Want some ideas for ways you can prepare for Sabbath?

Chores/tasks/activities that can help you feel more physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared to enjoy the Sabbath:

• Finish the laundry
• Do dishes/clear the countertops
• Put fresh bedsheet and pillows on the bed
• Tidy up rooms
• Vacuum and sweep
• Fill cars up with gas
• Go through the mail stack
• Pre-plan or pre-make meals
• Take a long, relaxing bath
• Silence phone notifications
• Journal
• Write a to-do list for next week…then set it aside
• Take a walk
• Pray
• Read a devotional or a passage of Scripture
• Attend an evening church service
• Gather as a family
• Spend quality time with friends or extended family
• Bake and share bread
• Sing or play music
• Light candles
• Make hot drinks
• Put fresh flowers in a vase

Why do people prepare for Sabbath?

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Preparing for Sabbath allows us to more deeply enjoy its purpose and its blessings.

This makes sense, considering what Sabbath is all about. On the very first Sabbath, God finished His work, then made time to stop and enjoy it (Genesis 2:1-3). To appreciate it. To experience it. It’s a transition from “go mode” to “chill mode.” And He extends this same blessing to all humankind so we can enjoy fellowship with Him, appreciating the world He made for us.

The Hebrew word for Sabbath, Sabbat or Shabbat (שַׁבָּת), means “to cease.”¹

But why would we need to “prepare” to cease? To stop? To pause?

Well, we can’t rest very well if we don’t put down our work, right? And if you think about it, preparing for rest is a fairly natural process. For instance,

• We work hard to earn enough money for retirement.
• We prepare for holidays weeks (or months) in advance so we can truly relax, de-stress, and enjoy the festivities (or intentional lack thereof).
• Before a vacation, we try to finish as much of our work as possible so we don’t have to think about it while we’re gone. Instead, we want a clear head so we can make the most of our getaway.
• If we’re hosting some visiting friends or family, we want to clear our schedules and prepare certain things ahead of time so our regular obligations don’t get in the way of the quality time we want to spend with our loved ones.

Similarly, Sabbath is like a little vacation each week where we also get to spend quality time with the best Friend we could ever have. That’s why God asks us to hit the pause button—so we can be present, tune into His Spirit, and have a legitimate chance to stop and smell the roses (both literally and figuratively).

It’s so much easier to do this if we make an effort to be ready for it. It enables us to disconnect from the constant need to produce, deliver, construct, achieve, etc. Then we can appreciate God allowing us time just to exist, acknowledge His presence, and remember that we can lean on Him for sustenance instead of trying to take on the world ourselves.

So what are some ways we can prepare for Sabbath beforehand?

Let’s start by looking at how God taught the Israelites to prepare for Sabbath in the Bible.

What does the Bible say about Sabbath preparation?

In chronicling the lives and spiritual growth of Israel, the Bible provides several examples of God teaching the Israelites how to prep for Sabbath.

The fact that the Israelites needed God to give them instructions for preparation suggests that the Israelites had forgotten the Sabbath day amid their captivity in Egypt. As slaves, they would have had little opportunity to observe it.

But God brought the Sabbath back to them. He did it to restore the original plan He made for humankind, but also to remind them of the love and rest He offered (Ezekiel 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:15).

What a relief this day must have been for a group of people who had been enslaved, required to regularly work to the point of exhaustion (Exodus 5:4-18).

In addition to being a reminder of God’s love and care, the Sabbath was intended to reforge their relationship with God that had been stifled in Egypt. And pausing from work to reserve quality time is an essential way to do that.

In Exodus 16, we find the Israelites wandering the wilderness, slowly making their way to the Promised Land. But along the way they began to complain that they were hungry, expressing doubt in God and Moses’ leadership.

God responded to their doubts graciously. He wanted the people to trust Him and see that His leadership would never fail. He also needed to help them mature morally, spiritually, and practically after being liberated from slavery. So He provided them with a food routine.

The food came to them in the form of manna, a flaky, bread-like substance that they could easily find and gather each day. Along with this food, He gave the Israelites specific instructions:

• They were to gather manna every day of the week (except for the seventh day).
• Each morning, they were only to gather enough for that day—they weren’t to hoard it or take more than their household needed (otherwise, any extra they took would spoil overnight).
• But on the Sabbath, no manna would appear for them to gather.
• Instead, they were to prepare for the seventh day by gathering a double portion on the sixth day (Friday). This was the one day they were allowed to gather more than just a day’s worth.

This simple practice was a reminder to the Israelites that it was in their best interests to keep the Sabbath God had first instituted at Creation:

“‘See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:29-30, NKJV).

God continued to teach the Israelites how to prepare by explaining what tasks could be avoided on Sabbath and done beforehand.

This included tasks like:

• Wrapping up work (Exodus 20:8-11): Because people paused from their work on Sabbath, final tasks for the week were completed before Sabbath arrived. Even servants and animals would get the chance to rest from their labor.

• Buying and selling (Nehemiah 13:15-22): Commerce was also paused on Sabbath. Because Sabbath rest is for everyone, the Israelites avoided work (like selling things to earn a profit) as well as any activity that would require others to work for them (buying goods and services from others). In this way, the Israelites would have bought and sold everything they needed before Sabbath began.

• Tasks that required significant effort (Exodus 35:3): The Israelites also avoided sizable chores like lighting fires on Sabbath. Back in their day, gathering materials for fire (and lighting it) required a hefty amount of manual labor. So they made preparations for warmth, safety, and cooking/preserving so they could have a break from these things on Sabbath (Exodus 16:23).²

• Gathering (Numbers 15:32-36): If you’ve ever gathered, hauled, and assembled a stack of wood to make a fire or use in a stove, you know it can be exhausting and time-consuming. So the Israelites were instructed to gather enough of what they’d need during their day off.

• Carrying heavy loads (Jeremiah 17:21-22): These verses most likely refer to the act of carrying goods to sell.³ However, we can understand why carrying any kind of load would put a bit of a damper on our Sabbath rest. It might feel like using our precious little time off to pack up a moving truck. For this reason, Israelites would ensure all heavy lifting was taken care of before Sabbath.

In completing these tasks before Sabbath, the Israelites would have an easier time sincerely focusing on the day God set aside for their rest, both physically and spiritually (Luke 23:54-56; Genesis 2:1-3).

Of course, some things couldn’t always be prepared for—like emergencies or daily necessities. The Jews still needed to feed and water their livestock every day (Luke 13:15). They also wouldn’t ignore or put off urgent needs, especially those that involved the health and safety of others.⁴

But there were many things they could do in advance like cook, clean, sell, buy, gather, make, and so on.

One other thing to keep in mind is that the Bible also shows us how sin can corrupt or skew Sabbath-keeping and preparation into something completely different.

As we can read about in the beginning of the New Testament, the meaning of Sabbath was distorted by some factions of Jewish religious leaders as they heaped on additional regulations for Sabbath-keeping and preparation.⁵ But Jesus Christ Himself confronted this and clarified that Sabbath was made for the benefit, health, and joy of humanity. It’s a blessing—it was never supposed to be a burden (Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:27).

So, instead of being founded on ultra-specific rules, observing or preparing for Sabbath is all about acknowledging and embracing the principles it was built upon.

And it’s these principles that can help us determine how to get ready for Sabbath in a way that’s relevant, personal, and meaningful for us today.

How can we prepare for Sabbath in today’s world?

Photo by Teona Swift

Just as it’s always been, celebrating Sabbath is easier and more accessible when we take care of unnecessary distractions and to-do lists beforehand.

The two key principles of the Sabbath are pausing for rest⁶ and spending special time with God,⁷ so any way we can facilitate these things would be an example of preparation.

That being said, just like with Sabbath-keeping, preparation isn’t about adhering to specific tasks or rules that, upon completion, make us somehow more “officially” prepared for this weekly holy day.

Making things like this too specific can be limiting and isn’t always helpful or relevant. That’s why, throughout the Bible, we more often find principles to apply than highly-detailed, step-by-step instructions for life.

The actual tasks of prep will also vary from person to person. For example, cooking can feel like a chore for some while others find it fun or calming. So one person might try to pre-make some meals for Sabbath and enjoy a break from cooking, while another might enjoy the chance to prepare special meals on Sabbath as part of the enjoyment of the day. But both of these types of people are likely to make sure all the grocery shopping for the weekend was done ahead of time, etc.

Or some people who are artists by trade might make an effort to clean up and put away their art supplies before Sabbath so they don’t have to think about work throughout that day. But those who like to paint or sketch as a hobby might find the Sabbath a meaningful time to follow the whims of artistic inspiration, so they leave their art supplies out and instead focus on completing other mundane or burdensome tasks that they don’t want to have to think about on Sabbath.

Or some people might like to assign Friday as a reserved day of preparation while others spread out preparation efforts during the week.

But setting up strict rules for Sabbath preparation can weigh it down, making it seem like a burden when God made it to be a delight. Sabbath won’t be restful if we’re always rushing to finish a big list of tasks in time. We don’t need to put that kind of pressure on ourselves. And this kind of focus can also cause us to forget Sabbath’s purpose in the first place.

That’s why there’s no lengthy to-do list here. Instead, some fairly simple Bible study can provide just the wisdom we need to prep for Sabbath. Scripture encourages us to do what we can to:

• Guard Sabbath rest: We naturally guard our time for things that we prioritize. And in Bible times, guarding Sabbath rest involved taking care of strenuous tasks and chores before the sun set on Friday night. While what we consider “work” looks different today due to modern conveniences, there’s still plenty we can do to lighten our load on Sabbath. This might be finishing the week’s laundry, cleaning the house (or key parts of it), running errands for things we might need during the weekend, or pre-cooking Sabbath meals in the crock pot. Or it could mean getting through all our emails by Friday and turning off all our pings and notifications until Saturday night.

• Guard special time with God: Sabbath was also meant to be the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with God by gathering together for worship and studying His Word. If we ready ourselves mentally and spiritually for Sabbath, we can enjoy a more intentional, liberated mindset. So if we have things that often distract us, weigh on us, or hold our attention and moods captive, we might choose to give those things a break for 24 hours.
  Some might put their phones away for most of the day, or make sure certain apps are closed or silenced. Some might refrain from binge-watching the day away on the shows they’re currently into. Some might plan ahead to do certain activities only on Sabbath, making them extra special and purposeful. Some might make it a point to attend a Friday vespers (evening service) at their local church. Some might have family prayer or worship at sundown on Friday to direct their mindsets to the beginning of Sabbath. The possibilities are limitless.

Now let’s look at how we can turn our preparation priorities into a routine that we can stick to.

