  3. Cease from work: The Lord is in His kindness and wisdom mandated a day off for His people who were used to conditions of slavery. In the New Covenant, God has not commanded us to set apart a particular day, but it would be wise and beneficial for us to give to God one day of our week as “first fruits” to honor Him, and that we may rest and be refreshed.
  4. Enjoy God’s goodness: Have fun with the people you love. Do things that bring you joy that you may not have time for during the workweek– but not to the exclusion of worship and fellowship. “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10).
  5. Do good: In neither the Old or New Testaments was the Sabbath to be pitted against the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. And if there was ever a conflict, helping others in need trumps Sabbath or any other “ceremonial” custom (Matthew 23:23; Mark 7:9-13). We should never make our religion an excuse to neglect the needs of others (Luke 10:31-32). “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).