Which Day Is the Sabbath?
In a world full of traditions, church calendars, and personal customs, it’s natural to wonder: Which day is the Sabbath? For many, it’s Sunday—what they’ve always known. For others, it’s Saturday, grounded in the Ten Commandments and the plain reading of Scripture. But beyond routines or heritage, this question matters deeply. It touches on our worship, our faithfulness, and our response to what God has clearly revealed.
From the very beginning, God established the Sabbath as something sacred. In Genesis, we’re told that after six days of creation, “God rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it” (Genesis 2:2–3). This wasn’t a cultural or temporary rule—it was a divine pattern, a gift woven into the fabric of time itself. God didn’t rest because He was tired. He rested to create space for us to pause, be refreshed, and dwell in His presence.
To make sure we wouldn’t miss it, God carved the Sabbath into stone with His own finger. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:8–10). Notice, it doesn’t say a seventh day—it says the seventh day. According to the biblical calendar and the Jewish tradition that has remained consistent since ancient times, that day is Saturday, beginning at sunset on Friday and ending at sunset on Saturday.
Jesus Himself honored the seventh-day Sabbath. Luke tells us that “as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day” (Luke 4:16). Far from abolishing the Sabbath, Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Though the early Christians gathered on Sundays to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2), the Bible never once redefines Sunday as the Sabbath. That shift came centuries later, through church tradition—not through the teachings of Christ or the apostles.
So what does this mean for believers today? It means that true worship should be guided not just by tradition, but by God’s Word. As Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is not about legalism—it’s about love. It’s an opportunity to rest, reconnect with God, and realign our lives with the rhythm He designed for us.
In the book of Revelation, which speaks powerfully to God’s end-time people, we read: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelations 14:12). Among those commandments is the call to remember the Sabbath. In a world full of distractions and spiritual compromise, honoring the Sabbath becomes an act of courage, clarity, and commitment to God's eternal ways.
Yes, the Bible is clear: the seventh day—Saturday—is the Sabbath. Choosing to observe it today isn’t just about knowing the truth; it’s about living it. It’s a weekly reminder that we belong to a Creator who rested, blessed, and set apart a day just for us. The Sabbath is not a burden—it’s a blessing. And in today’s restless, noisy world, it’s a gift we need more than ever.
All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.