Sunday: Christ, the Creator of the Sabbath
What do the following texts indicate about Jesus’ role in Creation? Why is this so important, especially when considering the origin of the Sabbath? See John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-2.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
John begins his Gospel with the famous statement: In the beginning was the Word. . . . All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made
(John 1:1-3, NKJV). Both John and Paul leave no doubt as to the role of Christ in creation. God the Son, Jesus Christ, created all things: By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. . . . All things were created through Him and for Him
(Col. 1:16, NKJV). Through Christ, God made the universe, including our solar system, the earth, and everything in it, animate and inanimate.
Christ, who was to be man’s Redeemer, was also his Creator. And right there, at the end of Creation week, the Lord gave us a day of rest. The Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It belongs to Christ. . . . Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation.
— Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 288.
The same God who created humanity with the need to rest also provided the means to rest: a weekly day in which human beings are to set aside weekly toils and troubles and to rest in Him, the Creator. After finishing Creation, He Himself rested on the seventh day, not because of tiredness but in order to bless and sanctify the Sabbath and give us an example to follow. And He also rested on Sabbath when He finished our Redemption on the cross, not because He needed it but in order to (among other things) confirm the perpetual value of the Sabbath. Christ, who invites restless human beings to rest in Him (Matt. 11:28-29), invites us to rest in a special way, once a week, every Sabbath day.
Sabbath keeping ties us to the beginning of earth’s Creation, to the very foundation of our existence. What better time to dwell upon the important question of: What am I doing with the existence that God has given me?
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The principle of the seventh day Sabbath is an eternal principle. We see it in the heart of the transcript of God’s character (ten commandments) which He wrote in His own handwriting. Of course the ten commandments were written in language for humans to understand with what is common to us. God’s character is revealed which is eternal.
Since He does not change, the Sabbath principle in His character must be eternal.
Can we know what this principle is and how it was and is practiced by our Creator before there was an Earth or a Sun to make a day with?
Would a “thinker” or several "thinkers" be willing to comment and suggest an answer as to what is the eternal nature of this great principle of the Law and how can we view the principle and more completely put it into practice as our Creator, Christ, did when He lived on this Earth and even how He does today? Does the Bible and inspired Word give any clues?
The eternal principle is that God can be trusted.
A while back, ssnet posted a video to that effect.
https://ssnet.org/blog/sabbath-reminder-evidence/
The Sabbath is not an arbitrary stamp of authority on God's part but rather a revelation of His character of love.
It might seem desirable to talk only of the beauty of the Sabbath and nothing else. In the hereafter this may be fine. Here and now the issue is someone may perceive just as much or more beauty in another day than in the Sabbath, based purely on circumstances. In such a case why should they be bothered with the Sabbath? Why could one not enjoy his/her sabbath on Sunday, or every three weeks, or every four days? One’s beauty may not appeal to another, especially in our fallen state.
There is more than beauty associated with God’s Sabbath. The Creator tied the Sabbath to Himself in the beginning (Genesis 2:1-3) and later reaffirmed it (Mark 2:27, 28). While the Sabbath is for our benefit it belongs to Christ, not us; in the same way the church is for our benefit, but belongs to Christ.
The way we relate to the Lord’s Day is a reflection of how we view Him. Honoring the Sabbath is honoring the Sabbath Owner. By proper Sabbath observance we acknowledge the Creator, His sovereignty over creation, His authority in our lives, and confirm our submission to Him.
That the Sabbath commandment is also used as a test of loyalty is not accidental. It bears the Owner’s stamp (seal) or special mark. As well we cannot use common or natural reason to justify observance of the seventh day above any other. We either accept or reject what the Creator did and said.
The reality is the Creator does not run a democracy, where votes count and popularity carries the day. God’s system of government is far better than what we practice. Aren’t you glad the All-wise Creator is in charge and not us?
We need to trust our Creator, who was willing to set aside all of heaven, and His very being, to dwell in fallen human flesh and yet live a perfect life, to take upon Himself our sins and to die for us; to triumph over death and make possible our redemption. He cherished the Sabbath hours. They are designed for our remembrance, our health, our joy, our families, to deepen our relationship with Him and with each other, and to demonstrate His love in our lives.