The Lord’s Day According to Jesus – Luke 6:6-11

Introduction

Jesus is again in the midst of a controversy centered around the Sabbath. This is because there is a fundamental difference between the true Sabbath given by God and the tradition of the Pharisees. The Pharisees demanded that a person do absolutely nothing in order to not break the law. Unless it was an emergency, don’t do anything. Jesus, on the other hand, says that you should be active and do good on the Sabbath.

There’s another question that’s related to the Sabbath which is “As Christians do we keep the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day?” One thing is for sure, whether the Sabbath or the Lord’s day, it is an important command from the Lord and a failure to keep the Lord’s Day is a leading cause to the lack of distinction in the modern church and the weak Christianity that is so common. We must strive to make the Lord’s Day alive again.

The Lord’s Day

God established the Lord’s Day in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 2:1-3, it says God completed His work. On the seventh day, God stopped working and rested. This is the beginning of the Sabbath and also the best picture to know the purpose. In Exodus 16:17-30, we see again that God commands the nation of Israel to not gather on the seventh day. In Exodus 20, the Sabbath is the fourth commandment written in God’s Law and explained because God had rested in Genesis 2. All through the Old testament through the generations, the purpose and essence of Sabbath has never changed. The Sabbath is about rest that God has given. The Israelites failed as a people of God when they failed to keep the Sabbath properly. Noticeably, when the Israelites failed to uphold the Sabbath, it was they were turning to idols. Jesus even accused the Pharisees of turning the Sabbath itself into an idol (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath is more than just a day of the week but a key part in our relationship with the Lord.

As Christians we observe the Lord’s Day on Sunday instead of Saturday. While the form has changed, the principle and purpose has not. Now, we must be careful and realize that this is not a change to God’s law. We would be like the Pharisees if we made God’s law what into something it isn’t. The Lord’s day is not a man-made tradition outside of God’s word, but a new tradition Jesus established with His resurrection. It was on Sunday, Mary met the risen Lord (John 20:1). The early church gathered together on Sunday (Acts 20:7). Historically, Sunday worship was a common practice in the early church, even before 300 AD. Even Jesus says he came to fulfill, not abolish the law (Matthew 5:17). In the new covenant, we don’t keep the Sabbath, but the Lord’s Day.

The Sabbath is for rest

Between Jesus and the Pharisees, they both agreed that the Sabbath is for rest. However, the conflict is about how to rest. In the Pharisee’s system, rest was defined by a strict external standard. In denying the incorrect definition of Sabbath, Jesus is also establishing the Lord’s Day based on the original Sabbath. Just as new wine does not belong in old wineskins, Jesus is saying his words and his work does not belong in the traditional Sabbath. By His authority as Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus is establishing the Lord’s Day (Luke 6:5).

While the Pharisees are focused on legalism, Jesus is focused on God’s grace. Using the example of King David, Jesus who is greater than David, is restoring the true Sabbath (Acts 2:29-32). So Jesus asks, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” He answers His own question by doing good works and saving lives. This is the true purpose of the Lord’s day: to do good works and to save a life.

Four things to do on the Lord’s Day

• Stop our normal work. We must completely cease from our regular jobs (Exodus 20:10). God stopped and enjoyed the work of creation. This is not a ‘do and don’t’ but a blessed principle that God takes pleasure in and brings us joy in Him (Isaiah 58:13).
• Keep the Lord’s Day holy (Exodus 20:8). Holy means set apart, distinctive, and different from the world. This is why we come to church and worship the risen Lord. We must be diligent to prioritize Sunday corporate worship to participate and enjoy the fellowship in the body of Christ.
• Help others. Like Jesus, we pursue good works, especially towards those who need our help. We practice acts of mercy. This helping others doesn’t come at the sacrifice of worshipping the Lord but in conjunction. Jesus himself showed how he healed and helped others on the Sabbath for the glory of God.
• Avoid doing anything unnecessary on Sunday. Examples could be homework or chores around the house. If there are no personal obligations, then we can reserve the time on Sunday to serve the Lord. This will also push us to be more diligent on weekdays.

An avoidable absence from church is an infallible evidence of spiritual decay -Frances Ridely Havergal

The Lord’s day is of great importance to the Christian and to the Church. Let us strive to keep our worship distraction free. Be thoughtful about your observance of the Lord’s Day, prepare yourself and plan ahead. There are many fruitful things to do: spend time reading God’s word or reviewing the sermon, building relationships with the brethren, going out to evangelize, helping others, or even exercise and catching up on sleep.

God wants to bless you on the Lord’s Day. But if we treat that day without the proper attitude, then we cannot expect anything. Too many Christians mistreat Sunday and restrict God to only the time of worship service. It is no wonder that today’s Christians are no different from the world.

Conclusion

After Jesus healed the man, the Jews were furious. As sons of Satan, the Pharisees, hated Jesus’ way of observing the Sabbath. It shows that there are two ways of observing the Lord’s Day but only one was loved by God. We too must avoid an incorrect view of the Sabbath, or else be in danger of hating the true Sabbath. Currently, there are two extreme views that are wrong. The liberal view which says the individual can keep the Sabbath, the Christian is free and can worship anywhere without restrictions. This is false because Sunday worship is meant to be corporate. The believer has every other day for individual worship but on Sunday the Church gathers to worship together. This side tends to be worldly. On the other extreme there are those who observe too strictly, with regulations and restrictions. Like the Pharisees, they focus on the external and try to enforce it.

The solution is not a balance between the two extremes, but a renewed heart. What we need is a heart full of love for the Lord and a life of obedience brought by grace. This is what Jesus gave as an example, which expresses His desire for us. This has been missing from the American church. It is a failure in our sanctification. We are comfortable in our sinfulness, when we should be submitting to God’s word, especially concerning our complacent attitudes towards the Lord’s day. May we repent and enjoy the blessing of the Lord’s day.