The Sabbath

The Sabbath: What It Meant Then and What It Means Now

When you hear the word Sabbath, what comes to mind? For some, it’s rules and regulations. For others, it’s a quiet Sunday nap. But biblically, the Sabbath is so much more—it’s about rest, worship, and delighting in God.

The very first Sabbath takes us all the way back to creation:

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy…” (Genesis 2:2–3).

From the beginning, God wove rest into the rhythm of life. He didn’t rest because He was tired—He rested to set apart the seventh day as holy and to give His people a pattern to follow. Later, He commanded Israel to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Exodus 20:8–11). It became a covenant sign between God and His people, a weekly reminder of who He is and what He provides (Exodus 31:16–17).

In Jewish tradition, the Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and ends at sundown Saturday. It’s a time to cease from work, gather with family, pray, read Scripture, and enjoy festive meals. Isaiah even describes it as a delight:

“If you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable… then you will find your joy in the LORD.” (Isaiah 58:13–14).

The focus isn’t on legalism but on setting aside time to be refreshed in God’s presence.

So how did Christians go from observing Sabbath on Saturday to gathering primarily on Sunday? The shift began with the resurrection. Jesus rose on “the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Early Christians saw this as the dawn of a new creation, and they began gathering on that day to celebrate His victory.

Acts 20:7 shows believers coming together on the first day of the week “to break bread.” Paul also instructed the church in Corinth, “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money” (1 Corinthians 16:2). By the time John writes Revelation, he calls this day “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10).

Historically, Sunday worship was firmly established in the early centuries of the church. It didn’t replace the Sabbath as much as it re-centered God’s people around the resurrection of Jesus. Some Jewish believers likely honored both, but Gentile believers who weren’t bound by the Mosaic Law came to focus primarily on Sunday worship.

Is This Right, Wrong, or Does It Matter?

Paul speaks directly to this question:

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration* or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” (Colossians 2:16–17).

In other words, the specific day is not the point—Christ is. Romans 14:5 echoes this:

“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.”

For Christians today, the heart of Sabbath isn’t about the calendar—it’s about carving out space for God. If you honor Saturday, you’re not wrong. If you gather with the church on Sunday, you’re not wrong. What matters is that we rest in Christ, worship Him faithfully, and set apart time for Him above our busyness.

The Sabbath command was a shadow; the substance is Jesus Himself. He is our rest (Matthew 11:28–30; Hebrews 4:9–10).

What the Sabbath Looks Like Today:

For many believers, Sunday has become the day of worship, community, and renewal. We gather to remember the resurrection, to share communion, to sit under the Word, and to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24–25).

And yes—hosting or attending a Bible study, a time of worship, or a meal with friends fits perfectly into the spirit of Sabbath. Far from breaking it, these practices fulfill it. Nehemiah 8:8 describes God’s people gathering to hear His Word read and explained, and Acts 2:42 says the early church devoted themselves to “the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

For Christians, Sabbath is less about what we can’t do and more about what we get to do: rest from striving, trust God with our time, enjoy His presence, and love His people. Whether it’s Saturday, Sunday, the principle remains—stop, breathe, delight in Him.

The Sabbath is God’s invitation to breathe. To stop striving, to step out of the rush, and to remember that He is God and we are not. In a world that glorifies busyness, God whispers, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Take a moment to ask yourself: What would it look like to carve out sacred time this week? Maybe it’s turning off your phone for a few hours, gathering with friends around God’s Word, or simply sitting quietly with Him. The heart of Sabbath is not about what you avoid doing—it’s about Who you run to.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for the gift of Sabbath rest. Thank You that in Christ, I can lay down my burdens and find peace for my soul. Teach me to call this time a delight, to draw near to You, and to trust that You are enough. Help me to rest in Your presence, worship with joy, and love others well. Amen.

At the end of the day, Sabbath is less about the day of the week and more about the Lord of the day. Whether Saturday or Sunday, God’s heart is that we step into His rest and find our joy in Him.

NOTES:

*In the Old Testament, the new moon marked the first day of the Hebrew month (based on a lunar calendar). On that day, Israel was commanded to hold special sacrifices and offerings. The new moon wasn’t about fortune-telling or astrology. It was part of God’s calendar for His people, a way to mark sacred time and to remind them that their lives were ordered around Him.