THE SABBATH ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT.
By K. C. Russell
"They returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:56. THIS text plainly shows that the Sabbath of the New Testament is the seventh day of the week; for the commandment referred to says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." While the foregoing is true, yet it must be remembered that at the time our Saviour was crucified there was no controversy as to which day of the week was the Sabbath, for the only day that was recognized as the Sabbath at that time was the seventh day. So there must have been another reason why inspiration says that those holy women kept the Sabbath "according to the commandment." There were two Sabbaths, viz., the Sabbath of the Lord and the traditional one; but they both came on the seventh day of the week. The Pharisees, in their unrighteous condition, could not keep the Sabbath "according to the commandment;" for the commandments are holy and spiritual; hence, to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment one must be holy and spiritual.4 The Pharisees, being devoid of the Spirit and holiness, heaped upon the Sabbath, it is said, some four hundred nonsensical restrictions, thus making it by their practise a traditional sabbath. Christ, however, did not cater to their traditions, but took occasion at every opportunity to sweep them away by His teaching and practise; for which He was persecuted by the Pharisees (see Mark 3:1-6; John 5:16), and finally crucified because of His loyalty to the Sabbath—Christ kept the Sabbath "according to the commandment." With this view of the text it can be seen why the Holy Spirit recorded the fact that those holy women kept the Sabbath "according to the commandment," for only the day previous their Lord had been crucified because He kept the Sabbath "according to the commandment." The Pharisees, knowing full well that the Roman Government would not condemn Him on this account, sought false witnesses. Matt. 26:59, 60. But, right in the face of this, they proceeded to make preparations to keep the Sabbath; and the next day they dared to keep the Sabbath "according to the commandment," for which their Lord, only a few hours previous, had been put to death. May all seek holiness and the Holy Spirit, that they may as fearlessly observe the Sabbath as Christ and the holy women, in the face of opposition.
K. C. RUSSELL.