Expert: Dr Eddy Cheong - 1/28/2008

Question
Why does Jesus use the word "Sabbath" in New Testament? If we (New Testament generation) no longer have to worry (Mat.11:28) about the Sabbath, then why does Jesus say, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day." (Mat.24:20 KJV)

Answer
What is the Sabbath? The hebrew for Sabbath is Shabbath meaning intermission or cessation from work.(7) The term "Sabbath" has been used of the first and eight day (Lev 23:39) and also of the seventh year (Lev 25:4). The Sabbath that is referred to here with relevance to the seventh day of Genesis 2:3 is the seventh day sabbath i.e. by Jewish reckoning Friday 6 p.m. till Saturday 6 p.m. No work was to be done on the sabbath day (Exodus 20:8-11). The penalty for breaking this Law was death (Exodus 31:14; Numbers 15:30-36). The sabbath is peculiar only to the nation of Israel for three main reasons, viz,

1. It was as to be a memorial to commemorate the deliverance of Israel from the yoke of Pharoah (Deut 5:15).
 

Deut 5:15
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.
(NIV)

2. Moses addressed the Israelites only when he gave them the observance of Sabbath commandment...

Exod 31:13

13 "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.

(NIV) Emphasis Mine.

3. Observance of the Sabbath was part of the Mosaic Law.

The Sabbath Day law is part of the mosaic law and the New Testament Christian is under no obligation to keep it because Our Lord has fulfilled all the requirements of the Law and removed the curse (of not obeying the Law) from us....

Matt 5:17

17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

(NIV)

Gal 3:13

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

(NIV)

Observing only part of the Law and not the whole law puts one under a curse!

Gal 3:10

10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them."

(NAS)

The early Christians observed the first day of the week (Sunday) as a day of worship and fellowship not by compulsion, but by choice...

Acts 20:7

7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

(NIV)

1 Cor 16:2

2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

(NIV)
In Matt 11:28, the Lord was referring to the invasion of the Anti Christ with his large armies (prior to the second coming). Israel will still be observing the sabbath at that time.