Why Jesus Is "Lord" of the Sabbaths?
by Ian Hufton

(Note: The four-digit numbers in the text of this article are references to Strong's Concordance.)

If Jesus is your Lord and Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbaths, what is your relationship to the Sabbaths?

Mark 2:27-28: "Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath [4521]."

"Sabbath" (the English word from Greek word [4521 ] sabbaton (sab'-bat-on) of Hebrew origin (7676); the Sabbath (i.e. Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself).

Christ Is the Focal Point of All the Sabbaths

Few people grasp that the focal point or "person" of every Sabbath is Jesus—our Lord—whom the Father has chosen to be the "Way" we come to our Heavenly Father. The weekly Sabbath and the annual Sabbaths all exemplify aspects of Christ's interaction with those who follow Him and plan to spend eternity in His presence. Jesus came down from the Father in heaven to enlarge man's understanding of what God is doing for mankind. In the gospel of John, chapter one, we read "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (vv. 1-3).

The Father allowed the Son to be the Maker or Creator of the whole physical universe. What a great honor! The Sabbaths are designed to remind us about "WHOM" we worship, as well as "HOW" and "WHEN" the Father and the Son want us to interrelate with Them.

Gen. 2:1-3: Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Jesus Made the Sabbath a Reminder of Past and Future Events

As stated above, Jesus (the Word), the Creator, made the weekly Sabbath day "for man."

So then God, through Jesus, created a Universe and a weekly Sabbath for man to learn how to relate to our "Spiritual Parents." The weekly Sabbath reminds us of Jesus, the one who in the past created all and sanctified the Holy Day of Rest. It also reminds us of where Jesus wants to take us. In chapters three and four of the book of Hebrews Jesus is quoted, "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest...' [Heb. 3:11] And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?... [chapter 4] Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it... For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: 'So I swore in My wrath, "They shall not enter My rest," ' although the works were finished from the foundation of the world... and again in this place: 'They shall not enter My rest... For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day' " (vv. 1, 3, 5, 8).

There Remains a Sabbath-Keeping (a "sabbatism")

Hebrews 4:9-11: "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."

SPECIAL NOTE: In Hebrews 4:9 the Greek word behind "rest" is different from all other references to "rest." In verse 9 the Greek word is number 4520. This word is defined as follows: "sabbatismos (sab-bat-is-mos'); from a derivative of NT:4521; a 'sabbatism,' i.e. (figuratively) the repose of Christianity (as a type of heaven)."

Keeping the weekly Sabbath as God described it is obeying God, and it should remind us all that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was the awesome Being who was the Creator. Yes, the Sabbath was made for mankind and Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and all the Universe. Each Sabbath we should delight in Who He is, what He has done and what He is planning to do in the future.

Annual Sabbaths Reveal Christ and God's Steps in the Salvation Plan

In recent years the study of the spiritual implications of the Holy Days found in Leviticus 23 has become popular among many believers who do not keep these annual festival days. Two things have become powerfully evident from the study of the festivals: 1. that God's plan of salvation is easily observable in these sacred days, and 2. that the Lord Jesus Christ is the focal point of them and is foreshadowed in them.

In Leviticus, the 23rd chapter, we are shown the eight festivals that reveal the steps God is using to bring many sons and daughters to glory.

Lev. 23:1-3: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: "The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. [FEAST = FESTIVAL] Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings."'"

NOTE: The first festival mentioned is the weekly Sabbath day. This festival occurs every seven days, or 52 times each year. The remainder of God's festivals occur only once per year (in their appointed seasons).

Lev. 23:4-7: "These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it."

Few people grasp that the focal point or "person" of every Sabbath is Jesus—our Lord—whom the Father has chosen to be the "Way" we come to our Heavenly Father.

In the first month of the Hebrew (Jewish) year, God commanded two annual festivals to be to be observed. First the Passover followed by the seven-day-long festival of unleavened bread.

Jesus Is Passover; Passover Is Jesus

A complete study of the Bible reveals that Jesus is the central figure of the Passover festival.

Rev 5:9, 12: "And they sang a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood.'...saying with a loud voice: 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!'"

Rev 13:8: "All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

John 1:29, 36: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!' And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!'"

1 Cor. 5:7: "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

The verses above clearly show that Jesus is the great "spiritual" Lamb of God. More than twenty times in the book of Revelation Jesus is referred to as the Lamb. By focusing on Jesus, the Lamb of God, during the Passover festival we are looking forward to His coming, and we are looking back to His awesome sacrifice which was the first great step in the salvation plan.

Jesus Is the "Unleavened (Sinless) Bread" of Life

The second festival on God's calendar also points to Jesus, who proclaimed that He was the "bread of life."
Read the following verses from John 6: "Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, "Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven"'" (v. 32). "... the bread of God is He who comes from heaven and gives life to the world" (v. 33). "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst'" (v. 35). "I am the bread of life" (v. 48). "...the bread which comes from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die" (v. 50). "This is the bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever" (v. 58).

