This document summarizes a lesson about Jesus' relationship to the Sabbath. It discusses how Jesus emphasized his authority as Lord of the Sabbath when religious leaders criticized his Sabbath observance. It also examines how Jesus showed the correct observance of the Sabbath and healed people on the Sabbath to relieve human suffering. The document concludes by noting how Jesus and his disciples observed and taught about the seventh-day Sabbath after his resurrection based on scriptural examples.

1. Lesson 11

2. Key Text
“And He said to them,
‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the Sabbath.
Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the
Sabbath’ ”
Mark 2:27, 28

3. Throughout His ministry, religious leaders challenged
Christ’s Sabbath observance. When criticized, Christ
emphasized His authority as Lord of the Sabbath
(Matt. 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5).
He also showed what correct observance of the
Sabbath should be.

4. Today we are confronted
not only with the challen-
ge of “correct observan-
ce” of the Sabbath but
lso with the popular
belief that Sunday,
not Sabbath, is
the day of rest.
Those pushing for Sunday, however, have nothing in their favor in the
Gospels. The Sabbath controversies in the Gospels dealt only with
how the Sabbath was to be kept, never with when. Jesus’ life and
teachings leave no doubt that the seventh-day Sabbath would
continue as God’s day of rest, even after His death and resurrection.

5. This lesson we will
study Christ’s
relationship to the
origin and lordship of
the Sabbath.
Next, we will study
the example and
teachings of Jesus
regarding the
observance of the
Sabbath.
Finally, we’ll look at
the Sabbath as seen
in His teachings and
in the example of His
disciples after the
Resurrection.

6. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day
from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in
it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Genesis 2:2-3)
Who created all things, including the Sabbath?
John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16; Acts 1:1-2
Jesus is the Maker of everything, including the
Sabbath. Jesus, Adam and Eve were not tired, so
why did they need to rest on Sabbath?
In a sinless world, the Sabbath is a
temple in time when all creatures
come together to praise their
Creator and to enjoy a special
communion with Him.
Unlike them, we are surrounded
by sin, so we need those moments
of close communion with our
Creator even more.
Jesus set an example by resting on
Sabbath both after creating us and
after redeeming us.

7. Christ, who was to be man’s Redeemer, was also his Creator. And
right there, at the end of Creation week, the Lord gave us a day of
rest. “The Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It belongs
to Christ. . . . Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him
it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation

8. The same God who
created humanity
with the need to rest
also provided the
means to rest: a
weekly day in which
human beings are to
set aside weekly toils
and troubles and to
rest in Him, the Creator.
After finishing Creation, He Himself rested on the seventh day, not be-
cause of tiredness but in order to bless and sanctify the Sabbath and
give us an example to follow. And He also rested on Sabbath when He
finished our Redemption on the cross, not because He needed it but in
order to (among other things) confirm the perpetual value of the Sab-
bath. Christ, who invites restless human beings to rest in Him (Matt. 11:28, 29),
invites us to rest in a special way, once a week, every Sabbath day.

9. “For the Son of Man is Lord
even of the Sabbath.”
(Matthew 12:8)
That was permitted by the law (Dt. 23:25),
but they were accused of breaking the
law by doing that on Sabbath.
The Pharisees followed very strict rules to
observe the Sabbath day. So what the
disciples did involved reaping, threshing
and fanning the grain for them.
Jesus’ disciples began to pluck
heads of grain from a grain field and
to eat them on Sabbath (Mt. 12:1-2)

10. Jesus replied the Pharisees. He used two
examples involving the services in the Temple:
A. David ate the Showbread. The ceremonial
law permitted that transgression.
B. The priests work (even harder) on Sabbath.
His work is accepted by God.
Just after that, Jesus stated:
1. “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
 The Sabbath is a gift from God for mankind. It was
made to serve us, not the other way around.
2. “Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the
Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28)
 Our Savior is the Maker of the Sabbath, so He is
entitled to decide what is appropriate to do on
that holy day.
“For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8)

11. “So 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 4:16)
Jesus’ example of Sabbath keeping is paramount.
1. Jesus gathered with other believers for
Scripture study and worship. (Luke 4:16–21)
2. He experienced nature (Matt. 12:1–8)
3. He relieved human suffering (Matt. 9–14;
Luke 13:15, 16; John 5:16, 17)
4. He rested from work (Gen. 2:1–3)
5. Because of Christ’s strict scriptural
adherence, Jesus refrained from
merchandising (Matt. 5:17–19;
Neh. 13:15–22)
6. We may infer from Jesus’ disciples’ conduct
that He observed the preparation day (Luke
23, 24; Exodus 16)
Based upon Jesus’ example, Christians should conscientiously
craft Sabbath practice for today.
How did Jesus observe Sabbath?

12. Jesus was accused of violating the Sabbath because He “worked”
by healing people. How did Jesus counter that statement?
“So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him
on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.” (Mark 3:2)
Matthew 12:10-13.
• If a sheep falls into a pit,
rescuing it is lawful. Isn’t
a man more valuable than
a sheep? So it is lawful to
do good on Sabbath.
Luke 13:10-17.
• Loosing an animal so it
can drink on Sabbath is
lawful. Shouldn’t we also
loose those that have
been tied with sickness by
Satan? Shouldn’t we heal
them?
John 5:2-18.
• The Father works on
Sabbath by supporting
the Universe. Shouldn’t
helping people on
Sabbath be also lawful?
Jesus released the Sabbath from extremism. He helped us to get away
from legalism without transgressing the Sabbath day.

13. “‘And it shall come to pass that from one New
Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to
another, all flesh shall come to worship before
Me,’ says the Lord.” (Isaiah 66:23)
Popular theology states that Jesus transferred
the holiness of the Sabbath to Sunday, to honor
His resurrection. Nevertheless, when Jesus spoke
about the destruction of Jerusalem (that would
take place 40 years after His resurrection), He
said, “And pray that your flight may not be in
winter or on the Sabbath.” (Matthew 24:20)
Paul and the rest of the apostles usually
attended Church on Sabbath (Acts 13:14, 42;
14:1; 17:1-2; 18:4)
When some Greek people wanted to meet Paul
apart from the Jews (outside the synagogue), he
preached to them for two consecutive Sabbaths
(Acts 13:42-44). He didn’t meet them on Sunday.

14. “As the Sabbath was the
sign that distinguished
Israel when they came
out of Egypt to enter the
earthly Canaan, so it is
the sign that now distin-
guishes God’s people
as they come out from
the world to enter the
heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of the
relationship existing between God and His
people, a sign that they honor His law. It
distinguishes between His loyal subjects
and transgressors.”
E.G.W. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, cp. 44, pg. 349)

15. The teachings
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