Topical Bible: Sabbath: Observance of by John

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The observance of the Sabbath by John, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and the author of the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation, provides insight into early Christian practices and beliefs regarding the Sabbath. While the New Testament does not provide explicit details about John's personal Sabbath observance, his writings offer valuable theological insights into the understanding of the Sabbath in the early Christian community.

Theological Context

John's writings emphasize the divinity of Christ and the new creation inaugurated through Him. In the Gospel of John, the concept of Jesus as the "Word" (Logos) who was with God in the beginning and through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3) sets the stage for understanding the Sabbath in light of the new creation. The Sabbath, a day of rest commemorating God's rest after creation (Genesis 2:2-3), finds its fulfillment in Christ, who offers spiritual rest and renewal.

Sabbath in the Gospel of John

The Gospel of John records several instances where Jesus' actions on the Sabbath led to controversy with the Jewish leaders. In John 5:16-18 , Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, prompting the Jews to persecute Him for breaking the Sabbath. Jesus responds by asserting His divine authority, saying, "My Father is working until now, and I too am working" (John 5:17). This statement highlights the continuity of God's work and the deeper spiritual rest that Jesus provides.

In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind on the Sabbath, further illustrating His lordship over the Sabbath and His mission to bring light and healing. These accounts demonstrate that for John, the Sabbath is not merely a legalistic observance but a sign pointing to the greater rest and restoration found in Christ.

Sabbath in the Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation, traditionally attributed to John, contains symbolic references that some scholars associate with Sabbath themes. Revelation 1:10 mentions, "On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit," which some interpret as a reference to the first day of the week, celebrated by early Christians in commemoration of Christ's resurrection. This shift from the seventh-day Sabbath to the Lord's Day reflects the early church's understanding of the new creation inaugurated by Christ's resurrection.

John's Influence on Early Christian Sabbath Observance

While the New Testament does not provide explicit details about John's personal Sabbath practices, his theological emphasis on Christ as the fulfillment of the Sabbath influenced early Christian thought. The early church, guided by apostolic teaching, began to view the Sabbath not as a strict legal requirement but as a symbol of the rest and salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

John's writings encourage believers to find their rest in Christ, who fulfills the law and the prophets. The observance of the Sabbath, therefore, becomes an opportunity to reflect on the completed work of Christ and to anticipate the ultimate rest in the new creation.

Nave's Topical Index

Revelation 1:10
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Climbing Towards the Climax.
... to bitterest and murderous persecution, first on the score of Sabbath observance,
and then ... out one of the choicest bits of Jesus' teaching to be found in John. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/climbing towards the climax.htm

The Two Sabbath-Controversies - the Plucking of the Ears of Corn ...
... corn after the Feast recorded in John 5. as ... observation was subordinate to the object
of the observance. ... every positive commandment superseded the Sabbath-rest ...
/.../chapter xxxv the two sabbath-controversies.htm

Against the Jews on the Question of the Sabbath.
... devote a very small share to Him and be at rest, the observance of the ... The Sabbath,
moreover, is the cessation from sin; so that both things happen to ... John 1:12 ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter xxiii against the jews on.htm

Sacred Times --The Lord's Day.
... (Purely exegetical; defends the continental view, but advocates a better practical
observance.). John T. Baylee: History of the Sabbath. London, 1857. (See chs. ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 57 sacred timesthe lords.htm

The Sabbath
... by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3 ... to look
upon God as a tyrant, and to think that the observance of the Sabbath, as He ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 29 the sabbath.htm

Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus.
... John were yet fresh in men's minds at the date of his ... Paul argues from its Christian
observance, in his rebuke of the ... [3771] The Christian Sabbath hinges on ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/polycrates bishop of ephesus.htm

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
... This is John's first plain declaration of open hostility to Jesus, though ... difference
between divine and human right than in this matter of sabbath observance. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxvii jesus heals on the.htm

Fourth Commandment
... for not attending church, and said, "You know John you are ... Some one has said that
without the sabbath the church ... need to be in the drill of observance as well ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/fourth commandment.htm

John Chapter v. 19
... Lord Jesus Christ, especially those recorded by the Evangelist John,"who not ... now,
and I work." [404] For they, taking the observance of the Sabbath in a ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xx john chapter v.htm

John Chapter i. 15-18
... "Because He was before me." Before thee, O John! ... God forbid, brethren,
that we should call that an observance of the Sabbath. ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate iii john chapter i.htm