Sunday: “As His Custom Was”
As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day
(Luke 4:16, NKJV). This is a good Adventist text. Most of us use it in evangelistic meetings or in Bible studies in order to emphasize the point that it was the practice of Jesus to keep the Sabbath.
Image © Providence Collection from GoodSalt.com
Synagogues played a crucial role in Jewish religious life. During the exile, when the temple no longer existed, synagogues were built for worship and for the schooling of young children. A synagogue could be built wherever there were at least 10 Jewish families. Growing up in Nazareth, Jesus followed the custom
of going to the synagogue each Sabbath, and now on His first journey to His hometown, the Sabbath finds Him in the synagogue.
Read Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2, Luke 4:16-30, Luke 6:6-11, Luke 13:10-16, Luke 14:1-5. What do these texts teach us about Jesus and the Sabbath? As you read them, ask yourself where, if anywhere, you can find indications that Jesus was either abolishing our obligation to keep the Sabbath or pointing to another day to replace it?
Why should we make it our custom to go to church on Sabbath, as Jesus went to the synagogue on Sabbath?
As His custom was
(Luke 4:16, NKJV). Only Luke uses this phrase: in Luke 4:16, as Jesus attended the synagogue in Nazareth; and in Luke 22:39, as the cross drew near, Jesus went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives
(RSV). Both times the custom
had to do with worship and prayer.
First, God is everywhere. He may be worshiped anywhere, but there’s something special about getting together in a common place on the day designated at Creation and commanded in His moral law.
Second, it provides a public opportunity to affirm that God is our Creator and Redeemer.
Finally, it gives an opportunity for fellowship and sharing each other’s joys and concerns.
Those who accuse us of legalism, or of being in bondage, because we keep the Sabbath have obviously missed out on the great blessing that the Sabbath can bring. In what ways have you experienced just how liberating Sabbath keeping can be?
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Jesus as His custom was going to the synagogues on the Sabbath was to make us understand that the Sabbath will never change even if He is not on earth
The Sabbath is a haven at the end of the week, a recharging from all the annoyances and challenges in everyday life. It is a time to really focus on God and His great love for us. And it is a time to fellowship with other believers. It is a time to think of others the way God thinks of them. Also, I get to relax and have a blessed experience that the other days don't give me. It is a weekly gift that never stops coming. Thank you Jesus!
Sabbath is the real expression of how the life was before sin, and how it will be on the new earth. Divinity and humanity together in a love and peaceful atmosphere.
I think we miss a lot of what it meant to be a Jew during the first century in that part of the world. To us a church is a place where we go once or twice a week for a specific function but to the Jew back then the synagogue was the center of their social and spiritual life. To them it was everything to the point that if someone was disfellowshiped it was a complete social disaster which was the reason the blind man's parents distanced themselves from him not wishing to get involved in controversy over his healing with the Jewish leaders (Jn 9:19-22) and that is not to say anything about what it meant to their salvation.
On the Sabbath the synagogue or the temple was where you would expect to find a Jew, it was simply part of the culture just as it is with Muslims today that at certain times during the day a siren goes off and everyone gets their prayer mats out and begins pray toward Mecca. So to me even though, as the lesson author said, the fact that Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath to us proves that the commandment is still in force I think there are better, more powerful ways that it can be proved. First, the Sabbath's day's lesson spoke of Christ being the Lord of the Sabbath. That is the same as saying that He was the one who gave the Sabbath commandment in the first place. That being the case then Jesus' statement, "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail" (Lk. 16:17 NKJV) has the forcefulness that the one who gave the law is now saying that it will remain in force until the earth is gone.
Secondly, as Pastor Randy Roberts of the Loma Linda University Church said some time ago that what convinced him more than anything else was that knowing the very strong Jewish orientation to keeping the law (Ten Commandments) and seeing that there is no argument recorded in the New Testament over the day of worship the silence on the matter in scripture is deafening. In other words no one in the Bible ever argues over the point which means there was no difference in practice between the Jew and the Christian. In fact during the early stages of Christianity the only real difference was over Jesus as the Messiah. Theologically there was the difference in understanding the place and purpose of the law in a person's life but their practice of religion remained about the same until sometime during the second century when a split began to take place between Jew and Gentile.
