Although the command, “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Ex. 20:8) was greatly misunderstood by the Jewish populace, strange as it may seem, Jesus never taught on the Sabbath observance. He did, however, in His teaching, touch on all the other commandments of the Decalogue.
 
Regarding the Sabbath observance, Jesus criticized the scribes and religious leaders for making man the means, and the Sabbath the end, whereas God made it the other way around—He made the Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath. Their interpretations of the fourth commandment hindered God’s people from enjoying the Sabbath as a day of rest. It became a day of endless rules. Jesus claimed sole authority for deciding what goes on, on the Sabbath. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath! He authored it, and He defines it!
 
It’s important to note what Christians did, as recorded in the New Testament. First, every Jewish believer in the early church did two things on Sunday: worshipped and worked—because it was a normal working day. The weekly holiday was on the Sabbath (Saturday).
 
Now, here is something startling: Paul, the missionary to the Gentiles who was very careful about what he taught them, never once told them to observe a weekly day of rest. Paul actually taught them not to observe Sabbaths. In Romans chapter 14 he says: “Some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God” (vv. 5-6).
 
In Colossians, chapter 2, Paul wrote, “So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the “reality” yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality” (vv. 16-17). Paul says that observance of the Sabbath is a voluntary individual matter of conscience. There is no ordinance of the Lord, no commandment of the Lord concerning the Sabbath. The Sabbath observance was a “shadow”, and when we have the reality (Christ) the shadow is no longer necessary. The reality of the Sabbath is this: the Sabbath rest of God, in Jesus Christ, has come!
 
The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians. Chapter 4 says: the Sabbath is not a “day”! The Sabbath is the rest that comes into your soul when you stop trying to be good enough, as Jesus is our good enough!
 
Friends, having the reality (Christ), the shadow (the Sabbath observance) becomes obsolete. When we have entered into His “rest”, we don’t need to get upset about Sunday observance? When we are resting from our own works, with God’s goodness and peace in our hearts, we don’t need to go back to the bondage of rules and regulations about any day? The Sabbath was a Jewish religious shadow, but Sunday is the day in which we celebrate satisfying rest in Jesus… hallelujah!
 
So, what are we going to do on Sundays? Three attitudes to the Sabbath can be found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians: Legalism, License, or Liberty. 

1. Legalism is to go back to the rules and regulations and say, “Don’t do that, it’s Sunday!” Parents with this attitude bring up their children with a feeling that Sunday is a miserable day of endless don’ts. 
2. License is the extreme opposite. This attitude says, “Sunday is the day I do whatever I want to do! If I want to do this, I’ll do it. If I want to do that, I’ll do that.” Friends, noooo… Sunday is not a day to do what “I” like but a day to do what “God” likes… resting from paid employment to remember and reverence Him through doing some act of kindness for someone.
3. Liberty is letting Jesus be the Lord of every day, including Sunday. It is to do on Sunday what He would like you to do, to let Him decide what is done. That’s the claim He made over the Jewish Sabbath, but He makes it over every day of our lives: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, right through to the following Sunday. The Sabbath is the day we celebrate… “Freedom!” 

As the Lord has set-us free to observe Sunday according to our conviction, we must respect the freedom of others to observe Sunday according to their belief. It’s right for you to worship God on Sunday, and it’s right for others not to. We are free to have one day each week for special rest and remembrance of God that’s different from the other days, but our view of the Sabbath must not be imposed on others as being an ordinance of the Lord.
 
Friends, in line with Paul’s teaching, work it out for yourselves between you and the Lord, and do what the indwelling Holy Spirit confirms in your minds and hearts to do. Approaching Sunday in this way makes this day the most exciting, delightful, and satisfying day of the week. The Sabbath is not a day of Rules, but a special day that is dedicated for personal Rest and Remembrance.
 
Best wishes,
Bill