Developing a Sabbath prep routine

Some may prepare for Sabbath differently each week, especially if their work schedules vary from week to week. But many people like to make routines or habits that can be planned for and counted on. So let’s talk about some ways to build a Sabbath preparation routine that’s both meaningful and practical.

The number one step will be the same for everyone: prayerful consideration. The whole point of Sabbath preparation is to help us enjoy God’s gift and deepen our relationship with Him, so He is more than willing to bring helpful things to mind.

Then, it can help to ask yourself questions like:

• What tasks can I take care of to make my Sabbath feel more restful?
• What would be nice to not have to think about on Sabbath?
• How can I prep my mind to enjoy a Sabbath free of distractions and stress?
• How can I make it a priority to spend personal time with God this Sabbath?
• What special things can I do to make Sabbath something I look forward to every week?

As you reflect on these things, know that the Holy Spirit is always there to provide guidance.

But that’s not to say you won’t run into difficulties. You might struggle with finding the time (or energy/willpower) to complete all the things you’d like to get done before Sabbath.

It’s all too easy to be ambitious with our plans, but then have to adjust for reality later on. And that’s ok.

What if I can’t prepare everything in time?

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Again, let’s remember that Sabbath is Sabbath, and the blessing is there for us even if we aren’t as prepared as we want to be. There’s no need for guilt or shame if it’s sundown on Friday and our minds are still spinning from work drama, or we arrive home to a very messy house that we just don’t have the time or energy to clean up in the nick of time.

Instead, we can just be thankful that the weekly time has come to set all the chaos aside for 24 hours

For many people, their work schedule could already interfere with how they’d prefer to prepare for Sabbath. Especially during the winter months, by the time we get home from work on Friday evening, it’s already about to be Sabbath. Sometimes we don’t get a whole lot of transition time.

While it may be possible for a few people here and there to adjust their work schedules, this is likely not an option for most others. That means the priority will be finding ways to facilitate a quick, smooth transition to the Sabbath mindset, even if we’re just getting back from an exhausting day at work.

Some might choose to have things as prepped as possible before even leaving for work on Friday.

Some might read devotionals right after work or have an inspiring, thoughtful podcast cued up.

Some might switch on some calming music or even some background ambience tracks, like rain, birds, or ocean.

Some might have a dedicated prayer in the car on the commute home.

Some might enjoy a family routine that becomes a meaningful tradition, like lighting candles, eating challa (a Jewish bread recipe sometimes called “Shabbat bread”), choosing a Bible verse to reflect on together, or simply reserving time for the whole family to be present and attentive, relaxing together and welcoming the incoming peace of the Sabbath.

Preparing to receive this peace is the whole point.

It’s okay if your house is still untidy by Sabbath. It’s okay if your to-do list for the week only got half done. Preparation isn’t about meeting standards; it’s about meeting your needs. What do you personally need to have ready so you can embrace Sabbath peace?

What helps you “remember”?

In the Sabbath (fourth) commandment, God asks us to “remember” the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). It’s all about remembering who God is (our Creator) and what He did for us.

So when we’re “preparing” for the Sabbath each week, it helps to ask, What helps me remember that Sabbath is here—that I can slow down, pause, and reflect on this blessing?

And above all, the very best Sabbath preparation advice anyone can give is to pray. God has always intended for us to enjoy the Sabbath with Him each week, so it only makes sense that He is already there to help us prepare for it as well.

Want to keep learning about the Sabbath?

or

1. Strong, James LL.D, S.T.D. The Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Zondervan, 2001. pp. 1570, 1784. [↵]
2. Nichol, F.D. Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary And Bible Students’ Source Book, vol. 1 (1954), p. 679. [↵]
3. Nichol, F.D. Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary And Bible Students’ Source Book Volume 3, Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1954. p. 424. [↵]
4. Luke 14:5; Mark 2:23-26; Matthew 12:11-12. [↵]
5. “What Are Some Sabbath Rules That The Pharisees Made?” BibleAsk.org, June 6, 2017. [↵]
6. Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11. [↵]
7. Leviticus 23:3; Isaiah 58:13-14; Ezekiel 20:20. [↵]

Related Articles

More Answers

God designed the Sabbath day to be a 24-hour period when we could pause and enjoy the goodness of His creation. We do this by putting aside our regular work so we can focus on spending time with Him and appreciating what He’s created (Exodus 20:8-11).

That may sound simple enough. But it gets blurrier when we think about how things are today.

Jobs are more diverse and advanced. Work schedules cover hours around the clock, and many people take work home or even work at home. So many things are automated. Not all jobs are physically strenuous. And some things that used to be considered work (fishing, sewing, gardening, caring for animals, hiking, cooking, etc.) are now things some of us do for fun when we have a little time to ourselves.

So how can we tell which kinds of things count (or don’t count) as “work” when it comes to keeping the Sabbath holy?

Well, there’s a reason the fourth commandment didn’t include a checklist. The real way to answer this question lies in a deeper understanding of what it truly means to keep the Sabbath—which God made for us (Mark 2:27).

So let’s look to Scripture and see what we can find.

We’ll go over:

• What the Bible means when it says not to work on Sabbath
• Why some Sabbath keepers work on Sabbath
• How to determine what counts as work
• How the definition of “work” has changed throughout history

Let’s start by looking at when the Sabbath was first established, and how it became a common practice among ancient Israel.

What does the Bible mean when it says we shouldn’t work on Sabbath?

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Though the Sabbath day is discussed in Exodus 16, in Exodus 20 is where we read of it in the form of the fourth commandment.

So why would something so seemingly simple as “not working” be part of an everlasting commandment?

We’re told not to work on Sabbath because we wouldn’t be able to fully experience it if we just kept going with our regular routines. If something is special, you make time for it. If you want to acknowledge something, enjoy something, learn more about something…what do you have to do to make those things happen?

Stop what you’re doing and shift your attention.

God created the Sabbath as our permission to stop, rest, and shift our mindset from “working” to “enjoying.”

And this gives us a perfect opportunity to spend more time communing with God (Exodus 20:8-10; Isaiah 58:13-14; Luke 14:6; Matthew 11:28-30). And not just by ourselves, but worshiping God as a faith community—“a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred assembly” (Leviticus 23:3, CSB).

By sanctifying and resting on the seventh day Himself, God provided an example of how we can celebrate the Sabbath by resting and spending time with Him (Genesis 2:2-3).

This kind of rest would be especially meaningful for the Israelites after they spent so long in slavery, most likely having to work all day, every single day. So God took special care to remind them of that Sabbath in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11), giving them the encouragement and permission they needed to experience the profound rest they had been denied for so many years.

The Sabbath was—and still is—a time of spiritual rejuvenation. It was created to direct our attention to spiritual matters where we could rest from our daily cares and find peace and reconnection with God.

However, as we mentioned earlier, Sabbath keepers recognize that there are some types of work that must be performed out of necessity.

Why do some Sabbath keepers work on Sabbath?

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Sabbath keepers might work on Sabbath if they feel their work must be done for the sake of others (or for the simple fact that their line of work is essential, and can’t stop on any day of the week).

This is often the case for:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Caregivers
• Emergency workers
• Police
• Firefighters

There are even some occupations Sabbath keepers hold that take place on the Sabbath with the purpose of helping others honor the Sabbath day.

That’s right—we’re talking about pastors and church personnel who serve congregations of Sabbath-keepers on Sabbath.

Even in Bible times, the Israelites knew there were certain types of work that had to be done—even on the Sabbath.

In a perfect world, all would be able to experience each Sabbath to the fullest. But regardless of what day it was, they still needed to feed their animals, care for their children, and tend to sick members of the community.

This is why the Israelites had to make a distinction between necessary and unnecessary work, or work that needed to be done every day versus work that didn’t need to take place on the Sabbath.

But keep in mind that the real key to understanding what counts as work on the Sabbath isn’t a matter of simply listing and categorizing certain jobs as “do on Sabbath” or “don’t do on Sabbath.”

Understanding what counts as work on the Sabbath is a matter of coming to God and asking Him to help you apply the principle of the Sabbath to your individual circumstances.

But there are many cases where we can see why some jobs still have to continue being done, no matter the day or time.

How can we determine what counts as work on Sabbath?

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Even though the Bible doesn’t give us a categorized list, there are still ways we can determine how “work” is defined in relation to the Sabbath. Here we’ll look at what God and His prophets instructed the Israelites on various occasions, and how the Israelites upheld (or failed to uphold) these instructions.

Types of work that paused on the Sabbath:

• Common jobs and trades (Exodus 20:8-10; Jeremiah 17:20-22): Most jobs or careers fall under this category. These are the types of jobs where if the work is done only six out of seven days a week, the results of that labor should still be enough to provide for the community.
• Engaging in commerce/buying or selling (Nehemiah 13:15-22): Focusing on making a profit or obtaining material goods is all about furthering one’s own business or status, and it’s counterproductive to pausing to focus on one’s Creator, who made all of this possible to begin with. What’s more, when someone buys from a seller, they require the seller to work, keeping them from experiencing Sabbath rest.

That’s what God had the prophet Nehemiah address with the Israelites when they stopped protecting the Sabbath hours and kept going about their businesses or trading with traveling merchants.

• Non-urgent chores or tasks (Exodus 16:22-30; 35:3; Isaiah 58:13-14): Even tasks that aren’t considered a career or a trade were to be stopped on Sabbath, such as gathering food, lighting a fire, or even “talking business” (Isaiah 58:13, CSB). These are all things that could reasonably be done before the Sabbath or wait until after.

While many of these jobs were different in ancient Israel’s time than they are today, the principles still apply. There’s nothing wrong with growing your business or maximizing profits or negotiating trades or purchases. God wants us to be good stewards and diligent workers (Genesis 2:15; Ephesians 6:6-8).

The reason these things stop on Sabbath is, again, for our own mental and spiritual health, and for our relationship with God.

But what about the types of jobs that keep going at all hours of every day? How does the fourth commandment, and the blessings of Sabbath, apply to those who have these jobs?

Before we get further into the details, let’s reiterate that praying for God’s guidance in our own unique circumstances is the first step in fully understanding and experiencing Sabbath.

If you’re looking for some tips in determining these things, however, here are some helpful questions you can ask yourself:

• Is this a task I could do ahead of time?
• Is this a task that must be done every day?
• Who, for the most part, is benefiting from the completion of this task?
• Will someone suffer if I don’t do this today?
• Will someone be less able to enjoy the Sabbath if I do (or don’t do) this today?

We can also ask ourselves why we’re thinking about working on the Sabbath in the first place.

Ask:

• Am I looking for the satisfaction of completing the last item on my to-do list?
• Am I wanting to earn more money or get ahead in my career?
• Am I afraid of losing my job if I don’t work on Sabbath?
• Am I truly seeking to know whether this work or task honors the Sabbath day?

