Jesus Said to Keep the Sabbath In the End
Genesis 2:2-3
2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
There is an argument against the Sabbath claiming the Sabbath day rest began with Moses and the law giving on Mt Sinai. Genesis 2 claims the Sabbath was started from the very beginning during the creation period and God “sanctified” it.
The Old Testament and New Testament have far too many verses related to the Sabbath to list here, but they do contain numerous instructions from God regarding the Sabbath and illustrations of people who observed it. Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Leviticus 19:2-3, and Exodus 31:14-17 to name just a few. Furthermore, Jesus indicates that in the future, we will still be expected to observe the Sabbath.
Matthew 24:19-22
19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened.
Jesus talks about fleeing during tribulation and states: "Pray ye that your flight is not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day". Why would he say this about a future event if the Sabbath was no longer to be in effect at this future event? In fact, there is not a single scripture that can be used to support the claim that Jesus abolished or fulfilled the Sabbath or any other law, for that matter. Jesus does say he is the Sabbath, but that doesn’t mean we no longer keep the Sabbath. In fact, that should encourage us to observe the Sabbath.
Matt 5:17
17 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Ezekiel 22:26
Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.