The word “sabbath” is the English form of the Hebrew word meaning “rest.” In the law God gave the nation of Israel through Moses, the Israelites were to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. On that day, the seventh day of the week, the children of Abraham were instructed not to work at all, rest from their labors, and keep this day “unto the Lord.” It was a day of devotion to God, focusing on Him rather than on making a living and a life, materially.
Jesus came bringing salvation by faith in the new covenant, taking away the former covenant, “nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:11-14, Ephesians 2:14-15, Hebrews 10:9-10). The Sabbath Day, a part of that law, was removed along with all of the ordinances connected to the covenant that God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai. While Jesus lived on the earth He lived under and subject to the Law of Moses. When the gospel began to be preached, Paul and the other apostles would go to the synagogue on the sabbath day in order to preach the gospel of salvation in Jesus the Christ, the Messiah. They would continue doing this as long as the Jews would allow them to teach and preach the new covenant.
However, nowhere in the gospel, or the writings of the apostles, can we find any instructions about keeping the sabbath. It is not New Testament teaching. Neither do we find any examples of disciples keeping the sabbath in the name of Jesus. It was not a part of the worship, practice or service of Christians in the New Testament.
There is only one possible reference to a “Christian Sabbath” in the Bible. In Hebrews 3 and 4 we can read about the Israelites looking forward to rest in Canaan, the promise-land. Because of their unfaithfulness, many fell in the wilderness and did not enter that rest (3:7-11). The text goes on to warn us: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God …Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 3:12 – 4:13). Christians are being warned about falling short of this rest / sabbath.
The Christian Sabbath is our rest with God in our promised land — heaven! Sunday is not a day of rest. It is a day of service, worship, edification and remembrance. Rest comes later. Let us be careful that we do not fall short of that rest! May God bless us all.