"Jesus kept the Sabbath.
Shouldn't we follow his example?"
Jesus was a Jew, born under the law (Gal. 4:4), and he
did many Jewish things.
He:
Attended synagogues (Luke 4:16).
Observed Hanukkah (John 10:22).
Told people to obey ritual laws (Matt. 8:4).
Went to Jerusalem for the festivals (Luke 2:41).
Gave money to support the temple (Matt. 17:27).
As a law-observant Jew, Jesus would have kept many other customs, too.
He:
Had a sukkah booth each year.
Killed a Passover lamb each year.
Wore tassels on his garments.
Jesus did these things, so should we follow his example in these things, too? No. We do not imitate Jesus in every detail. We don't have to follow him like that.
Why should we follow him in one respect but not the others? We do not have to keep the Sabbath "just because Jesus kept it," unless we find other biblical evidence that this command applies to Christians.
We should follow Jesus in his attitude of obedience. We want to obey God, but obey the instructions he has given us, not the rules he gave someone else. We do not have to keep old covenant laws unless they also happen to apply in the new covenant age.
In other words, the example of Jesus carries no weight on its own. As the above examples show, other biblical evidence is needed to see whether his example is something we should follow, whether it is commanded for us today.
We should also note that the Gospels do not preserve any example of Jesus "keeping" the Sabbath or "resting" on the Sabbath. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John apparently did not believe they needed to preserve such an example.
Instead, the Gospels show Jesus breaking traditions about the Sabbath, and never teaching any restrictions. Jesus set an example of activity, not of avoiding work. Indeed, he pointed out that God himself is working (John 5:17). God himself does not keep the weekly Sabbath; it is not part of his character, and therefore not part of the eternal and universal law.
To other articles about the law
Written by Michael Morrison, copyright 1999 by the author
