The Sabbath is a lot more than “not Sunday.”

Jo Ann Davidson

Creation week reverberated with excitement—which the Creator recalled when He spoke with Job: “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7, NKJV).1 Day 7 completed God’s creating activities and became the final day of the first week. Whereas the prior six days were pronounced “good” and “very good,” the climactic seventh day was pronounced “holy.” “As all creation was directed toward completion, completion set the stage for consecration.”2 In contrast to ancient Near Eastern creation accounts, in which Baal and Marduk ceased activities after a violent victory over chaos, the Creator effortlessly granted the gift of life and then rested with the “very good” world. Though the sanctuary would later be God’s spatial house, the Sabbath was and is God’s “palace in time.”3

In just seven days, the earth was formed with many different ecosystems lovingly put in place, and then it was filled abundantly with life. Divine activity created an amazingly intricate network of divinely blessed habitats, interwoven with a complexity that we are only beginning to appreciate. The Sabbath day was the climax, bringing completion. The entire cosmos, with its many systems, is the result of divine activity and blessing. Everything exists because of God’s generous initiative. Nothing was overlooked.

The Sabbath day is itself a remarkable gift. Humans and all creatures, along with their Creator, are invited to rest. Sabbath blessings are not limited (Ex. 20:8–11). Contrasting with a common modern view of animals (expendable and ruthlessly slaughtered with no regard for their well-being), the fourth commandment of the Decalogue graciously included animals within its sphere of blessing.

The structure of the fourth commandment highlights those included in the Sabbath’s rest:

[A:] “‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’”

  [B:] “‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work:’”

  [C:] “‘you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.’”

    [Bl:] “‘For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.”’

  [Al:] “Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.’”

Animals participate in a celebration of God’s creative activity. The other six days they are to labor with humans, but not on the Sabbath. Carol Meyers points out that seven categories of living creatures are mentioned as beneficiaries of the Sabbath rest (in the C-center of the structure above), highlighting the “totality of household members required to observe the Sabbath.”4

The seventh-day Sabbath is not a legalistic requirement—it is a divine gift. Because human beings were created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26, 27), this suggests that Sabbath rest is intended for us, too. God Himself later reiterated this intention in Exodus 20:8 to 11. The royal hours of Sabbath give time for fellowship with the Creator.

The divinely instituted seven-day week, unattached to any celestial movements (as are day, month, and year time measurements) reveals the Creator’s mighty sovereignty over everything, including time itself. God’s blessing to all of creation is written in the very laws of nature, including the weekly rhythm of time. Setting apart the weekly Sabbath, God grants us freedom from the tyranny of time.

When the Creator Himself walked on earth, He deliberately drew attention to the Sabbath. Speaking of Jesus, Paul wrote, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth. . . . All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:16, 17).

According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus used a Sabbath day to inaugurate His ministry with the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah 58 and 61. Isaiah 58 promised the restoration of the Sabbath; Isaiah 61 promised salvation—suggesting a close connection between the Sabbath and salvation. These chapters, presenting the coming Messiah, provide the pattern of Jesus’ life and ministry. And He announced Himself as the very fulfillment of these Messianic promises on a Sabbath morning!

Significantly, Luke linked Christ’s initial Sabbath pronouncement with two Sabbath healing miracles: Jesus healed a man possessed of a demon on another Sabbath morning in the synagogue (Luke 4:31–37); He then went to Peter’s home and healed Peter’s mother-in-law from a “high fever” (vs. 38), seeking to restore the blessing of the Sabbath.

Luke apparently realized that Christ’s proclamation of His ministry on Sabbath was fulfilled by miracles of healing and liberation as the prophet Isaiah foretold of the Messiah. On many occasions, aspects of Christ’s life and ministry are repeatedly presented as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. This peaks on the road to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday, when the risen Christ Himself explains to the two disciples that He has fulfilled “‘all things . . . which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me’” (Luke 24:44).

Luke also portrayed Jesus as a habitual observer of the Sabbath—“as His custom was” (vs. 16). Apparently, Jesus delighted in being with His people on His day. In fact, Luke described not only how Jesus announced His ministry on Sabbath but also that, after He completed His work of salvation on the cross on Friday, Jesus then rested on Sabbath, just as He rested on the first Sabbath after finishing His creative work.

On another Sabbath, again in a synagogue, there was a man with a withered hand. The presiding “clergy” watched closely to see if Jesus would dare “break the rules.” The rabbinic code allowed that “a case of risk of loss of life supersedes the Sabbath,”5 but a withered hand was obviously a non-life-threatening condition. But Jesus deliberately called the affected man into the center of attention and asked, “‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’” (Mark 3:4).

