Question: Dear Greg,

If the Sabbath is still not in effect, then why did Christ keep the Sabbath? And in Matthew 24:20, why does it say to pray for your flight not to be on the Sabbath day if it isn’t in effect?

Edd

 

Answer: Dear Edd,

We have several Q and As about the Sabbath on our website. Use the Search Our Site feature to find them.

  1. Jesus kept the Sabbath because he kept the law – all of it. He was an observant Jew under the old covenant. He fulfilled that old covenant on the cross.

    2. If we accept the statement "Do exactly what Jesus did" then we will not only be obligated to "keep" the Sabbath, but we will need to do that in a synagogue, for Jesus never attended a church. All men will need to be circumcised, for Jesus was (no need to look at Acts 15, Galatians, etc. – because those were "changes" instituted after Jesus’ death – remember, we are going to do exactly what Jesus did). We will need to "keep" all old covenant feasts, and we will need to observe Hanukah (feast of lights) for Jesus did.

    The issue is not whether we should live our lives exactly as Jesus did, but whether we should live our lives in the light of what he did for us that we can never do for ourselves. Whether we should accept him and his atoning work on the cross, and whether we understand and follow the meaning and import of Jesus’ teachings, as well as all of the New Testament.

  2. The passage to which you refer "Pray that your flight is not on the Sabbath" is part of the Olivet Prophecy. The Olivet Prophecy was specifically, and first given to Jews, more specifically Jews who were residents of the province of Judea, and even more specifically residents of Jerusalem. These people were Jews, not Christians. This prophecy was fulfilled during the Roman war of attrition against Jerusalem in 69-70.

Some, perhaps including yourself, believe that the Olivet Prophecy has a greater fulfillment in the future, in the last days, whenever they may be. We do not insist that there will be another fulfillment, but simply point out that there are several ways to understand this passage in the light of some future (to us) fulfillment.

The original recipients of "Pray that your flight is not on the Sabbath day" were observant Jews, not Christians. And there was a flight from Jerusalem, we know that from history.

So this passage certainly is not de facto, knock down proof that the only true Christians are Sabbath observers.

Hope this helps, Edd, as well as the other answers we have posted on our website.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht