The True Bible Sabbath
By T. Godfrey
And He said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath. Mark 2:27, 28. THE above language was uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ over four thousand years after He made the Sabbath in Eden. (John 1:1-3, 14.) At the time He spoke these words, there was no controversy between Him and the Jews over which day was the Sabbath. The only point of difference was in the manner of its observance. The Jews were great sticklers for the Sabbath, but they kept it according to the tradition of the elders. Therefore they were out of harmony with Jesus on Sabbath keeping. But as Jesus was the Author of the Sabbath institution, it is evident that He knew for whom He made it, and how it should be observed. Therefore He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." The term "man" is not limited; and when used in its general sense it means the whole human race. Therefore the Sabbath was made for the human race, and not the human race for the Sabbath. Jesus being the Author of the Sabbath institution, He positively declares Himself Lord of the Sabbath. He said, "Therefore the Son of Man [Christ] is Lord also of the Sabbath." Thus it is a logical conclusion that the Sabbath is the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:10); for it is plainly called, in the book of the prophet Isaiah, "My holy day" (Isa. 58:13), and in the fourth commandment of the Decalogue it is called "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Ex. 20:10. But in these last days there is much controversy over which day is the Sabbath, or Lord’s day, and the manner of its observance. Some are contending for one day, and some for another, and some for no day in particular, so that one seventh part of time is kept. But this condition of things should not exist, as there is but one weekly Sabbath mentioned from Genesis to Revelation, and that is the seventh day. Ex. 20:10. There has been but one weekly Sabbath made, blessed, and sanctified; and that is the seventh day. Gen. 2:1-3. There has been but one weekly Sabbath commanded to be kept holy; and that is the seventh day. Ex. 20:8-11.