Jesus wanted His opponents to evaluate the situation carefully—whether saving life on the Sabbath was more lawful than planning to kill, as they now wanted to do to Him. His opponents remained silent. With the issue clarified, Jesus healed the withered hand. Instead of praising God that such a miracle occurred, the Pharisees and Herodians plotted to kill Jesus (vs. 6). Their hatred of Jesus blinded them to the fact that their planned murder was breaking one of the Ten Commandments as they accused Jesus of breaking another.

On another Sabbath, Jesus healed a woman with a crippled back who had been suffering for 18 years (Luke 13:10–17). Again, Jesus called the person into the center of attention in the synagogue before healing her. Then, using both word and touch, He said, “‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity’” (vs. 12). Immediately, she stood up straight. For the first time in a long time, she could look into someone’s face. And the first face she saw was that of Jesus.

The ruler of the synagogue, however, was not inclined to praise God for this miracle. Indignant, he addressed the worshipers: “‘There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day’” (vs. 14). Such work should be done on weekdays. The Sabbath simply should not be desecrated like this.

But Jesus responded, “‘Hypocrite!’” (vs. 15). He then presented an analogy likely familiar to those present. They knew it was appropriate to untie thirsty animals and lead them to water on the Sabbath—the Sabbath commandment grants its blessing to the animals. Jesus then declared that He was loosing a daughter of Abraham from 18 years of suffering. The prophets had foretold such blessings coming from the Messiah. When Jesus healed the woman, He was simply carrying out the work prophesied of the Messiah—proclaiming release to the captives. In fact, the verb translated as “to free” is used by Jesus three times in this narrative! He didn’t come just to worship on the Sabbath but to liberate people from the bonds of sin and sickness that held them captive. Sabbath is the best day of all for healing.

Jesus performed another Sabbath miracle in downtown Jerusalem. Ellen G. White described the scene: “Jesus was again at Jerusalem. Walking alone, in apparent meditation and prayer, He came to the pool. He saw the wretched sufferers watching for that which they supposed to be their only chance of cure. He longed to exercise His healing power, and make every sufferer whole. But it was the Sabbath day. Multitudes were going to the temple for worship, and He knew that such an act of healing would so excite the prejudice of the Jews as to cut short His work. But the Saviour saw one case of supreme wretchedness. It was that of a man who had been a helpless cripple for thirty-eight years. His disease was in a great degree the result of his own sin, and was looked upon as a judgment from God. Alone and friendless, feeling that he was shut out from God’s mercy, the sufferer had passed long years of misery.”6

Knowing the extreme animosity against Him, Jesus nevertheless asked the sick man, “‘Do you want to be healed?’” (John 5:6, ESV). The man tried to explain his hopeless situation, whereupon Jesus said to him, “‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’” (vs. 8). At once the man was healed. It didn’t take long for a man carrying his bedding to be accosted in Jerusalem—carrying a bed mat on the Sabbath would be conspicuous! And it didn’t take long for the religious authorities to reprimand him. Jesus could have saved Himself and the sick man a lot of trouble by telling the man to just get up and walk. But He obviously was trying to draw attention to the healing of this man.

However, when questioned by the religious authorities, the man didn’t even know who healed him. Only after meeting Jesus in the temple later did he know for sure. But the authorities were angry, and they confronted Jesus. He responded that He had been working as His Father worked (vs. 17)—an interesting word choice in discussion with Jewish leaders intent on holding up the restrictions against working on the Sabbath!

Jesus’ opponents believed the suffering man was getting what he deserved. And if he had survived this long, waiting one more day to heal him would prevent a desecration of the Sabbath. They simply could not condone any healing miracles on the Sabbath. Jesus argued that their thinking was deeply distorted, risking His life to do so.

“He could have healed the sick man as well on any other day of the week; or He might simply have cured him, without bidding him bear away his bed. But this would not have given Him the opportunity He desired. A wise purpose underlay every act of Christ's life on earth. Everything He did was important in itself and in its teaching. Among the afflicted ones at the pool He selected the worst case upon whom to exercise His healing power, and bade the man carry his bed through the city in order to publish the great work that had been wrought upon him. This would raise the question of what it was lawful to do on the Sabbath, and would open the way for Him to denounce the restrictions of the Jews in regard to the Lord's day, and to declare their traditions void.”7

Jesus also healed a blind man on the Sabbath (John 9). The account of this miracle fills a long chapter in the Gospel of John. Perhaps John also was trying to draw attention to the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah, who would bring sight to the blind (Isa. 35:3–6).