During the second festival of the year we are to eat (daily) unleavened bread. For these seven days, leaven (yeast), represents "sin," which we are to diligently avoid. Jesus was and is the unleavened (sinless) bread of life. If we spiritually feed on Him we will be eating of the bread from Heaven and we will live forever. By accepting the Passover sacrifice for our sins and committing to eat (spiritually) of Christ's ways we are beginning our journey to Salvation and eternal life.

Spiritually Drinking from Jesus, the Christ (Messiah)

Exo. 23:16: "...and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field...."

John 7:37-39: "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given."

Pentecost (or the Festival of Firstfruits) focuses on Jesus who is the one from whom we drink in the Holy Spirit. In the past, Jesus was glorified, allowing the Holy Spirit to be given (the promise of the New Covenant). In the present, Jesus is the one who sends us the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is a festival about drinking the Holy Spirit from Jesus and walking in His Spirit.

John 15:26: "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."

John 16:7: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

The Trumpets Festival and Jesus

Lev. 23:24: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial [2146] of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.'"

NOTICE: The Hebrew word (2146) behind "memorial" in the verse above is the word "memento." This Hebrew word is defined as follows: zikrown zik-rone' from 2142; a memento (or memorable thing, day or writing):—memorial, record.
God has created a festival which is a "memento" of blowing of trumpets. In the book of Revelation God shows us that His Son, Jesus, the Redeemer, appears in the sky when the 7th trumpet sounds.
Rev. 10:7: "...but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished."

Rev. 11:15: "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'"

1 Th. 4:16-17: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

Jesus, "The Lord" comes to earth to rule and reign for a thousand years of reconstruction, peace, and abundance at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Jesus is the focal figure of this festival of Trumpets. As Paul said "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come" (Col. 2:16-17).

NOTICE: This festival of trumpets is a "MEMENTO" a looking forward to the greatest intervention (by God) in mankind's history. God, Jesus will appear, ready to defeat His enemies and rule this planet as King of Kings.

Jesus Is the Focal Figure of the Day of Atonement

Lev. 23:26-28: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 'Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be
the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.'"
NOTICE: In the Old Testament writings to "make atonement" was the way to be "forgiven" before God.
Lev. 5:13: "The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him."

The Hebrew word for Atonement is "kaphar (kaw-far');" and is defined as follows: a primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: This word is translated into English in the following ways: appease, make an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).
So, in simple terms, "making atonement" is God's way for human's to be forgiven.

Lev 23:31-32: "You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 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."

A study of the book of Leviticus clearly shows that the one whom God used to make the atonement was a "priest." Atonements were to be made throughout each year but the great annual atonement — forgiveness — reconciliation for the whole nation of Israel was made on one very special day each year the festival or day of Atonement. This was the only day in 365 that the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in God's temple. All eyes were on the high priest as he made the atonement sacrifices and sent all of Israel's sins away (symbolically) via a goat that escaped with it's life. In the book of Hebrews the Great High Priest of the universe is clearly shown to be Jesus (the Messiah), Christ.

Heb. 4:14: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession."

Rom. 8:34: "Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

Heb. 7:25: "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

Jesus is "daily", our High Priest, interceding for us, making atonement for us, providing our forgiveness before our Father
.
Jesus Is THE "Worship King" in The Festival of Tabernacles

Zec. 14:17: "And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain."

Lev. 23:33: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. 35 'On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it."

When Jesus rules planet earth for a thousand years from Jerusalem, the whole world will be at peace, and mankind will experience a "new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Pet. 3:13).

"The Eighth Day" Festival Points to Jesus Resurrecting Billions

Lev 23:36-38: "On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it. These are the feasts [festivals] of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations. besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD."

Rev 20:4-6: "...who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished). This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

The "rest of the dead" do live again but only after the thousand years is finished. The festival of Tabernacles pictures the thousand year rule of Jesus before the "eighth day" arrives. Then the rest of the dead will be resurrected.

Rev 20:12-13: "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works."

Ezek. 37:5: "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: 'Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.'"

John 5:28-29: "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice [the voice of Jesus] and come forth; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection (the 2nd resurrection or "eighth day"] of condemnation."

Jesus Is the Salvation "Way"

John 14:6: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"
Salvation is "coming to the Father" through Jesus. When we keep the weekly Sabbaths and the annual Sabbaths, we are celebrating the various aspects of how Jesus is leading mankind to the Father (to salvation). Is it any wonder that Jesus said: "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man [Jesus] is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28).

Ian Hufton, born in Australia, now lives in Big Sandy, Texas, USA, with his wife Thalia. He and Thalia have three children. Ian is founder and pastor of the East Texas Church of God in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

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January - February 2005 The Sabbath Sentinel