How true! the silence in the Bible concerning a change of the seventh day as the Sabbath to the first day of the week (Sunday)is significant and a telling argument. If the question of circumcision caused such a stir as to threaten a split in the Church, consider what a furore would result if a group of people tried to change the Sabbath! This argument should be used more often.
When I mention the fact that I go to church on Saturday, people say "Oh you worship on the Jewish Sabbath", when in fact the Sabbath was instituted at Creation. It goes to show how entrenched the popular viewpoint is. It also shows that people believe what ever the priests and pastors tell them. How important then is reading the Bible for yourself, and then only the King James or New King James, for the forces of evil have seen to it that many passages in other translations have been altered or omitted. They have also attempted to obscure the divinity of Christ.
We will see greater abominations yet! Beware of these subtle inroads of satan, God bless you all and keep reading the true scriptures.
What does God say about the Sabbath Day?
Some people believe that because God ceased from his work of creation on the 7th day and rested that he commanded all people to cease from all work and rest on the 7th day of the week as he did, even before Adam & Eve sinned. Some believe we are to observe the 7th day, Saturday, and others believe that in the New Testament it is observed on Sunday because of the resurrection. Others believe that in the New Testament the 4th commandment is a shadow(law given with old covenant) representing salvation in Christ without works of the law by man, in Jesus mans has the Sabbath rest eternally.
There is not one reference in the bible to a 7th day Sabbath COMMAND from creation until the time of Moses. The first time it was mentioned was in Exodus. It was given through Moses as a new command to test the Israelites to see if they would live by every word from the mouth of God: Ex. 15:25-26 “.... There he MADE for them a statute and an ordinance; and there he TESTED them. 26 And he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and do what is right in his eyes, and INCLINE THINE EARS to his commandments, and keep ALL his statutes...”.
Each day for 6 days they were to gather enough manna for that days use only, and on the 6th day they were to gather enough manna for that day and the 7th day sabbath also. They were not to work on the 7th day Sabbath Holy unto God. This law was NEW, because he made it to TEST them, or he would have reminded them they were breaking an previously established law.
Ex. 16:4 “Then said Jehovah to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather the daily need on its day, that I may PROVE them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.” ...23 and he told them, “This is what the Lord said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord...’”
Deut. 8:2-3 “...to humble you and TEST you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with MANNA which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might MAKE YOU know that MAN shall NOT LIVE by BREAD ALONE; but man lives by EVERY WORD that proceeds FROM the MOUTH of the LORD.” This was the 1st holy 7th day Sabbath made at the time God rained manna from heaven to feed and test Israel.
What does God say about the 4th commandment of the old covenant?
Why and to whom was the commandment given?
Deuteronomy 5:2-3 “2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was NOT with our ANCESTORS that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today.” NOT WITH ANCESTORS
Deuteronomy 5:12-15 “12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. …...15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. THEREFORE the Lord your God has COMMANDED you to observe the SABBATH DAY.”
BECAUSE ISRAEL WAS DELIVERED FORM EGYPT
Exodus 31:12-17 “12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a SIGN between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who MAKES YOU HOLY.”
What does God say in the New Testament about the 7th day Sabbath?
Col. 2: “ 6 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by ... a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
Heb.4:3. “For we which have believed do enter into rest(sabbath) … the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” (Genesis did not have a evening and morning for the 7th day because the day represented rest without end, the day of endless rest in God was the blessing.) “ 4. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” “10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” Hebrews 4:10. There was no day in which God worked again in those terms “since the foundation of the world”. The 7th day rest was to illustrate that completed work-rest, the reality of the rest was to start the day (any day) you believed in Jesus: “13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day……15. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts…”. The sabbath day was a shadow pointing to salvation by faith in Christ alone without works of the law by man.
Regarding keeping a day holy he says: Galatians 4:9-11 “ 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.” Jesus did not die for ceremonial laws, both moral and ceremonial laws with the regulations and government illustrated what Christ died for and fulfilled, which only his blood could do.