When they first noticed the blind man, Jesus’ disciples asked, “‘Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” (John 9:2). Jesus rejected the notion that God was punishing for anyone’s sin, instead pointing to Himself as “‘the light of the world’” (vs. 5). Then He proceeded to make wet clay, put it on the man’s eyes, and tell him to wash in the pool of Siloam. Jesus could have spared Himself a lot of antagonism by telling the man to go home and wash. Instead, the blind man was sent to a very public area by the temple on the Sabbath when many worshipers would be there—but nobody would be washing on the Sabbath.

After the blind man washes, he can see! But amazingly, there is no rejoicing. First, Jesus’ opponents attack the man. He defends what happened and concludes that the Person who gave him sight must be a prophet (vs. 17). After demanding that the man’s parents prove the identity of their blind son, the authorities call the healed man in again. He repeats his earlier statements, but this time the religious leaders throw him out of the synagogue. Jesus hears what happened and seeks out the healed man: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him” (vss. 35–38).

When the formerly blind man meets his Healer, the second miracle of sight occurs. When he “sees” who Jesus is, he worships—for when anyone truly sees Jesus, he or she is drawn to worship.

This second miracle of sight is in stark contrast to the religious rulers, who were blind to the Messiah, even though Old Testament prophets foretold that when the Messiah came He would restore sight to the blind. And the Sabbath is at the epicenter of the storm. The clergy simply could not link healing and salvation to the Sabbath.

At the risk of His mission and life, Jesus, as its Creator, sought to restore the Sabbath to its rightful place. Defending what is lawful on the Sabbath, He argued from the Old Testament, by example, and by declaring Himself “‘Lord of the Sabbath’” (Mark 2:28). He intentionally confronted Sabbath restrictions that prevailed then, insisting that Sabbath was not a day for legalistic rules and rituals. Such thinking was barricading people from the divine blessing of this day.

Though the motive to carefully guard the Sabbath was laudable, concentration on the rules had become the main priority; the blessed nature of the Sabbath had been obscured. God’s purpose of healing and restoration on the Sabbath had disappeared. In the process, legalism was devaluing the people. Jesus well knew that in healing on the Sabbath He would be regarded as a transgressor; but this did not stop Him from trying to break down the wall of traditional requirements that obscured the Sabbath.

“Every religion that wars against the sovereignty of God defrauds man of the glory which was his at the creation, and which is to be restored to him in Christ. Every false religion teaches its adherents to be careless of human needs, sufferings, and rights. The gospel places a high value upon humanity as the purchase of the blood of Christ, and it teaches a tender regard for the wants and woes of man.”8 “God’s holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour's pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day.”9

Jesus deliberately challenged the Sabbath prohibitions that affected the health, welfare, and happiness of people, drawing attention to what the Sabbath really is—a day for miracles, a day for healing, a memorial of God’s creative and re-creative power, a day when the captives are freed (Luke 13:10–17), the lame can walk (John 5), and people are made whole again. “‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

God desires that we experience this renewal with Him every week. Each Sabbath, we can be the captives whom Christ has set free, the spiritually blind whose eyesight Jesus can restore, our damaged and crippled sinful hearts finding healing. Each week, the Sabbath can bring liberation and redemption to our souls, restoring us from the past week’s stumbling and failures. We can be forgiven and rejoice in the power of God’s salvation. It is His busiest day!

“The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than upon other days. His people then leave their usual employment, and spend the time in meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him on the Sabbath than upon other days. They demand His special attention. They crave His choicest blessings. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before He grants these requests. . . . The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect accord with the law. It honored the Sabbath.”10

After human beings were created on the sixth day, the Sabbath was their first day. They were invited to rest with their Creator before they had done any work, resting in God’s finished work of creation. So, we can rest in His finished work of salvation. The Sabbath is a lot more than “not Sunday.” It was created to give us entrance into a “palace in time,” where we can fellowship with our Creator and Redeemer in a weekly foretaste of Paradise! Jesus not only claims to be Lord of the Sabbath, and its true Interpreter, but also the Provider of Sabbath rest, giving a preview of the peace and rest of the promised future in heaven.

Jo Ann Davidson, PhD, is Professor of Systematic Theology at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, U.S.A.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references in this article are quoted from the New King James Version of the Bible.

2. William P. Brown, The Ethos of the Cosmos: The Genesis of Moral Imagination in the Bible (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1999), 52.

3. Abraham Heschel, The Sabbath (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1983), 10.

4. Carol Meyers, Exodus, New Cambridge Bible Commentary (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000), 1,320.

5. Mishnah, Yoma 8:6.

6. The Desire of Ages, 201, 202.

7. Ibid., 206.

8. Ibid., 287.

9. Ibid., 207.

10. Ibid.