Topical Bible: The Sabbath: Honoring of John

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, holds significant importance in Judeo-Christian traditions. It is observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening in Judaism and traditionally on Sunday in Christianity, commemorating God's rest after creation. Within the Christian context, the Sabbath is not only a day of physical rest but also a time for spiritual renewal and reflection on God's creation and redemption.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of the Sabbath is rooted in the creation narrative found in Genesis. Genesis 2:2-3 states, "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished." This passage establishes the Sabbath as a divinely instituted day of rest.

The Ten Commandments further emphasize the importance of the Sabbath. Exodus 20:8-11 commands, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy."

The Sabbath and John

The honoring of John in the context of the Sabbath is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. However, the Apostle John, one of Jesus' closest disciples, provides insight into the early Christian understanding of the Sabbath and the Lord's Day. In Revelation 1:10 , John writes, "On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet." This reference to the "Lord's day" is often interpreted by scholars as a reference to Sunday, the day of Christ's resurrection, which became a day of worship and rest for early Christians.

John's Gospel also highlights the significance of Jesus' actions on the Sabbath. In John 5:16-17 , after Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, it is written, "So because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted Him. But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I too am working.'" This passage illustrates Jesus' teaching that the Sabbath should not be a burden but a time for doing good and reflecting God's ongoing work in the world.

Theological Implications

The honoring of John in relation to the Sabbath can be understood through the lens of John's emphasis on the transformative power of Christ's resurrection. The shift from the traditional Jewish Sabbath to the Christian observance of the Lord's Day reflects the new creation inaugurated by Jesus' victory over sin and death. This transition underscores the fulfillment of the Old Testament Sabbath in the person and work of Christ.

John's writings encourage believers to view the Sabbath not merely as a legalistic requirement but as an opportunity to enter into God's rest through faith in Jesus. Hebrews 4:9-10 echoes this sentiment: "There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His."

Practical Observance

In honoring the Sabbath, Christians are called to set aside time for worship, rest, and reflection on God's goodness. This observance serves as a reminder of God's provision and the hope of eternal rest in His presence. The example of John, who was "in the Spirit" on the Lord's Day, encourages believers to seek a deeper communion with God through prayer, Scripture reading, and fellowship with other believers.

The Sabbath, therefore, is not only a day of physical rest but a spiritual discipline that aligns the believer's heart with the rhythm of God's grace and the anticipation of the ultimate Sabbath rest in the new creation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

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

Library

John Chapter vii. 19-24
... John Chapter VII. ... angry with Moses; and because I made a man whole on the
Sabbath-day you ... us, but judge a true judgment; do not condemn him by honoring me, ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xxx john chapter vii.htm

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
... was Jesus who made him break the sabbath to condemn ... was Jesus who made him whole,
so honoring Christ ... This is John's first plain declaration of open hostility to ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxvii jesus heals on the.htm

The Crucifixion.
... at the first came to him by night [John 3:2 ... of Nicodemus smote him for his tardiness
in honoring Christ, and ... the day of the Preparation, and the sabbath drew on ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxxxiii the crucifixion 4.htm

Table of Contents
... 74 2.13 THE HOLY KINGS CELEBRATE A FEAST HONORING MARY'S CONCEPTION. ... 166 3. THE BIRTH
OF JOHN. ... THEY REST IN AN EMPTY SHED.189 5.4 SABBATH CELEBRATION. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/table of contents.htm

Fourth Commandment
... attending church, and said, "You know John you are ... On the other hand, honoring the
fourth commandment brings ... turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/fourth commandment.htm

General Index
... 130 Honoring the saints . . . . . ... The Lord's Prayer John the Evangelist .
. . . . ... 302. S. Sabbath of the Jews . . . . . ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/general index.htm

Limiting God
... supplication are long buried, they shall produce the richer harvest; for God, honoring
our faith ... She looks round every Sabbath morning, but John is not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/limiting god.htm

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... and let the golden hours of their Sabbath-day roll by ... almost laugh to see the folly
of honoring the man ... fields, and stand by the memorial of John Bunyan, and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the wicked mans life funeral.htm

The So-Called Letter to Diognetus
... blood and fat and whole burnt offerings, and are really honoring him by ... to pretend
that God forbids a good deed on the Sabbath Day ... 8:4; John 17:13-19; 18:36, 37 ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/the so-called letter to diognetus.htm

The Feast at Simon's House
... 6-13; Mark 14:3-11; Luke 7:36-50; John 11:55 ... to Jerusalem, and that He would rest
over the Sabbath at Bethany. ... and she was eager to be first in honoring her Lord ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 62 the feast at.htm