While some of these questions are easy to answer, some of them could require some additional thought and soul-searching. But we can have faith that God will guide us to a solution.

After all, He made the Sabbath for us (Mark 2:27). It’s not supposed to be a near-unattainable feat to keep the Sabbath. And He promises to provide wisdom when we need it (James 1:5).

We can also look through Scripture to see if there are any occasions when followers of God worked on Sabbath in some capacity.

Examples in the Bible of work that continued on Sabbath

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The Bible does show a few situations when some types of work would need to be done even if it was Sabbath.

Priests worked in the Tabernacle or temple

Priests and sanctuary personnel worked on Sabbath to conduct the sanctuary services (Matthew 12:5; Leviticus 23:1-3). Though the priests worked on the Sabbath, they worked to tend to the responsibilities God had given them. They were in charge of maintaining a holy convocation on the Sabbath. They were also responsible for performing the daily services in the temple.

Daily care for livestock

Though the Israelites did what they could to get non-urgent work out of the way before Sabbath, there were always a few things that had to be done at regular intervals. Livestock, for example, had to be watered every day (Luke 13:15; Matthew 12:11-12).

Responding to emergencies

There was always the chance of an Israelite stumbling upon a life-threatening emergency on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11; Luke 14:5; Exodus 23:4-5). In situations like these, Israelites would act to save the lives of people and animals, even though it might cause them to do what would otherwise be considered work.

Guards defended the gates of Jerusalem

Nehemiah posted guards at the gate of Jerusalem to keep merchants from entering the city and tempting the Israelites to participate in commerce on the Sabbath day (Nehemiah 13:15-22).

This story demonstrates the difference between necessary work and business work. The guards were stationed to protect the sanctity of the Sabbath for the community while the merchants were trying to earn a profit.

The disciples picked grain

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The Bible tells us the 12 disciples picked grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-2). They did this because they were hungry and had no food with them.

They certainly weren’t doing it to sell the grain. And it wasn’t as though they were harvesting the whole field, only a couple pieces of grain here and there, enough for their hunger to be satisfied.

Most importantly, their action of picking the grain didn’t distract them from spending time with God. As a matter of fact, they were walking through the field with Jesus Christ Himself!

And yet, because the act of plucking grain from their stalks fit the description of one of the Pharisees’ rules about work, the Jewish leaders insisted that they were breaking the Sabbath.

But when the Pharisees criticized them for picking the grain, Jesus compared it to the time David was given the holy bread to eat when he was in need even though the law said only priests could eat of the holy bread.

By giving this example, Jesus showed that compassion and the needs of human beings should be the priority. The Law is to protect humans and help them thrive—not make it harder for them.

Jesus healed people on the Sabbath

Jesus healed people on the Sabbath on many different occasions (Matthew 12:10-14; Luke 13:10-17; Luke 14:1-6; John 5:1-18; John 9:1-16).

Though the Pharisees criticized Jesus for doing what they considered work on the Sabbath, Jesus once again highlighted the importance of attending to the needs of others before attending to the requirements of the law.

He pointed out that the Pharisees all watered their animals on the Sabbath, which, while being a type of work, was still done to meet their animals’ needs.

The Jews had a difficult time understanding what it truly meant to keep the Sabbath. Instead of living by the principles of the Sabbath, they had become dependent on the list of Sabbath regulations their Jewish leaders, the Pharisees, had created (Mark 7:5-13).

As a result, they became so preoccupied with their law and traditions that they thought Jesus Christ Himself was breaking the Sabbath when He healed people (Matthew 12:10).

But Jesus explained that it was good to heal on the Sabbath, saying:

“What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11-12, NKJV).

In this way, Jesus explained that serving others and tending to the needs of our neighbors does not break the law. The Sabbath’s entire purpose was to benefit mankind (Mark 2:27).

This is why it’s so important that we don’t reduce Sabbath-keeping to a bunch of rules and categorized lists.

This makes it all too easy to reduce the Sabbath to a ritual to complete, rather than a blessing to enjoy. A general list of rules also fails to address the complexities of specific situations we face.

Instead, we have to approach the Sabbath by relying on the Holy Spirit’s leading while studying the Sabbath principles He left for us in His Word.

How has the definition of “work” changed throughout history?

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People in the 21st century celebrate Sabbath differently than those we read about in the Bible. We face different circumstances than the Israelites of Jesus’ time.

For instance, thanks to modern technology, what was once considered strenuous or time-consuming work is now as easy as pushing a button.

We can consider how the Israelites, when enslaved in Egypt, didn’t get the opportunity to rest from their labor. But when God liberated them from Egyptian slavery, he also liberated them from the work they used to perform on Sabbath. He gave them a day where they could rest, without worrying about cooking, plowing, or lighting a fire.

Lighting a fire in ancient Israel was an exhausting task. It involved splitting, carrying, and kindling raw wood. What a relief it must have been to be released from this tiresome chore on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:3)!

But that was back then.

Today, we can turn on our heaters or light our gas stoves with just a turn of a dial.

Turning a dial isn’t something most Adventists would consider strenuous. More importantly, we don’t feel that turning a dial is something that’s going to keep us from enjoying the fullness of the Sabbath or distract us from communion with God.

So many once-difficult tasks can now be accomplished with hardly a thought about them. Some we do on autopilot.

However, we do acknowledge that what is considered “work” can vary from culture to culture just as it can vary from one century to another. The idea of work might look different for various cultures depending on different connotations, values, and available technology.

This is yet another reason we have to be careful about reducing Sabbath observance to a list of rules.

Rules often depend on context.

When the context of our situation changes, it may affect the application of some rules.

While principles are timeless, the way we apply those principles to our lives will change over time or across different circumstances.

It’s also important to consider that rules can be followed without much thought, while considering principles causes us to use our minds, pray to God, and consult our Bibles.

An excessive list of things to stop or avoid may easily keep us from experiencing the Sabbath as a delight (Isaiah 58:13-14).

On top of that, taking excessive measures to avoid work can become a form of work itself!

Joe A. Webb, DMin, former senior pastor of the Caboolture Seventh-day Adventist Church, explained that:

“How well we keep the Sabbath does not depend on how well we know the rules or how hard we try, or even on how often we rebuke others whom we consider to be Sabbath breakers, but on how well we know the Lord of the Sabbath and connect with Him, particularly on the Sabbath.”¹

This is why we can’t rely on man-made rules. We have to accept the timeless principles God gave us to truly receive the blessing of the Lord’s day.²

John Brunt, Ph.D., former vice president of academic administration at Walla Walla University, adds:

“This does not mean that laxity and a lack of concern for Sabbath observance should prevail. It does mean that the community that follows Jesus’ way will be a definite kind of community. It will be a community that thinks about the meaning of the Sabbath. It will be a community that reflects together on how the Sabbath can best be kept in a way that both contributes to its meaning and benefits the people to whom God has given it as a gift.”³

In the end, keeping the Sabbath is all about:

• Turning our minds to God as our Creator
• Focusing on the principles He gave us
• Asking God to show us how to keep the Sabbath in a way that’ll bring us closer to Him

God wants each of us to enjoy the peace and joy that comes with celebrating the Sabbath. He wants us to see how we can use it to spend more time with family or in fellowship with fellow believers.

But above all, He wants us to remember that Sabbath is all about growing in our relationship with Him.

Related Articles

1. Webb, A., Joe, “The Sabbath experience,” Ministry Magazine, Seventh-day Adventist World Church [↵]
2. Mark 7:7-8; Matthew 23: 1-4; 2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Romans 2: 28-29. [↵]
3. Brunt, John, “How shall we keep the sabbath?” Ministry Magazine, Seventh-day Adventist World Church, [↵]

More Answers

If the Bible never mentions the change of the Sabbath, why do so many today attend church on Sunday?

Who changed the day?

But that’s actually the wrong question to ask. The Sabbath hasn’t changed.

What has changed is Christians’ decision of what day to worship. And it all started during the first and second centuries. Let’s uncover more of the story by looking at:

• Where the seventh-day Sabbath originated
• How the Sabbath was kept in the Bible
• How Christians shifted to keeping Sunday

Without further ado, here’s a quick refresher on the Sabbath up to New Testament times. From there, we’ll find out what happened in the early centuries of Christianity.

Photo by Javier Miranda on Unsplash

Where the seventh-day Sabbath originated

The seventh-day Sabbath is interwoven into the human fabric from the time God gave it to the newly created humans as a day of rest. People have kept the Sabbath ever since: the Israelites did, Jesus Christ did, the apostles did, and many faithful people after that time did.

But it all began when there were no Jews or varying groups of people or churches. It was just God and the first two humans: Adam and Eve.

When God finished creating the world in six days, “God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from all His work of creation” (Genesis 2:3, CSB).

He made the Sabbath as a time to pause—to reorient ourselves to Him and one another. We’re designed for this rhythm.

How the Sabbath was kept in the Bible

Both the Old Testament and New Testament mention examples of people keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.

God reminded His people of the Sabbath when He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. The fourth commandment about the Sabbath began specifically with the word remember (unlike any of the other commandments).

God had just brought the Israelites out of Egypt, where they had been slaves. Some of them had no doubt lost sight of these principles, but as slaves, they also wouldn’t have been able to enjoy a day off each week. God’s reminder would’ve come as a welcome gift. It also would’ve required them to re-learn what it means to have that weekly rhythm of work and rest.

That’s why among the instructions for loving Him and loving one another (Matthew 22:38–40), He said,

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work…. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8–11, NKJV).

The people of Israel continued to keep the Sabbath throughout the Old Testament.

Then, in the New Testament, Jesus comes on the scene.

Jesus could very well have changed the Sabbath if He’d wanted to. He definitely wasn’t afraid to show the Pharisees that they’d turned the Sabbath into a day of drudgery and rules rather than mercy and generosity (Mark 3:4).

And yet, Jesus upheld the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), even proclaiming Himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28, NKJV). He made it clear that He hadn’t come to destroy God’s Law but to live it out in His life, setting an example for us (Matthew 5:17–19).

The apostles in the first century, including Paul, kept the Sabbath too. And they wrote about the importance of the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath rest that remained (James 2:10–11; Hebrews 4:4, 9).

But as human nature so often does, some Christians turned Sabbath into a legalistic practice rather than the joyful celebration it’s meant to be.

This distortion of the Sabbath played a role in the shift to keeping Sunday.

How Christians shifted to keeping Sunday

After Jesus returned to heaven (around AD 31), the disciples and the early Christian church (Jews and Gentiles) continued to keep the Sabbath. They did so all throughout the time of the book of Acts and the first century.

