Abstract

This white paper explores the biblicist view of Jesus Christ as “Lord of the Sabbath,” examining the theological, moral, and eschatological implications of His claim (Mark 2:28, Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5). It argues that Christ’s lordship over the Sabbath does not abolish the divine institution of rest and holiness but reorients it around His person and redemptive work. The paper also analyzes how biblical truth about Sabbath observance is often misinterpreted as “Judaizing” by those who profess to follow Scripture yet adopt antinomian or supersessionist hermeneutics. The study situates the Sabbath in the continuity of divine revelation—from Creation through Redemption to the final Rest—and calls for a biblically grounded understanding of holiness and obedience under Christ’s covenantal lordship.

1. Introduction: The Sabbath Question in Christian Theology

From the earliest centuries of Christianity, the Sabbath has served as a touchstone of interpretation concerning the relationship between law and grace, Judaism and Christianity, and divine rest and human obedience. While the Mosaic Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11) is often viewed as a Jewish ceremonial relic, a biblicist reading recognizes it as a universal moral ordinance—rooted in Creation, affirmed in the Decalogue, and fulfilled rather than abrogated in Christ.

Christ’s declaration that He is “Lord of the Sabbath” was both radical and restorative. It affirmed His divine authority to define proper Sabbath observance and to demonstrate that the Sabbath serves humanity’s covenantal fellowship with God. However, modern Christianity often misreads this lordship as a repeal of divine law, branding any call to biblical obedience as “Judaizing.” This misinterpretation reveals not fidelity to Scripture, but a departure from its plain meaning and moral logic.

2. The Biblical Foundations of the Sabbath

2.1 Creation Ordinance

The Sabbath was instituted at Creation (Genesis 2:2–3), when God sanctified the seventh day as a memorial of divine rest and completion. It predates Israel and Mosaic law, establishing it as a universal pattern of divine-human rhythm.

2.2 The Commandment and Covenant

In Exodus 20:8–11 and Deuteronomy 5:12–15, the Sabbath command is the hinge between duties to God and duties to humanity. It links worship, justice, and liberation. It was both a sign of God’s creative power and His redemptive deliverance from Egypt (Deut. 5:15). Thus, Sabbath is not merely a “Jewish custom” but a moral law reflecting divine order.

2.3 Prophetic and Messianic Development

Isaiah 56:1–8 and 58:13–14 depict Sabbath observance as integral to covenant faithfulness, even for Gentile believers. The prophets anticipate a renewed Sabbath where justice and joy are reconciled. This expectation finds its culmination in Christ.

3. Christ’s Declaration: “Lord of the Sabbath”

3.1 The Controversy Context

In Mark 2:23–28, Jesus confronts Pharisaic legalism that had reduced Sabbath observance to ritual rigidity. His appeal to David’s eating of the showbread redefines Sabbath law around mercy and human need rather than pharisaic casuistry.

3.2 Christ’s Authority

To call Himself “Lord of the Sabbath” is to assert divine prerogative over a divine institution. Christ, as the Word made flesh, is not abolishing the Sabbath but restoring its original purpose—fellowship and life in God. He embodies the rest to which the Sabbath points (Matthew 11:28–30).

3.3 Fulfillment, Not Abrogation

The Sabbath finds fulfillment—not nullification—in Christ’s person and work. As Hebrews 4:9 states, “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Christ’s resurrection inaugurates the firstfruits of the eternal rest (Hebrews 4:1–11; 1 Corinthians 15:20–23).

4. The Misinterpretation of Biblical Truth as Judaizing

4.1 The Root of the Accusation

The charge of “Judaizing” arises from historical reaction against legalism, particularly within Pauline theology. However, Paul’s opposition to “works of the law” (Galatians 2–3) addresses justification by ritual or ethnicity—not obedience to God’s commandments empowered by grace.

4.2 Antinomian and Supersessionist Distortions

Modern Christianity often collapses the distinction between ceremonial, civil, and moral law, assuming that Christ’s fulfillment eliminates all legal categories. This confusion leads to the false dichotomy between “law” and “grace,” resulting in a theology that denies the ongoing moral authority of God’s commandments.

To a biblicist, such a view is untenable: grace does not annul law; it enables obedience (Romans 3:31; 8:4). To obey God is not to Judaize—it is to live as the Spirit-led children of God (Romans 8:14).

4.3 The Irony of the Accusation

Ironically, those who dismiss Sabbath observance as Judaizing often substitute it with man-made traditions: Sunday laws, cultural Sabbaths, or secular rest days. They preserve the form of rest while denying its biblical substance—placing themselves under the very human authority they claim to reject.

5. Theological Implications of Christ’s Lordship

5.1 Rest as Redemption

Christ’s Sabbath lordship reveals that rest is not idleness but restoration. The Sabbath points toward divine deliverance from bondage—first physical, then spiritual (Exodus 20:2, Luke 4:18). Christ’s work of redemption brings humanity into the ultimate Sabbath rest—freedom from sin and alienation.

5.2 Lordship and Kingdom Ethics

To call Jesus “Lord of the Sabbath” is to acknowledge His authority over all time, economy, and creation. Sabbath becomes a sign of kingdom ethics: rest for the laborer, justice for the oppressed, and reverence for the Creator. The biblicist view thus links Sabbath to stewardship, mercy, and moral renewal.

5.3 Eschatological Fulfillment

The Sabbath typifies the eternal rest of the redeemed creation. Revelation 14:12 connects obedience to God’s commandments with faith in Jesus Christ—a fusion of moral fidelity and redemptive trust. The Sabbath, therefore, is not an obsolete relic but an anticipatory sign of the world to come.

6. A Biblicist Corrective to Misinterpretation

6.1 Scripture as Self-Interpreter

A biblicist reading prioritizes the harmony of Scripture rather than denominational tradition. It reads Christ’s words (“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath,” Mark 2:27) as reaffirming the Sabbath’s human benefit, not abolishing it.

6.2 Obedience as Covenant Response

The fear of “Judaizing” stems from confusing obedience with merit. Biblically, obedience is covenantal gratitude, not legalistic striving. The redeemed keep the law not to earn salvation, but because they are saved (John 14:15).

6.3 Recovering the Moral Core of the Law

The biblicist framework distinguishes between the ceremonial shadows fulfilled in Christ (Colossians 2:16–17) and the moral essence that endures. Sabbath observance, properly understood, is an act of worship, not ritualism; an alignment with divine rhythm, not self-righteousness.

7. Conclusion: Christ, the Sabbath, and the Integrity of Scripture

Christ’s title “Lord of the Sabbath” declares His dominion over both the letter and the spirit of divine rest. The biblicist view holds that this lordship restores creation’s rhythm and reaffirms the moral law as the character of God expressed in human time. To interpret this as Judaizing is to reject the very continuity of revelation and covenant faithfulness.

The misunderstanding arises not from the Bible itself, but from traditions that divide it against itself—claiming the Bible while denying its moral coherence. True biblical fidelity recognizes that Christ’s grace restores, not erases, the law; and His lordship sanctifies, not secularizes, the Sabbath.

References

Genesis 2:2–3; Exodus 20:8–11; Deuteronomy 5:12–15; Isaiah 56; Matthew 11:28–12:8; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5; John 14:15; Romans 3:31; 8:4–14; Hebrews 4:1–11; Revelation 14:12. Augustine, City of God, XIX. Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, II.viii. John Murray, Principles of Conduct. N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God. Samuele Bacchiocchi, Divine Rest for Human Restlessness. Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Sabbath in the Gospels.