What about the Sabbath?

The following is developed from a post by Dr. Jack Cottrell.

Genesis 2:1–3 (ESV) — ¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ² And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. ³ So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

If the creation event in Genesis 1-2 still governs how we should live, is SATURDAY still our special day for remembering our relation to God (Gen. 2:1-3)? Answer: NO.

1. The reason why God chose the 7th day as Israel’s special day of rest was to honor His deliverance of Israel from their labor in Egypt. They were commanded to REST on THIS day for THIS reason (Deut. 5:14-15). Thus the 7th day had a special meaning only under the old covenant and old creation.

Deuteronomy 5:14–15 (ESV) — but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. ¹⁵ You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

2. Thus when Jesus came He began a NEW covenant and a NEW CREATION.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) — Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Galatians 6:15 (ESV) — For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) — For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The event that began this NEW creation was His resurrection from the dead, which happened on the FIRST day of the week. Every Gospel takes note of the first day of the week as the day when Christ rose from the dead. The first Christians met together on the Lord’s Day to celebrate his resurrection.

Matthew 28:1 (ESV) — Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

Mark 16:2 (ESV) — And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.

Mark 16:9 (ESV) — Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

Luke 24:1 (ESV) — But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.

John 20:1 (ESV) — Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

John 20:19 (ESV) — On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Acts 20:7 (ESV) — On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (ESV) — Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. ² On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Christians do not celebrate the END of the OLD creation with the SEVENTH day, but the BEGINNING of the NEW creation with the FIRST day.