The historian Lyman Coleman in his book Ancient Christianity Exemplified points this out. What he says is significant, considering that he’s not a Sabbath keeper himself:

“No law or precept appears to have been given by Christ or the apostles, either for the abrogation [repeal] of the Jewish Sabbath or the institution of the Lord’s day, or the substitution of the first for the seventh day of the week.”¹

Despite not having any instruction from Christ or the apostles, some of the early church fathers (leaders) of the second century began to shift their day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.

Let’s find out the real reason for this shift. We’ll look at historical research for answers.

Church fathers in the first through the third century

The change from Sabbath to Sunday keeping was a slow transition over a few hundred years. It started as Christians incorporated Greek, Roman, and pagan philosophies into Christianity to assimilate with those around them and distance themselves from Judaism.

See, Sunday had long been a holy day for many other religions. For them, it was a festival to worship the sun—which is where we get its name from.² These practices date back to ancient times and are even mentioned in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 8:15–17).

Christians worshiping on Sunday “dates to the second or third centuries” and was “associated with either Rome or Alexandria.”³

One of the first mentions is in AD 155 by one of the church fathers, Justin Martyr, in a defense of Christianity to the Roman emperor:

“But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead.”⁴

It’s likely he hoped to put Christians in good favor with the emperor and lessen persecution.

Justin Martyr, who spent time in Rome, came from a pagan background and had studied Stoic, Platonic, and other pagan philosophies. During his lifetime, Sunday was a pagan festival to honor the sun god, but Christians had begun celebrating on Sunday as a way to connect with these other religions and hopefully convert them to Christianity.⁵

But whether the Christians were successful in their outreach is questionable, especially when we read the words of the Christian author Tertullian from about 60 years after Justin Martyr.

Interestingly, Tertullian, another church father, seemed to contradict himself when he talked about the Sabbath. He said the Word of God didn’t give any evidence that the “Creator’s Sabbath” had changed, and he believed it was the enemy’s work to find ways to avoid keeping the Sabbath.

And yet, Tertullian also defended Sunday worship when accused of worshiping the sun rather than God on this day.⁶

Both Sabbath and Sunday

Photo by Chandan Chaurasia on Unsplash

Pagans in the Roman Empire kept festivals for sun worship every Sunday. Over time, Christians, influenced by Roman ways of thinking, began to worship on both the Sabbath and Sunday.

Even so, Sunday wasn’t really seen as a replacement for the Sabbath—like a “Christian Sabbath.” Instead, it seemed to be an additional festival. The Apostolic Constitutions, a piece of early Christian literature from the fourth century, even instructed this:

“But keep the Sabbath, and the Lord’s day festival; because the former is a memorial of the creation, and the latter of the resurrection.”⁷

But in the process, the Sabbath was becoming distorted. Much like what happened during the time of Jesus, religious leaders called the Pharisees had placed so many rules and regulations around the Sabbath that its observance became a drudgery rather than the delight it was supposed to be (Isaiah 58:13). Jesus had shown the people a different way of Sabbath keeping, but unfortunately, this was lost sight of in the following centuries.

Here’s how, according to church historian Dr. Charles Hase of Germany:

“While the eastern churches retained the Sabbath, a portion of the western churches, with the church of Rome at their head, turned it into a fast.”⁸

And while Sabbath became a fast day, Sunday was to be a celebratory day. Thus, it became a day of rejoicing and festivity to look forward to after the Sabbath was over.

And this keeping of both days was quite common until the fifth century.

Notice what the historian Coleman says about it:

“The observance of the Lord’s day as the first day of the week was at first introduced as a separate institution…. Their Sabbath, the last day of the week, was strictly kept in connection with that of the first day, for a long time after the overthrow of the temple and its worship [AD 70]. Down even to the fifth century, the observance of the Jewish Sabbath was continued in the Christian church, with a rigour and solemnity gradually diminishing until it was wholly discontinued.”

Over time, most Christians lost interest in the drudgery and fasting of the Sabbath, making it easier for them to accept what came next.

Constantine’s Sunday law

Photo by John Nail

As Christians were compromising and keeping both Sabbath and Sunday, something unusual took place within the Roman Empire. In the early fourth century, Emperor Constantine was in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, when he had a vision of a flaming cross with the Latin words, “In this sign conquer.”⁹

As a result, he became a Christian—and so did the Empire. This change marked the beginning of the church being under Roman authority.¹⁰

The change was no doubt a relief to Christians who had experienced severe persecution under the reign of Emperor Diocletian.

Up to this point, Constantine had been a devotee of Mithraism, a monotheistic religion that involved worshiping the sun god. It seemed that Mithraism declined as Christianity became more widespread. But in reality, it had simply been repackaged. We see this in Constantine’s decree on March 7, 321:

“On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.”¹¹

It was a very political move—a way for Constantine to unite the different religious groups within his empire and bring social stability.

Eusebius, a Christian historian during that time, had close connections with the emperor and no doubt was looking for ways to please him. In his Commentary of the Psalms, he makes this claim:

“And all things whatsoever that it was duty to do on the Sabbath, these we have transferred to the Lord’s day, as more appropriately belonging to it, because it has a precedence and is first in rank, and more honorable than the Jewish Sabbath.”¹²

Even so, as we already mentioned, Sabbath keeping didn’t stop at this time. It would take another couple hundred years for the Christian church to officially end it.

Fourth-century councils

Photo by Fabio Fistarol on Unsplash

Some key fourth-century councils within the Roman-controlled church influenced the way Christians kept the Sabbath. Keeping Sunday rather than the seventh day became a way for them to put distance between themselves and the Jews.

During the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, a discussion arose about whether to keep the Passover as the Jews did. We see an anti-semitic attitude in Constantine’s response, as noted by Eusebius:

“It appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast [Passover] we should follow the practice of the Jews…. Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd.”

Clearly, Constantine had an agenda against Jewish practices, and Christians would have to follow suit to stay in his good graces.

Then, the Council of Laodicea in AD 365 specifically addressed Sabbath keeping. It forbade Christians, particularly in the western church, from keeping it:

“Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day, and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.”¹³

From the sixth century onward, other edicts and councils by the Roman-controlled church forbade Christians to work on Sunday or keep Sabbath.¹⁴ Slowly, Sabbath keepers dwindled.

But they never disappeared completely.

The truth remained alive

The transition from Sunday keeping to Sabbath keeping reveals the human tendency to want to fit in and please other humans over God. We may not readily accept an outright falsehood, but over time, we may make subtle changes that lead us down the path of compromise.

Despite the fact that Christians at large followed the lead of the Roman Church, some small groups, like the Celtic church and the Waldensians of Northern Italy, remained faithful to the teaching and example of Jesus.¹⁵

Though hidden from view for many centuries, God’s truth never went completely out.

And it re-emerged as a group of Protestant Christians went to the Scriptures to look for it again.

1. Coleman, Lyman, Ancient Christianity Exemplified (Lippincott, Grambo & Co, 1853), p. 530. [↵]
2. Andrews, John Nevins, The History of the Sabbath, p. 146. [↵]
3. McIver, Robert, “When, Where, and Why Did the Change from Sabbath to Sunday Worship Take Place in the Early Church?” [↵]
4. Justin Martyr, First Apology 67. [↵]
5. Andrews, p. 148. [↵]
6. Ibid., p. 155. [↵]
7. Ibid., p. 163. [↵]
8. Quoted in Andrews, p. 156. [↵]
9. Cavendish, Richard, “The Battle of the Milvian Bridge,” History Today. [↵]
10. “Constantine the Great – Paganism to Christianity,” Lineage. [↵]
11. Codex Justinianus 3.12.3, trans. Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 5th ed. (New York, 1902), 3:380, note 1. [↵]
12. Andrews, p. 200. [↵]
13. Canon XXIX. [↵]
14. Andrews, Chapter 19. [↵]
15. “Waldensians: People of the Valleys,” Lineage. [↵]

More Answers

Children’s Sabbath School is a Bible program offered every Sabbath at Adventist churches for children from birth to age 18. These classes give children the chance to learn Bible stories, make new friends, and participate in fun activities.

And most importantly, they offer age-appropriate curriculums to teach children what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

Follow along as we show you:

• What children’s Sabbath School classes are like
• What programs are used for Sabbath School
• What makes Sabbath School so important

What are children’s Sabbath School classes like?

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Similar to the adult Sabbath School, children’s Sabbath School classes take place in many Adventist churches every Sabbath. The classes typically start at 9:30 a.m. before the church worship service, and they are designed with lessons and activities based on the age of the students.

However, small churches may combine age groups together if they don’t have enough students or teachers. For example, the cradle roll class (infants to two-year-olds) might be combined with kindergarten (three to four-year-olds), and the earliteen class might be combined with the teen class to create a bigger group.

In general, younger students learn Bible stories through interactive activities like songs and crafts. Older students, on the other hand, learn about the Bible and its practical applications through discussion.

Let’s get a tour of each class, starting with cradle roll.

Beginner/cradle roll

As you enter this class, you’ll see young babies and toddlers up to two years old, listening to their teachers tell Bible stories.

During the program, teachers will lead the kids in Bible songs and activities that relate to and illustrate their Bible lesson. They might interact with puppets, earn stickers for repeating memory verses, or enjoy a Bible-themed snack (like animal crackers for Noah’s ark).

Through all the fun and singing, the children are left with one overarching message—that they have a Savior and God who loves them!

Kindergarten

Kindergarten is for children ages three to four. In this class, they sing with their teachers and participate in even more Bible activities. You may see teachers illustrating the weekly Bible story with felt characters and scenery.

Through the lessons, the children learn how much Jesus loves them and what it means to love others too.

Primary

If you head into the primary Sabbath School class, you’ll see elementary-aged children (five to nine years old). The students will sing and enjoy interactive activities about Jesus, as in the other classes for younger children.

By this age, they’ll also do more complex activities like making crafts to illustrate the day’s lesson. For example, they might use playdough and popsicle sticks to recreate Bible scenes from the stories of Noah’s ark or David and Goliath.

Junior

By now, we’re getting to the classrooms with the older kids. Here, you’ll see ten- to twelve-year-olds discussing their lesson with their teachers.

Though they don’t have as many hands-on activities as earlier classes, the juniors still enjoy learning from object lessons, puzzles, and other brain teasers as they grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Earliteen

In this classroom, you’ll meet a group of young teenagers, ages 13 to 14. You’ll listen in as they look up Bible passages, review the lesson from the week, and learn object lessons from history, science, and nonfiction stories.

The programs for this age group are geared to help the students make good decisions and live Christ-centered lives.

Teen/youth

At last, you’ll enter the final classroom on our tour—the class for high school students, ages 15 to 18. Here, the teacher leads the students in a deeper discussion of the Bible and directs them to verses that apply to the particular lesson.

