Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Friday March 20 2026
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Colossians 2:16-17 (CEV)-Don’t let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don’t let them say that you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. 17 These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real!
When the Apostle Paul wrote these words, there were some in the first century trying to tell Christians that they were obligated to keep the Old Testament Sabbath day. To be clear: if a person chooses to hold a special day between themselves and God (including the Sabbath), that is their Christian right! But they do not have God’s approval in trying to bind Sabbath keeping (or any other part of the Old Law) on fellow Christians (Romans 14:1-23).
How about we do some basic “Bible Questions And Answers” about the Sabbath?
Let’s study.
Question: What day of the week is the Sabbath?
Answer: The seventh day of the week, often known as Saturday. For the Jewish people, this day began at sunset on what we would call Friday evening and continued through to sunset of what we would call Saturday evening.
Exodus 20:9-11-Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Leviticus 23:32-It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.”
Question: Where is the first example in the Bible of humans keeping the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship?
Answer: With Moses giving the Jewish people the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:2-3-The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.
Nehemiah 9:13-14-“You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. 14 You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant.
Question: Was the command to keep the Sabbath for people of all nations?
Answer: No. The Sabbath command was only for the Jewish people.
Exodus 31:13-17-Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’
Exodus 34:27-Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.
Deuteronomy 4:8-And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?
Ezekiel 20:12-Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
Psalm 147:19-20-He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the LORD!
Please observe: the Old Testament Law (including the Law to keep the Sabbath) was only for the Jewish people (Romans 2:12-15; 1 Corinthians 9:19-22), until the time of Christ (Galatians 3:19, 24-25; Ephesians 2:14-16).
Question: What was the penalty for a person who didn’t keep the Sabbath in Israel?
Answer: Death.
Exodus 35:2-Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.
Question: May we enforce part of the Old Testament Law (such as the Sabbath law) without enforcing other parts of it (such as the penalties for violating the Sabbath)?
Answer: No.
Deuteronomy 27:26-Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ “
Galatians 5:3-And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
Question: Does the New Testament teach that God changed the Sabbath (Saturday) to the first day of the week (Sunday)?
Answer: No. In fact, the New Testament emphatically teaches that the Sabbath precedes the first day of the week.
Matthew 28:1-Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
Mark 16:1-2-Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
Luke 23:54-24:1-That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. 55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. 1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
Please notice that in all of these passages, the Sabbath (seventh) day is clearly distinguished from Sunday (the first day of the week).
Question: Did Christians assemble together for worship on the Sabbath day in the Book of Acts?
Answer: No. Sometimes they would assemble on the Sabbath with Jewish and Gentile non-Christians to teach them the Word of God. But the regular day of Christian assembly and worship was Sunday (although they also assembled for worship daily at times as well-Acts 2:46-47).
Acts 13:14-But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
Acts 13:27-For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.
Acts 13:42-So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
Acts 13:44-On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Acts 15:21-For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Acts 16:13-And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.
Acts 17:2-Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Acts 18:4-And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 20:7-Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
Several things here are worthy of notice.
First, the Apostles gathered with the church on the first day of the week. As noted above, the first day of the week is always shown to be separate from the Sabbath. Second, the meeting is with other Christians. This is different from the instances in Acts where the Apostles gathered with unbelievers on the Sabbath to preach the Gospel to them. Third, the Greek of Acts 20:7implies that this was a habitual gathering and special purpose of the church assembly, i.e., to gather together on the first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Fourth, the euphemism “break bread” was often used to refer to the Lord’s Supper (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:16). That this was the meaning of the phrase as used here is demonstrated especially by noticing the early translations of the New Testament from Greek into other languages. The Syriac, Latin, and Ethiopic translations render this phrase “break bread” with the equivalent of “partake of the Eucharist” (an early designation for the Lord’s Supper). The religious nature of this meeting is also seen in that Paul preached the Word of God to them. Even though the Christians often met together and worshipped daily (Acts 2:42-47), there is clearly a sense in which Sunday “stood out” to them.
The Sabbath-along with every other Old Testament holiday, ritual, and element-was a foreshadowing of what would be accomplished in Christ. As such, the Sabbath was a reminder of salvation in the Lord, and a preview of the “rest” we will enjoy together in Heaven as God’s people. Let us not mistake the “shadow” for the “Substance.”
Lord, thank You for the rest and peace that we have in relationship with You. We look forward with gratitude to being in Heaven with You. Amen.