Today I want to tell my blog readers about the Sabbath Day.
Many people say that the Sabbath is a law from the old testament, abolished by Jesus and therefore we don't have to keep. However today I was thinking, how that doesn't make any sense at all. So I decided to write a little bit about it.
THE SABBATH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Exodus 31:12-17 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.
" 'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.' "
" 'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.' "
That is the Sabbath of the old testament. The Jews or Israelites had to keep this Sabbath in those times. This law required no work at all. They weren't even allowed to light a fire on the Sabbath. (Exodus 35:2-3)
However the Sabbath we keep in the Church of God World Mission Society is NOT like that. We keep the Sabbath of Jesus Christ, the Sabbath of the new testament.
THE SABBATH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Luke 4:16 16 Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as he usually did. And he stood up to read. (N.I.R. version)
Jesus kept the Sabbath but, how did he keep it? Let's read this same chapter a little more.
Luke 4:16-21 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. ... He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down.
Jesus did keep the Sabbath day but, He didn't keep it like the rest of the people of the time. Instead He kept it in a different way, new way, Christ's way. Why?
Matthew 5:17 "Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written. (N.I.R. version)
Then why did He still keep the Sabbath even when He came?
John 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
It was because Jesus wants us to follow his example. I know that Jesus came to this earth also to show us the way to go to heaven. For this reason I need to follow in everything He did when He was here 2000 years ago. Even though He came to Israel He did not follow their customs or teachings but, instead show the true and only way to go to Kingdom. This is why to say that Jesus was a Jew or that He followed their customs is totally non-biblical.
Jesus, whether He came to Norway or Russia or Israel, is the only way to Heaven.(John 14:6)
To keep the Sabbath of the New Testament is Jesus' teaching. However this day stopped being kept after the disciples went up to heaven and little by little disappeared by the early third centuary. Today no church keeps the Sabbath like the disciples 2000 years ago (except the Church of God World Mission Society).
In the times when Jesus came nobody knew about this new way of keeping the Sabbath. It was Christ who established it and showed this teaching. Likewise noone could show the truth about the Sabbath in these last days. Our Father Christ Ahnsahnghong had to come a second time to teach his truth established 2000 years back which had been abolished by the evil one.
Thanks and praise be to Him who brought all of God's truth back. Thanks to Him, Christ Ahnsahnghong.