Don’t be surprised if you hear the students ask a lot of questions.

It’s in this class that they are really encouraged to dig deep and ask tough questions about the Bible and how it relates to their lives.

What programs are used to teach Sabbath School?

Photo by Mikhail Nilov

Most Sabbath Schools use the Children’s Sabbath School lessons produced by the administrative body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church—the General Conference.

However, these lessons aren’t the only options for teachers. Some teachers choose lessons that have been produced by independent ministries or individual churches. Others may simply customize the General Conference’s lessons to fit their students’ needs.

The overall goal is to use lessons that are relevant, Bible-based, and engaging for the students.

Typically, local churches purchase the lessons and provide them to the students for free. The students may take the lessons home so that they can prepare for their lesson throughout the week by:

• Memorizing the memory verse
• Reading the lesson
• Doing the lesson’s daily activities

Interested in accessing the Sabbath School programs for yourself?

You can:

• Download the Sabbath School & PM app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

or

• Visit the children’s Sabbath School’s official website to download the lessons for free.

You can find the lessons in a variety of languages: English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and many more.

Who teaches children’s Sabbath School?

Sabbath School teachers are chosen by the local church’s Sabbath School council, typically based on their ability and enthusiasm to teach children about the Bible.¹

But before they can teach, the church requires them to²:

• Complete child-safety verifications
• Get a background check

We also encourage our teachers to go through teaching training courses.³ This way, they can learn methods to make Sabbath School more engaging.

Children’s Sabbath School Resources

• Beginner lessons
• Kindergarten lessons
• Primary lessons
• Junior lessons
• Earliteen lessons
• Youth lessons

1. Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual, 19th Edition, p. 99. [↵]
2. Ibid. [↵]
3. Ibid. [↵]
4. Kuntaraf, Jonathan Oey, “Sabbath School Personal Ministries Department, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
5. The Youth’s Instructor. [↵]
6. Kuntaraf. [↵]
7. Ibid. [↵]
8. Ibid. [↵]
9. Ibid. [↵]
10. Ibid. [↵]

More Answers

In the very first chapters of the Bible, we find God establishing a weekly memorial and rest day, known as the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3). It fell on the last day of the Creation week—the seventh day—which was then honored by God’s followers every week throughout the rest of the Bible.

But what about now, thousands of years later?

How do we know exactly which day the Sabbath falls on today? And does the specific day matter as long as we keep a Sabbath one day of the week?

In this article, we’ll clear up any confusion about the biblical Sabbath by answering these five questions:

• Why keep a day of worship?
• How do we know which day the Sabbath is?
• Was the Sabbath changed to Sunday?
• Does it matter what day we keep the Sabbath?
• How can we celebrate the Sabbath each week?

Let’s first talk about why keeping a Sabbath rest is so important.

Why keep a day of worship for God?

Photo by Jeremy Bishop

Right after Creation, God set aside one day every week for us to remember Him, worship Him, and rest from weekly obligations (Genesis 2:2-3). And this wasn’t arbitrary on His part. He knew our bodies and minds needed a day set aside from weekly work to reconnect with Him and our friends and family.

And this began when there were only two humans alive. There were not yet any Jews, Hebrews, Egyptians, Midianites, etc. So this weekly memorial wasn’t just a Jewish Sabbath, even though the Jews were instrumental in establishing and preserving many sacred Sabbath traditions. But the Sabbath itself was and is for everyone to benefit from.

Studies now show that a period of rest every week helps your body and mind stay stronger, more focused, and more energetic.¹ Our bodies run on a seven-day calendar,² and if we push the limits, our bodies miss that rest and suffer, even if we don’t feel any effects at first.

But there’s more.

God gave us the Sabbath as a sign of His work of creating us and saving us—something that’s emphasized in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:15). Ezekiel 20:12 shows us that it also signifies how He has set us apart as His people.

Keeping the Sabbath, then, is an act of submission to God in worship, remembering what He has done and is doing for us. It’s a special way to connect with Him without the distractions of daily life.

The Bible specifies this day as “the seventh day” (Genesis 2:2), which many today believe to be Saturday. But how do we really know?

How do we know which day the Sabbath is?

The biblical Sabbath occurs on Saturday, the seventh and last day of the week. Many people think it’s impossible to know this for a fact, but you might be surprised! We find evidence for the Sabbath being on Saturday from the biblical account, Jewish tradition, and the calendar.

Let’s explore each piece of evidence.

1. The Bible and Jesus Christ’s example

Photo by T Steele on Unsplash

Scripture gives us numerous examples to tell us which day of the week the Sabbath is, starting with Creation, where God set the seventh day apart and made it holy.

Later on, when God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, He gave them Ten Commandments, of which the fourth commandment—also known as the Sabbath commandment—reminded them of what He had said at Creation. He instructed them on how to set aside the Sabbath as a holy day:

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:9-10, NKJV).

Here God states the location of the Sabbath—the Lord’s Day—on the weekly calendar: the seventh day.

And when God provided manna, a special wafer-like food, for the people of Israel every morning, they were again reminded of the seventh-day Sabbath. Why? The manna would fall every day of the week until the sixth day (Exodus 16:22). On the sixth day, a double amount fell, allowing them to collect enough for Sabbath so they could rest rather than having to work to gather food (verse 23).

In this way, the special characteristics of the seventh day of the week became ingrained in Israelite culture.

Now, you might be thinking, The Israelites didn’t stay loyal to God. They abandoned Him many times for false worship.

What if they lost track of which day the Sabbath was on?

To answer that question, let’s fast forward to the New Testament and first-century Palestine. At this time, Jesus Christ was on earth. He, too, kept the Sabbath. Here’s one example:

“So He [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16, NKJV).

Jesus habitually kept the Sabbath, just as God had commanded thousands of years before.

What’s more, Jesus, as the Son of Man, declared Himself “the Lord of the Sabbath.” He wasn’t afraid to break down human-made traditions and restore the true teachings of God. In Matthew, He confronted the Pharisees who had created so many restrictions around the Sabbath that it became a burden rather than a day of rest and refreshment for all (Matthew 12:1-8).

If He saw they were worshiping on the wrong day—say, the fifth or sixth day instead—He would have let them know.

But He didn’t.

Later, He honored the Sabbath even in death. After He was crucified, He was buried in a tomb on a day we know as Good Friday. Some women wanted to prepare Him for burial but because it was nearly sunset on Friday—the beginning of the Sabbath—they waited. Luke 23:56 states,

“Then they [the women] returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (NKJV).

On Sunday morning, Jesus rose from the dead. So the day in between Good Friday and Sunday, when they celebrated Sabbath rest, was what we know as Saturday today.

Next, let’s examine Jewish traditions and practices and how they help us establish the day the Sabbath falls on.

2. Jewish tradition

Photo by cottonbro studio

Jewish tradition places a very high value on Sabbath or shabbat, as Jews call it—so much so that they wouldn’t have lost track of what day it’s on over the centuries.

For the Jews, both the beginning and of the end of Sabbath, sunset Friday and sunset Saturday, are ceremonious moments to mark the edges of this day. Sabbath is also the day that Jews congregate at the synagogue for worship services.³

In fact, Sabbath is such an integral part of the Jewish religion and lifestyle that Jews often repeat the saying of Hebrew essayist Ahad Ha’am: “More than the Jewish People have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.”⁴ They say this to highlight the blessings that come from valuing this day.

With this faithful Sabbath observance and careful recordkeeping, it’s highly unlikely that they would have somehow mixed up which day it falls on.

Even so, you might also be wondering about the calendar. Different calendars have come and gone over the millennia—how do we know the calendar wasn’t changed?

3. The calendar

Over the centuries, different cultures have kept a variety of calendars to track dates and time. Today, we follow the Roman calendar. But was the seventh day on this calendar the same seventh day on the Jewish calendar?

To answer this question, we need to understand the standardization of the Roman calendar.

Before the time of Jesus, many used a seven-day solar calendar handed down from Greek and Babylonian civilizations, but some used shorter-week calendars and some longer.⁵ The Roman calendar wasn’t consistent.

About the time Jesus walked the earth, the Romans began to standardize the seven-day week, incorporating the names of planets to mark the days (for example, Saturn’s day became Saturday, and the Moon’s day became Monday). This calendar was called the Julian calendar.

When Constantine legalized Christianity in AD 313, he merged the Jewish calendar with the Roman calendar to officially make the week seven days long for his whole kingdom. He also decreed Sunday as the first day of the week, reestablishing what the Jewish calendar already followed.⁶

By the 1500s, however, this calendar was off by about 10 days. A tiny miscalculation in the length of a year caused a cumulative error.

Here’s where the switch to the Gregorian calendar—our modern calendar—came in. When it was introduced in 1582, it skipped ten days, going directly from October 4 to October 15.⁷

Did the days of the week get mixed up?

No, skipping ten days really had no bearing on the sequence of the weekdays. October 4, 1582, was a Thursday. The next day, October 15, was a Friday.

The day of the week didn’t change—only the date. The seventh day was still the seventh day, except it was the 16th instead of the 6th.

Here’s what Dr. W. W. Campbell, Director of the Lick Observatory in California, said:

“The week of seven days has been in use ever since the days of the Mosaic dispensation, and we have no reason for supposing that any irregularities have existed in the succession of weeks and their days from that time to the present.”⁸

Calendars and ways of organizing dates may have changed, but the days themselves haven’t changed. The seventh day today is still the same seventh day from 3,000 years ago.

The name in other languages for the seventh day of the week—Sabbath or Saturday—reflects this. Look at the term for Saturday in the following languages:

• Italian: Sabato
• Portuguese: Sábado
• Polish: Sobota
• Spanish: Sábado
• Indonesian: Sabtu
• Sundanese: Saptu
• Corsican: Sabatu

All of them sound similar to “Sabbath,” subtly pointing back to this special day and its placement on the calendar.

Was the Sabbath changed to Sunday?

Photo by Kyrie kim on Unsplash

The Sabbath, as a day of worship and rest, is much less common to be observed by Christians today than Sunday worship. But this change was not instituted by Jesus, the early church, or anyone else in Bible times. The Bible does not indicate any need for this change, either. Humans changed the day later without direction from God.

As we’ve already seen, Jesus observed the Sabbath on the same day as the other Jews. When He died, the women who wanted to embalm Him still observed the Sabbath, too:

“And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:55-56, NKJV).

If Jesus wanted them to worship on a different day, He would have told them before He died. Then they could have embalmed Him instead of waiting till Sunday.

The apostles didn’t change the day of worship after Jesus ascended into heaven, either. The book of Acts is filled with numerous examples of the apostle Paul going into the synagogue on the Sabbath (Acts 13:14; 18:4).