Let's logically think on this. If you have a test of something, you're supposed to know what's in the test. A teacher doesn't give a test unless the students know what chapters the test will cover. God will not test unless you know what the test would consist of. Therefore, we do know there was Sabbath keeping prior. Just like there was adultery prior, and stealing prior. God gave the 10 commandments for visual evidence because there was unbelief about God. Hence, that is why they worshipped other gods. This is known by their worship of the golden calf. The word "rest," when God created the earth, in Hebrew is Shabbat, but the KJV has it as rest. So, we were made in a perfect world to still embrace the Sabbath. I pray this provides clarity.
Amen. I feel so refreshed keeping the Sabbath. I mean learning to keep the Sabbath right, its been just a month and some weeks i became one of the remnants, the freedom is priceless. I need more teachings on the Sabbath. I am based in Cameroon.
[Moderator Note: Check out these websites for more info on the Sabbath]
Sabbath Truth or this one The Seventh Day with Hal Holbrook
I think Jesus's custom of coming to the temple every Sabbath is for our example to follow in His steps today since we can only read of Him, Looking up to Jesus... Hebrews 12:2, Heb 10:25. The Sabbath is our focal point with Heaven, Gen 2:1-3, recognition of the Sabbath gives one the opportunity to be forgiven, find ones' way, Gen 3:8.
What church should i go to on the sabbath?
"God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ's church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church." {UL 315.5}
As people of God we should re-visit the meaning of the Sabbath. God made the Sabbath for man and not man for the Sabbath. God's people will begin to really appreciate the Sabbath once he/she gets a clear understand of what keeping the Sabbath consist of. How can we keep the Sabbath holy out side of church?
Regina, I'd encourage you to read Isaiah 58, which is to me one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible on the subject of true worship.
As believers we must take the same approach to honoring the Sabbath as Jesus. He did not change the Sabbath, so who are we to attempt such a feat. Either we believe the Word of God, or not, there is no middle ground.
Jews believed that God can only be found in the synagogue and not anywhere! So why Exodus 16:29 says, ' Remain each of you in his place ; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day ' !
Now, are the Jews observing the sabbath the way it was commanded by God ?
Is a Jew suppose to kill on a sabbath day ? Jews are to REST not to SWEAT on sabbath ?
Jesus,the One who gave them the sabbath,was to be thrown down from the hill on sabbath's day !!
Is that Rest ?
True Rest is found only in Jesus Christ !
He says Rest in Me ...abides in Me ...without Me you can't do nothing...John 15:5
Jesus custom according to Luke 4:16 does not refer to the same customs during their time nor the customs of the jew.
His (Jesus) custom of coming to synagogue is in the power of the Spirit and NOT by merely coming or obeying the jewish custom.
We can obey and keep the sabbath yet still fail the true essence.
We can do conventionally coming to church but still fail to see Christ.
Why have you titled "Sunday, as his custom was"?
The Bible doesn't mention of " Sunday ". In fact there is no Sunday at all in God's vocabulary. More over Sunday is not the Sabbath but the first day of the week. The Sabbath is the last day of the week.
Wry grin! You have simply misread the title. The lesson is for Sunday, and the title of the lesson is "As His Custom Was". An easy mistake to make; just watch the punctuation. Nobody is suggesting that Jesus went to the synagogue on Sunday.
Wow, you guys must have missed the transition that took place after the Father called Jesus to His earthly ministry. He was being called out of Judaism, the Old Covenant, to establish the New Covenant. He often went to synagogues and the temple to introduce himself and the New Covenant.
The Church of the Bible never built a building of any kind. They met every day of the week. They gave offerings on the first day of the week, which is our modern Sunday. They did not practice a Sabbath Day. They knew that the Sabbath Day was symbolic of entering into God's rest, by ceasing from their own labors and being filled with the LIFE of God called Jesus Christ.
You guys are so far behind the revelation of the New Covenant that you are still pushing Saturday as the Sabbath. This is terribly sad.
Like other modern "churches" you are building buildings, developing distinct doctrines, declaring you are the right ones, etc. You are totally in the flesh and you have no clue what that even means. I pray that God will open your eyes to the True and glorious Gospel.
