Claim: “Jesus is our Sabbath (rest), so we don’t need to keep the Sabbath”

🔎 Outline

1. 1a) Original Definition of the Sabbath
2. 1b) Testing the Claim of “Temporary” or “Absorbed into Christ”
3. 2) Jesus and the Sabbath in the Gospels
4. 3) Hebrews 4: Observance “Rest” or Symbolism?
5. 4) Paul’s Teaching
6. 5) Typology: Type → Anti-type
7. 6) How Jesus “Fulfills” the Sabbath
8. 7) Conclusion

1a) Original Definition of the Sabbath

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• Creation origin (Gen 2:2–3): God ended His work, rested, blessed, and sanctified the seventh day.
• Perpetual covenant sign (Exod 31:16–17): “A sign forever” and “perpetual covenant.”
• Formal command (Exod 20:8–11): “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
• Sanctifying purpose (Ezek 20:12): “That they might know that I the LORD sanctify them.”
• Summary attributes: Rest • 7th Day • Perpetual • A Sign • A Covenant • Holy • Remember God • Who Sanctifies Us • Set Apart.
• No text suggests Sabbath would be temporary or absorbed into Christ; it is portrayed as ongoing holy time.

1b) Testing the Claim of Sabbath becoming “Temporary” or “Absorbed into Christ”

🔗 3 Walls Test of Testing Scripture

• Exod 31:14–15; Num 15:32–36 — Breaking Law/Sabbath carried the death penalty. Paul faced charges that, if true, could demand his death.
• Acts 21:20 — “Many thousands of Jews… all zealous for the Law/Sabbath.” Would such believers accept Paul if he truly taught against the Law/Sabbath?
• Acts 21:21–26 — Accused of teaching Jews to forsake Moses; Paul purifies himself and pays for men under vows: “You yourself also live in observance of the Law/Sabbath.”
• Acts 24:14–16 — Before Felix: “I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything written in the Law and Prophets… I strive for a clear conscience.”
• Acts 25:8 — Before Festus: “Neither against the Law/Sabbath of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned.”
• Acts 28:17 — In Rome: “I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers.”

If Paul had to defend himself against breaking the Law/Sabbath by Proving from the law and the prophets that Christ is the Messiah, don’t you think he would defend the Law/Sabbath are valid today as well then? He made the point that Christ, the Messiah came to fully preach God’s Covenant that was broken, not abolish it for a supposed new religion.

Deuteronomy 13 Test for Claim: Temporary or Abolished/Absorbed Sabbath

God commands that if anyone — even with signs and wonders — tells you to forsake His commandments, they are a false prophet (Deut 13:1–5).

Would removing the Sabbath pass or fail this test? Does Christ or Paul ever tell God’s people to abandon the Sabbath?

Berean Challenge for Claim: Temporary or Abolished/Absorbed Sabbath

Acts 17:10–11 describes the Bereans as noble because they eagerly examined the Scriptures daily to test Paul’s words.

Would the Bereans have followed Paul if he had taught against the Law/Sabbath? They only believed him after proving his message matched the Scriptures.

Amos 3:7 Test for Claim: Temporary or Abolished/Absorbed Sabbath

If God were to make a major change regarding the Sabbath such as in abolishment or absorbed into the person of Christ, don’t you think he would have announced it prior to his prophets like he says he would in Amos 3:7? For example: in Deuteronomy 18:15, he announced Christ through Moses, yet no such abolision of Sabbath was ever discussed, hinted upon nor stated.

Would removing the Sabbath pass or fail this test? Does Christ or Paul ever tell God’s people to abandon the Sabbath?

2) Jesus and the Sabbath in the Gospels

• Jesus clarifies how to keep Sabbath, not whether to keep it (Mark 2:27–28: “The Sabbath was made for man… the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath”).
• He restores the day’s purpose—mercy, life, and freedom (e.g., healings in Matt 12:1–14).
• He anticipates disciples caring about Sabbath after His resurrection (Matt 24:20).
• He honors the day in His own practice (Luke 4:16).

3) Hebrews 4 and “Rest” (Greek focus: Observance, not Symbolism)

• Heb 4:9: “There remains (ἀπολείπεται) a ‘Sabbath-keeping’ (G4520- sabbatismos “σαββατισμός”) for the people of God.” The noun indicates literal Sabbath observance, not mere symbolism.
• Heb 4:10: The believer rests from self-justifying works “as God did from His,” echoing Genesis 2.
• Hebrews distinguishes κατάπαυσις (G2663-Katapausis “Ultimate rest in God’s presence”) and σαββατισμός (“Sabbath-keeping”), showing both spiritual rest and weekly sign.

4) Paul’s Teaching (Col 2; Rom 14)

• Colossians 2:16–17: Don’t let outsiders judge/condemn you regarding you observing the Sabbaths; the σῶμα (“substance/body”) belongs to Christ. Paul addresses judgmentalism, not a ban on practice.
• Romans 14:5: Concerns optional fast days and personal vows, not the Fourth Commandment.

5) Typology: Type → Anti-type (Fulfillment ≠ Abolition)

In Scripture, fulfillment deepens the type’s meaning rather than abolishing it:

• Passover Lamb → Christ (Exod 12 → 1 Cor 5:7–8)
• Day of Atonement → Christ’s once-for-all offering (Lev 16 → Heb 9:11–12)
• Manna → Bread of Life (Exod 16 → John 6:32–35)
• Temple → Christ’s Body / Church (1 Kgs 8 → John 2:19–21; 1 Cor 3:16)
• Circumcision → Circumcision of the heart (Gen 17 → Rom 2:29)
• Animal sacrifices → Christ’s final sacrifice (Lev 4–5 → Heb 10:10–14)
• Promised Land rest → Eternal inheritance (Josh 1 → Heb 4:8–10)
• Sabbath rest → Rest in Christ (Gen 2; Exod 20 → Matt 11:28–30; Heb 4:9–10)

6) How Jesus “Fulfills” the Sabbath (Deeper Meaning)

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• Fulfillment (πληρόω, Matt 5:17) means to bring to fullness, not to abolish.
• Two intertwined dimensions held together:
  • Physical rest: Weekly cessation, consecrated time, covenant sign (Exod 20; 31).
  • Spiritual rest: In Christ from sin, striving, and works-righteousness (Matt 11:28–30; Heb 4:10).
• Therefore: Because Christ fulfills the spiritual reality, the weekly Sabbath remains (Heb 4:9) as a living sign pointing to Him and to the final rest (Isa 66:22–23).
• Analogy: Christ is our Passover (1 Cor 5:7), and Paul still says, “Let us keep the feast” (1 Cor 5:8). Spiritual fulfillment and practiced sign are complementary, not contradictory.

7) Conclusion

• Creation-rooted, covenantal, and perpetual Sabbath in the Hebrew Bible.
• Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, restoring mercy and purpose.
• Hebrews affirms an ongoing Sabbath-keeping (σαββατισμός) for believers.
• Typology shows fulfillment enriches the type; it does not abolish it.
• Thus the claim “Jesus is our rest, so Sabbath is unnecessary” misunderstands Scripture. Christ embodies Sabbath’s deeper meaning, while the weekly Sabbath still remains as covenant sign and foretaste of eternal rest.