It even tells us that on the Sabbath, “Paul, as his custom was, went in to [the synagogue]” (Acts 17:1-2, NKJV, emphasis added).

Paul, who had been a Pharisee, had up to this point spent his entire life going to the synagogue on Sabbath. If the day of the Sabbath had been changed, it wouldn’t have been his custom; it would have been a new practice.

Even in Colossians 2, when Paul wrote that believers shouldn’t judge one another regarding sabbaths, he was not referring to the weekly Sabbath; he was talking about new moons, festival sabbaths, ceremonial sabbaths, and agricultural rest periods the ancient Hebrews celebrated (Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 23:24, 37-39; 25:8).

It’s true that John, one of the last writers of the New Testament, mentions “the Lord’s day” in Revelation 1:10, but based on the context of the whole New Testament, we don’t have evidence that this was any other day than the seventh-day Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13, Mark 2:28).

Scripture repeatedly points to the Sabbath being the seventh day of the week, our modern Saturday. But does it really matter whether we keep this day or another?

Does it matter what day we keep the Sabbath?

Photo by Joel Rohland on Unsplash

As we can see from the points above, God cares about what day we keep the Sabbath. He created it for our benefit—for our rest, reflection, and celebration of our God and what He made for us. So it makes sense that the way we honor His day would matter to Him.

Think of it this way:

Suppose someone bought you a new cell phone as a gift. In using it, you decide you want to change how it displays something or how it operates. You don’t understand how the hardware inside the phone works, yet you unscrew the back and start fiddling with the wires and computer chips to try to get it to do what you want.

The only result is a messed-up phone that doesn’t work the way it was intended—and perhaps not at all.

The same with the Sabbath. God created it to be on the seventh day, the last day of the week, as a temple of time where we can truly connect with our Creator and rest for the coming week. If we pick other days of the week, we’re trying to mess with the hardware of Sabbath without regarding how it’s intended to work.

Sabbath can’t benefit us in the best way if we’re not enjoying it the way God intended.

So, let’s look at some ways we can take part in the Sabbath every week!

How Christians can celebrate the Sabbath day

As we read earlier, God created the Sabbath as a day to rest from the busy lives we lead the rest of the week. Our bodies get that necessary wind-down time to reset and gear up for another week.

So what exactly does this restful day look like?

One way Seventh-day Adventists celebrate the Sabbath is by attending church and engaging in a worship service. We study the Bible, sing, listen to a sermon, and fellowship with other people. We may stay for a meal after the service, where we can spend more time with others.

In the afternoon, we do a variety of things, including:

• Study the Word of God with others
• Visit sick or elderly church members or family members
• Walk at a park
• Watch a Bible-themed movie
• Read religious material

(See a bigger list of Sabbath activity ideas.)

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

Adventists also try to minimize the amount of everyday activities we do on Sabbath. We typically leave things like cleaning the house and washing cars to other days because it’s work that doesn’t have to be done on the Sabbath.

We might cook labor-intensive meals on Friday so all we have to worry about on Sabbath is warming them up. Or we might iron church clothing Friday afternoon to avoid a last-minute rush before church Sabbath morning.

This might all seem a lot to think about, but really, it boils down to this principle: take a break from all the unnecessary, regular activities and use the time to worship God, serve others, and spend time with family and friends.

As Jesus said,

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NKJV).

God meant the Sabbath to be a delight (Isaiah 58:13), a restful beacon to look forward to every seventh day of the week.

He put it on the seventh day for us to end our week with rest, not work. Numerous examples throughout the Bible and history reveal that He always meant it to be then, never any other day.

And though we may not understand it completely, we can trust it’s for our benefit.

If you’d like to learn more about more practical ways to make the Sabbath a special weekly event,

1. Superville et al., “Sabbath Keeping and Its Relationships to Health and Well-Being,” The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion. [↵]
2. Greenaway, Kenneth, “Does the Universal Seven-Day Rhythm in the Function of the Pineal Gland, Have a Biblical Origin? A Review and a Hypothesis,” Scientific Journal of Biology, vol. 5, no. 1, August 13, 2022, pp. 27-32. [↵]
3. Roos, Dave, “Why Is Shabbat So Central To Jewish Tradition?” How Stuff Works. [↵]
4. Senor, Dan, and Singer, Saul, “How Shabbat Bring Israel Together,” TIME, Dec. 2, 2023. [↵]
5. “The Seven-Day Week in the Roman Empire and the Near East,” University College London. [↵]
6. “Week,” Britannica. [↵]
7. “Ten Days That Vanished: The Switch To The Gregorian Calendar,” Britannica. [↵]
8. Quoted in “Was Sabbath Lost Because of a Calendar Change?” BibleInfo. [↵]

More Answers

Throughout the Word of God, we find examples of people who kept the Sabbath, both in the way God intended and the way He didn’t intend.

His intention?

That Sabbath would not be about a checklist of rules but about a mindset of rest. It’s a day to set aside daily cares and connect with God, our creator. Out of our love for Him, we take the principles of the Bible and apply them in the way we keep the Sabbath.

But have you ever found it hard to know how to apply the principles of the Bible?

By seeing how biblical characters treated God’s holy day, we can gain some insight on how we ourselves should apply the principles and treat this special day. Yes, time and circumstances can change, but these examples still provide us with valuable guidance.

In this article, we’ll take a look at:

• People who kept the Sabbath holy
• People who broke the Sabbath
• What these examples teach us about keeping God’s Sabbath

First, let’s look at the experiences of people who kept the Sabbath as God intended.

People who kept the Sabbath holy

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The Bible gives us numerous examples of people keeping the seventh-day Sabbath in a way that drew them closer to God and allowed them to enjoy it as a day of rest.

The first example comes from the beginning of the Bible when God first created the earth.

Old Testament examples

The first Sabbath ever kept took place in Genesis, when God dedicated the day to rest. Genesis 2:2–3 says,

“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. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (NKJV).

God had just finished creating the world and it was time for Him to take a break. God does not get tired in the same way that we do, but He rested on the seventh day of the week to demonstrate how we as humans would benefit from this pattern of work and rest.

Even if we don’t need physical rest, per se, God saw that we needed a day to let all the worries and other problems slip from our minds so we could have time to spend with Him.

It’s like a time you set up to hang out with a friend. You use that time to get to know your friend better.

And we use the Sabbath to get to know God better.

Later, not long before God gave the law—the Ten Commandments—to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:2–17), He gave them a visual reminder of Sabbath keeping through the food He provided them.

The Israelites had left Egypt for Canaan, and in their journey through the wilderness, food was scarce. To provide for such an enormous assembly of people, God rained manna—a small wafer-like substance—for the Israelites to gather up (Exodus 16:14).

It appeared on the ground every morning—except for the seventh day.

A double amount fell on Friday to provide for both Friday and Sabbath.

God instructed them:

“Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning” (Exodus 16:23, NKJV).

But unlike the manna of all other days, the extra gathered on Friday didn’t spoil before Sabbath.

By trusting in God to provide for them and having the foresight to gather two days’ worth on Friday, the Israelites were observing the Sabbath the way God designed it to be—resting from unnecessary work and other daily activities so they could spend time with Him.

The prophet Isaiah reminded the Israelites of the benefits of taking a day to focus on God: greater joy and closeness to God (Isaiah 56:6-8).

Isaiah called it a “delight” (Isaiah 58:13)—something to look forward to and enjoy. We all enjoy taking a break from our busy schedules, and we all enjoy spending time with a friend. This is the essence of Sabbath: pausing from our normal schedules to rest with God.

And it’s how God intended us to view the Sabbath.

If your job is frustrating you or you’re worn out from a crazy schedule, the Sabbath is a delightful break from all that, allowing you to rest physically and mentally and direct your thoughts toward building a relationship with Jesus Christ.

And even if your life isn’t crazy or chaotic, the Sabbath still provides a rhythm of rest and work, as well as a specified space of time for God and those you love.

Jesus saw the importance of this day too.

Jesus’ example

The Gospels are peppered with instances of Jesus keeping the Sabbath, as was His custom (Luke 4:16).

Jesus often healed people on the Sabbath, much to the dismay of the Jewish rulers. They considered His works of healing as breaking the Sabbath. But they really cared more about their rules than people. They misunderstood the Sabbath commandment, and Jesus had come to help them understand its true purpose.

Matthew 12:9–13 is a prime example of Jesus healing on the seventh day. While in the synagogue, He healed a man with a withered hand.

Another time, Jesus healed a paralyzed man (John 5:1–18). And John 9 records Jesus mixing clay to heal a blind man on the Sabbath.

Jesus also cast out demons on Sabbath. One man in Luke was afflicted by a demon—in the synagogue, no less—and Jesus commanded it to come out. It did.

Afterward, He went to Peter’s house and healed his mother, who was sick (Luke 4:33–39).

Besides healing, Jesus used the day of rest to teach the people about Himself. In Luke 4:31, Jesus taught the people on “many Sabbaths.” Mark 6:2 also mentions him teaching in the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth.

Mark’s Gospel records a story in which Jesus and His disciples were hungry on the Sabbath. As they walked through grain fields, they plucked the heads off and ate them (Mark 2:23–28). They weren’t trying to harvest the grain, or work, although the pharisees accused them of this. They were simply picking a little to calm their hunger—a normal Jewish custom on any other day.

Although Sabbath is a day of rest from our regular work, Jesus, as Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), clearly showed we don’t have to stop everything.

Sabbath is meant to be a day of delight—not suffering. Thus, we don’t have to refrain from activities that meet basic needs, like heating up food for a meal or taking care of pets. We just don’t want to get so involved that we get distracted from the time we could spend with God.

Let’s look at some other examples of Sabbath keepers in the New Testament.

Other New Testament examples

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

The New Testament brings us to the time of the Jews, who lived a few hundred years after the close of the Old Testament. Within the Jewish culture, the pharisees, religious leaders of the time, had become especially concerned about their rules—as we saw in their encounter with Jesus (mentioned above).

However, despite the misunderstandings about the Sabbath and the legalistic example set by the pharisees, Jesus’ disciples followed His example in keeping the Sabbath.

One of the most prominent instances happened at Jesus’ death. Jesus was crucified on Friday afternoon, and because Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday, He was taken and buried in a tomb before then.

The book of Luke adds that the women who followed Jesus also observed the Sabbath. Luke 23:54–56 says,

“That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (NKJV).

They waited till Sunday to do the embalming. Even though Jesus had died, they kept the Sabbath holy like He would have if He was alive. And thus, they demonstrated that the Sabbath was not changed from the seventh day to the first day (Sunday).

Even after Jesus had risen and ascended back into heaven, the early Christians continued to keep the Sabbath holy. The book of Acts records many times that they kept the Sabbath.