Ask yourself this question. If I died then why am I still living under the rules that were made for those who are living? You see, that is the problem. You do not know that you died because you have never heard the True Gospel. If you don't believe that you died then you will continue to do your best to walk in the life of Adam, which was crucified for you. Sadly, your lack of faith in the true work of the Cross has cut you of from the LIFE of Christ. As a result, if you don't follow the Law you will self destruct. That is all you have, because of unbelief and ignorance. The New Covenant is only for those who comprehend and have faith in the True work of the Cross.
The Law was put in place for the life of Adam. It is a tutor to show the life of Adam that it is incapable of producing any righteousness whatsoever. It reveals the life of Adam's iniquity and its need to die and never rise up again. It did this to lead the descendants of Adam to a new LIFE, the LIFE of Jesus Christ. Those who still look to the Law, do not understand the Gospel in the slightest. They are still promoting what was put in place to show us our need for Christ. They are actually Law breakers because they are disobeying the Law by staying with it. So you, who push a natural Sabbath Day, are Law breakers because it was put in place to lead you to cease from your own dead, religious works and turn completely to Christ.
Jesus is not the promoter of religion. He is not the life of Adam's example to follow. This article presents him as such because it is speaking out of pure darkness. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the LIFE, for all those who are completely done with their own. Until you get there, it will make no sense to you.
The New Covenant is rooted in our death and receiving the LIFE of God in Christ Jesus. Keeping the Sabbath is keeping our eyes glued to the serpent on the staff. It is confessing what he HAS accomplished on our behalf. It is believing and confessing unto our salvation from bondage to decay. It is the LIFE of God manifesting in us through belief and confession. That LIFE does no harm to anyone and has no Law over it. There is no Law against walking is pure love, joy, peace, etc.
By continuing to be Old Covenant minded you are placing yourself under a curse. You will never enter into what Christ paid for you to have, as long as you remain in your unbelief and ignorance. You go on judging others, when you yourselves have the same sinful life of Adam they do. You are not preaching the true Gospel of our death, burial and resurrection, You are preaching behavior modification to the life of Adam.
Jeff, you mention a lot of things in your comment, but I'll just start with your first paragraph. You mention the "New Covenant" as opposed to the Old Covenant. I wonder what you mean by that. Do you mean this New Covenant:
Could you explain how having the Law written in the heart makes us ignore a commandment that is in the heart of the Law?
Another thing I find puzzling is how someone who appreciates the gift of salvation Christ bought for us would make one not want to spend special time with Him each week on the day He set aside and blessed in Creation week for that very purpose.
There was never a gathering on the first day for the of purpose worship, but after the Sabbath they met. When does the Sabbath officially ends? at sun down of course, and as a Jew the new day immediately starts. So they immediately have to come together with unleavened bread quickly baked over fire, and share while listening to the leaders such as Paul, because in the morrow (in the morning when the sun was up) they would move on.
So in the dark part of the first day they meet, in somebody's house for encouraging each other before they bid farewell in the morning (light part of the first day.
Jeff. You speak of the New Covenant a covenant where the Law of love is written on the hearts of the believer - yet your words appear to convey a spirit of frustration and condemnation that is contrary to that New Covenant. Or am I mistaken in how your words are coming across?
Jesus said He and the Father are One. It was also His custom to meet on the day given to the people He chose to call friend. Since His Father said "I change not", I assume
it is safe to follow His regular practice, indicating He, Jesus, remembered to follow what He advised His followers.
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Jesus: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
John 15:10
John: “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
1 John 2:5-6
Paul: “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1
We are to walk as Christ did. It can often be a hard walk, we will be tested and ridiculed by others. The Sabbath was created by God. He blessed and sanctified it and made it an eternal commandment. We're all familiar with what Christ taught us in Matt. 5:17-19 and Matt. 7:21-23 and should strive to understand these words of Christ. We Gentiles are invited to honor the Sabbath too, read Isaiah 56:1-8.
I do believe that Christ is our spiritual rest but I also know by God's Instruction concerning the 4th Commandment that it has not been voided, in addition to Christs words in Matt. 5:17-19.
God bless!
My understanding is based totally on the Holy Bible! Luke 4:16 speaking about Jesus says, “As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” Acts 17:2 speaks of Paul’s manner. “And Paul, as his manner was went into them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them