Paul preached on Sabbath many times. In Acts 13, he went to the synagogue on Sabbath and preached to the Jews gathered there. The Gentiles, non-Jews, who heard him were so impressed that they asked Paul to preach to them again next Sabbath (Acts 13:42–44).

He could have easily preached to the Gentiles on another day because they didn’t keep Jewish customs. Even easier, he could have told them the Sabbath should now be kept on the first day, Sunday.

But he didn’t.

Instead, by meeting with them on Sabbath, he indicated that the apostles had no intention of changing the day of worship—and Jesus hadn’t either.

On another Sabbath, when Paul was in the city of Philippi, he and his companions went down to the river where people normally prayed. There, he met a woman named Lydia. He talked with her and shared with her the gospel message (Acts 16:14). She was so convicted she asked to be baptized right then and invited Paul and his companions down to her house (Acts 16:15).

With all these examples of Sabbath keeping in the New Testament, you may be wondering, “Are there any passages that speak about Sunday?”

We’ll find out.

Are there any biblical examples of people keeping Sunday as the Sabbath?

There are no examples in the Bible of the Sabbath being kept on Sunday, or the first day, as the Bible refers to it.

A popular reference is Jesus’ resurrection, which fell on a Sunday.

But Mary Magdalene and the others purposely waited until Sabbath was finished before bringing spices to Jesus’ tomb to anoint Him (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). When they arrived, Jesus had already risen from the dead. Nowhere is there mention of them keeping Sunday as the Lord’s day.

Another verse mentions the disciples congregating on the first day of the week to hear Paul preach (Acts 20:7). While it says they broke bread, the verse says nothing else about worshiping that day.

Furthermore, that passage in Acts 20 tells us that they came together on the first day of the week until midnight. Since the Bible records days as beginning in the evening (Genesis 1:5), Paul would have been preaching to them on a Saturday evening.

In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Paul instructs the church members to set aside a collection on Sunday.

Was this an offering taken up at a church service?

In the context, Paul clarifies that this collection needed to happen on Sunday so that when he came, there wouldn’t be a scramble to get a collection around. He doesn’t mention a worship service at all.

As there is no evidence that Sabbath was moved to Sunday, we cannot assume that God changed the day. He still asks us to rest and spend time with Him on the seventh day, Saturday.

And now that we’ve seen many examples of people keeping Sabbath in the way it was intended, let’s look at some opposite scenarios.

People who broke the Sabbath

While Scripture contains many examples of people valuing the Sabbath as the day of rest God intended, there were others who didn’t respect it.

Here are a few such cases.

Israelites who disobeyed God

Photo from Burst

In the book of Exodus, God told the Israelites the consequences of breaking the Sabbath. Whoever worked on that day would be put to death (Exodus 31:15).

Fast forward to the book of Numbers.

Instead of obeying God’s clear commands and trusting Him to provide, a man deliberately chose to go out on Sabbath and gather sticks for a fire—something that could’ve easily been done prior to Sabbath. When he was brought before Moses and Aaron, God told them the punishment for the man was stoning (Numbers 15:32–36).

Gathering sticks might seem like a small sin to punish with stoning.

But God was not exercising tyrannical authority when He decreed the man’s death.

God had just recently explained to the Israelites the difference between intentional and unintentional sins and what should be done for each. This man understood the results of going against God and still deliberately broke the fourth commandment.

He had a spirit of rebellion, and God knew how harmful that attitude would be for the rest of the Israelites, if allowed to continue.

Another example is found in the book of Nehemiah. When the Israelites returned from captivity and settled in their own cities again, Nehemiah observed something alarming:

“In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day [to sell]” (Nehemiah 13:15, NKJV).

What did Nehemiah do?

He went to Judah’s nobles and reminded them that breaking God’s laws had resulted in their captivity in the first place.

“Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath,” Nehemiah pointed out (Nehemiah 13:18, NKJV).

In their years of captivity, the Israelites had become distracted from the path God had laid for them. Nehemiah had to remind them that what they were doing was wrong. He commanded the gates of Jerusalem to be shut towards sundown on Friday so people couldn’t bring their wares in to sell (Nehemiah 13:19).

And he addressed the Levites, the priests. To them, Nehemiah gave the task of guarding the gates during God’s holy day (Nehemiah 13:22).

By these measures, Nehemiah was trying to make it clear to the Israelites that Sabbath was not a day to be trifled with. He was trying to get their minds back into the groove of a regular time set aside for God.

The prophet Ezekiel faced a similar challenge and had to call the Israelites to accountability because God said they had “profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols” (Ezekiel 20:23–24, NKJV).

But even though the Israelites were rebellious against God, God didn’t destroy them (Ezekiel 20:17). He knew the circumstances of their captivity and the way they’d been influenced. They needed a reminder.

Unfortunately, human nature often swings from one extreme to another.

And that’s what happened in the New Testament times with the Jewish religious leaders.

The pharisees of Jesus’ day

In the New Testament, people broke the Sabbath commandment in an entirely different way. While people in the Old Testament ignored or neglected God’s day, people in the New Testament went to the other extreme: over-regulation.

The pharisees—ultra-conservative religious leaders of Jesus’ day—were the ones who enforced this incorrect way of keeping the Sabbath.

In an effort to make sure all the Jews kept the Sabbath, the pharisees compiled an enormous list of things a Jew could and could not do on that day. It was so exhaustive that a Jew couldn’t do much of anything on Sabbath.

Acts 1:12 demonstrates one of those rules: the distance a Jew could walk. It wasn’t very far—about ⅔ of a mile.¹

Walking and carrying proved to be a point of contention between Jesus and the pharisees on more than one occasion. In one instance, Jesus healed a sick man and instructed him to rise, take up his bed, and walk. He did so, and the pharisees were upset. He’d violated the Sabbath (John 5:8–13).

In keeping the Sabbath holy, the pharisees completely missed the whole point of it: rest. Their rules and regulations were not restful or relaxing.

It all boiled down to pride and power. In making these rules, the pharisees could make Sabbath observance all about the externals. Then, they could point out the “faults” of the common Jews who didn’t keep their rules and brag about how well they “kept” them.

But Sabbath isn’t about external appearances. It’s about the heart. If we truly want to rest and spend time with God, we don’t need to purposely put on a show of actions. It will come naturally from a heart that longs to know God more.

One example of the pharisees purposely finding fault with something Jesus did is in Luke 6. Here, Jesus debates with the pharisees about what is lawful to do on Sabbath. He explained that doing good is allowed and gave them an example by healing a man with a withered hand (Luke 6:8–10).

Instead of being glad Jesus had healed someone, the pharisees were furious that Jesus “broke” the Sabbath and contradicted their rules.

In the end, they weren’t really keeping the Sabbath at all. They were so busy with their rules that they lost sight of what it meant to commemorate Creation and connect with God.

And just like them, we’re in danger of losing sight of the Sabbath in our desire to keep it.

Keep reading for some practical applications of the examples we’ve shared.

What the Bible’s examples of Sabbath keeping can teach us

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Sabbath keeping really comes down to the spirit with which it is kept. Are we focusing on what we’re supposed to do and not do (and what others are and aren’t doing)? Or are we focusing on making it a day of rest and communing with God?

Sabbath, as we’ve seen, was supposed to be a day-long break from work and other normal things we do so that we could spend time with our Creator.

It’s like a personal date with God. We prioritize our dates with other people—how much more should we do so with God?

Since the idea of resting and spending time with God is rather nebulous, it can be easy for us to make a list of things we should or shouldn’t do to keep our focus on God.

But in doing this, we risk getting caught up in the list and missing the blessing of the day, just like the pharisees did.

And we end up putting other people down in the process because we might feel it’s our Christian duty to tell others that what they’re doing isn’t Sabbath-appropriate.

However, God doesn’t want us to get bogged down by what others are doing. He wants us to focus on how the Holy Spirit is guiding us to apply the principles of the Bible to our own lives.

Rather than running down a checklist, here are some simple questions to ask yourself when deciding whether an activity would foster a restful atmosphere on Sabbath:

• Does it bring you closer to Jesus and others?
• Is it relaxing or restful for both you and others around you?
• Is it something that is distinct from common, day-to-day activities?

For example, going out to eat on Sabbath might be restful for you and eliminate the need to cook.

But in doing so, you would be involving yourself in a business transaction and letting others work for you. Thus, you may want to consider it for another day besides Sabbath.

Here’s another example: hiking. While trying to cover thirty miles in an afternoon probably isn’t restful or relaxing, you could take a leisurely hike in the beauty of the nature around you. Going outside is a wonderful way to spend time with God in His creation, plus enjoy some time with family or friends.

As we saw, Jesus did not get caught up in the man-made rules. He used the day to serve God.

He helped people. He healed them. And He went to the synagogue, or church.

As believers in Jesus, we have this same special privilege to enter God’s rest (Hebrews 4:9–10).

If you’d like to learn about ways that Adventists celebrate the Sabbath,

Related Articles

1. “Sabbath Day’s Journey,” Bible Gateway.com.[↵]

More Answers

On the last Sabbath of every quarter, Adventist churches participate in the 13th Sabbath offering—a special offering that goes to mission fields around the world.

While the previous 12 Sabbaths of the quarter feature an established Adventist ministry and its current giving needs, the 13th is a rotating spot reserved for current mission projects.

This quarterly offering helps the Adventist Church fulfill their goal of serving people in mission fields across the globe.

Want to better understand how this special offering opportunity works?

We’ll explore:

• How tithes and offerings are collected and distributed
• The purpose and history of the 13th Sabbath offering
• How 13th Sabbath offerings have impacted the mission field

Let’s first do a quick review of how the Adventist church makes use of tithes and offerings.

How tithes and offerings are collected and distributed

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“Tithe” refers to the 10% portion of our income that is returned to God out of gratitude for providing for us, day in and day out (Genesis 14:20, Leviticus 27:30, Malachi 3:10). We do this by paying that 10% to our worldwide church, so it can be distributed throughout and keep its churches and ministries running.

“Offering” refers to free-will donations that are separate from our tithe.

While worldwide church leadership has prayerfully determined where tithe money should go, we decide where our offerings go, since we’re choosing to give more than our tithe as we’re convicted and inspired.

There’s always an option to send our offerings directly to the ministry we want to help. But for those that have chosen to habitually give a little more each Sabbath or every so often, the Adventist Church’s offering calendar helps church members stay apprised of the active ministries in the church and what their current needs are.

A different ministry is featured each Sabbath, and those inspired to give are provided a chance to make a donation through the church when they pass around the offering plate.

The giving process is the same on a 13th Sabbath. What’s different involves how the featured ministry is chosen.

The purpose and history of the 13th Sabbath offering

The purpose of the 13th Sabbath offering is to give Adventist churches the opportunity to focus their attention and offerings on world missions.

Because of their great interest for mission work, many churches put special effort into 13th Sabbath offering calls.

Some churches let children do a special skit or tell a story related to the current mission project.

Some churches show video footage of what’s happening in underserved areas of various countries around the world.

Others might invite someone involved with the mission project to give a short testimony or share recent developments and challenges.

This special mission emphasis began in 1909, when the Adventist Church was deciding the best use for Sabbath school offering funds. They were also discussing how to keep church members better informed of all the mission work happening around the world—specifically what kinds of challenges they faced and the type of help they needed.

As this discussion progressed, an idea began forming. What if there was a designated week each quarter to tell everyone what’s happening in the mission field? And what if that could also provide an opportunity to express specific fundraising needs?

So in 1912, the first recorded 13th Sabbath offering was called for. The funds collected greatly helped the development of the River Plate Academy and School of Theology in Argentina (now River Plate Adventist University).

Ever since, this initiative has helped fund important mission projects around the world. Adventist congregations from every country pool their funds through the General Conference (or World Headquarters) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Then, 25% of those funds go directly to the featured mission project, and the remaining 75% goes toward all other active mission projects.

Many of these projects involve constructing a building, like a church, school, or medical clinic in an underserved area. Other projects might be digging wells, teaching classes on water purification, or providing a series of Bible classes for kids while also teaching them to read.

Since these are goodwill projects that aren’t directly funded through church operations covered by tithe, they rely on donations. And the 13th Sabbath opportunities give them a way to let the rest of the church know what they’re doing, while also expressing the challenges they’re up against and how donated funds would be put to use.

How have 13th Sabbath offerings impacted the mission field?

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Thirteenth Sabbath offerings have helped the Adventist Church establish schools, churches, hospitals, clinics, and other ministries across the world, funding mission fields in each Division of the Adventist World Church. These funds provide much-needed support for areas of the world facing disasters, hardships, or unique location-related challenges.

Looking back at the school in Argentina that received the first-ever 13th Sabbath offering, today the campus has grown to include an elementary school, high school, and university, with 3,500 total students enrolled.¹

A much more recent offering, in 2013, built two clinics in the wilds of Papua New Guinea.² The South Pacific division selected the Bahula village in Morobe Province and the Arufi village in Western Province because no other basic medical facilities existed nearby. So you can imagine how great of an impact those clinics have made in those communities!

Without these opportunities for mission projects to be featured, many important initiatives would fall through the cracks.

There are thousands of people that want to give toward much-needed mission services around the world. But it can be an overwhelming search to try to find out all the active mission information on your own.

That’s why a regularly featured offering opportunity like this is so vital. It connects these generous donors with the very type of projects they’re inspired to give toward.

If you’d like to know which mission projects are featured for 13th Sabbath offerings this year,

1. https://am.adventistmission.org/mission-offering [↵]
2. https://adventistreview.org/news/13th-sabbath-offering-builds-2-remote-clinics-in-south-pacific/ [↵]

Related Articles 

More Answers

What does it mean to keep the Sabbath?

The Bible tells us that we keep the Sabbath by avoiding work. God made this law because he knew it would strengthen us and bring us joy, as well as give us time to reconnect with Him and recharge from our busy lives.

Of course, when God gave the Sabbath commandment, some people misinterpreted it. They did not stick with this simple principle, and instead made specific laws about what it meant to refrain from work. They focused on what you can’t do instead of what you can do.

Human beings have always had a tendency to reduce God’s principles into easy-seeming “moral checklists.” They hope that the checklist will make these principles more concrete and straightforward to follow. But in reality, all it does is heap on stipulations that God never actually asks of us.

In the end, this goes against the principle of the Sabbath, because it turns what is supposed to be a delight into a burden.

Above all, the Sabbath, or Shabbat, is a special day to spend time with God. It’s not supposed to be a burden or a checklist of do’s and don’ts.

The word Sabbath means a day of rest.¹

And that’s exactly what God intended the Sabbath to be.

It’s a time to come away from the worries of this world and remember how much God cares for us by studying the promises of hope in His word and reflecting on the blessings He has given us.

If you’re looking for practical ways to keep the Sabbath look no further! We’re about to jump into:

• The biblical principles of the Sabbath
• Misconceptions about the Sabbath
• The benefits of Sabbath rest
• 55 activities you can do on the Sabbath

Let’s start with looking at what the Bible actually says.

The biblical principles of the Sabbath

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Where does the Sabbath originate from in the Bible?

Some suggest that the Sabbath first appeared when God created The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). But we can find the original Sabbath described in the Old Testament as early as Creation. The Bible says that God rested on the seventh day of the week and made it holy (Genesis 2:2-3).

This means that even from the beginning of Earth’s creation, God chose the seventh day, Saturday, to be His holy day of pausing to rest and enjoy what He made. And the fact that God kept the Sabbath Himself means it isn’t tied down to any specific group of people.

In other words, Sabbath isn’t just for Jews. It’s for everyone!

We also know that Sabbath is observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening as each day ends when it’s sundown (Leviticus 23:32).

The validity of the seventh day appears again when the fourth commandment is introduced to God’s people, the Israelites:

“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.

In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20: 8-11, NKJV).

From the word of God, we can see that the core guideline for the Sabbath is to avoid work.

Does that mean there’s something inherently wrong about working?

Of course not!

God knows that we need to work to survive and provide for our families. Plus, Adam and Eve even worked in the garden before sin was part of their lives.

But God is a God of balance. Work is something we do, using our own abilities. And there’s a time to work, and a time to rest. And during this rest, we shift our focus upward and outward.

Upward, by acknowledging God as our creator and taking time to worship Him. Outward, by taking notice of the world He created for us and taking time to enjoy it.

But our human lives are far from balanced. With our busy schedules, it can feel difficult to make time to spend with God, even though we need His guidance daily.

That’s why the Sabbath can be such a blessing. While we spend spurts of time focused on Him during the week, Sabbath is a day we can set aside completely, casting our cares on Him.

This is why God gave us the Sabbath commandment—to give our minds and bodies rest, and to help us re-center our lives on Him.

(Because let’s be honest…sometimes, unless we’re actually told to stop working, we’ll just keep on pushing ourselves!)

This principle extends to making other people work for us. The verse is clear that no one should work on God’s holy day. This way everyone will be able to enjoy the blessings of the Sabbath.

For this reason, Sabbath-keepers often try to avoid the following so they can make sure to keep the Sabbath holy:

• Buying or selling: Because it requires others to work, and it involves business transactions.
• Significant household chores or projects: Because many housework chores could be done another day, and because they take up time you could be spending with God.
• Secular activities and entertainment: Not because they’re inherently bad, but because they often occupy our minds in a way that keeps us from slowing down and spending quality time with God.

Of course, there may be exceptions. After all, if your car breaks down on the way to church you might have to pay someone to tow your car.

And while Sabbath-keepers sometimes try to avoid significant cooking, sometimes a spill needs to be cleaned up, or food needs to be heated before it’s ready to eat.

Remember this guideline of the Sabbath: it’s not about refusing to lift a finger, it’s about drawing closer to God.

And if ever in doubt, ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to show you how to spend your day.

Misconceptions about the Sabbath Day

No one should ever make you feel that the Sabbath day is a burden or about things you are not allowed to do on Sabbath. But sometimes well-meaning people get stuck on the procedure and forget the big picture. The big picture, of course, is that the Sabbath was made for humanity to improve life (Mark 2:27).

In Jesus’ time, there was a group of people who always focused on the details. They were determined to keep the Sabbath, and to enforce others to keep it the way they saw fit.

This type of “obedience” did not come from an inward transformation of character or a love for God. They wanted adoration, to be regarded by their people as holy, and they wanted power over them as well.

These people were called the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were known for taking obedience to the extreme. And while obedience is a good thing, it becomes something else entirely when love is taken out of it. The Pharisees were determined to keep God’s law by their own merit, and because of this, they applied Scripture’s principles rigidly, literally, and without exception of any kind.

They also created their own specific rules involving the Sabbath²:

• No writing
• No lighting candles
• No extinguishing fires
• No excessive walking (more than ⅔ of a mile)

These are just a few of the rules that made the Sabbath a burden for the Jewish people of that time. Instead of thinking about God, their thoughts were drawn to all the things they couldn’t do, and the fear of punishment when they would inevitably break one of these rules.

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The Pharisees even tried to correct how Jesus Christ kept the Sabbath when His disciples picked grain on a Saturday (Mark 2:23-28).

The Pharisees considered picking grain work. But Jesus showed how that application was too rigid. We can see that this was a situation of simple hunger and finding the nearest (and probably easiest) source of nourishment. It wasn’t that they were trying to earn a profit by picking the grain. They were attending to their physical needs.

Jesus also used Sabbath to heal people, but the Pharisees condemned Him even for that! They claimed that healing should not be done on the Sabbath, that it was like a form of work. However, Jesus explains that it is right to do good on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:12).

Even today, some people observe Sabbath with tenacity. They will not turn on their stoves to heat their food or flip the light switches in their house because they think it’s work.

(Even if avoiding “work” is more inconvenient and requires more effort!)

But frankly, a day of deprivation and avoidance is hardly a day to look forward to. It’s the opposite of what God wants for us (Isaiah 58: 13-14).

And Sabbath doesn’t have to be an idle time either!

You can keep the Sabbath by actively spending time with God and serving others.

The benefits of Sabbath rest

We all need a vacation. By the time we get to Friday, we all feel exhausted and burnt out from our busy lives. We wish we had just one day out of the week to reflect and recharge.

God planned ahead. He knew we would need a time of rest from the cares of this life.

One of the first benefits of keeping the Sabbath is that it can improve your physical health.

Studies have shown that people who keep a regular Sabbath live 10 years longer than those who don’t.³ This is probably because they are able to physically rest their bodies as well as their minds. This mental factor may play an even larger role in contributing to physical health. After all, stress is one of the greatest contributors to decreased health and can cause heart disease.⁴

It should be no surprise that stress decreases when people are removed from stressful environments like work. Even taking a break from stressful daily obligations, which can sometimes include social media and technology, can be incredibly beneficial to one’s health.

On top of that, the Sabbath also allows families to spend dedicated time together. During a busy week, it can be hard enough getting everyone to sit at the dinner table together. But on Sabbath, you can spend more of the day reconnecting with loved ones.

The Sabbath also benefits the community as a whole. When Sabbath-keepers serve the community and tell others about Jesus, the community is able to benefit and grow.

Most importantly, the Sabbath can benefit you personally by helping you re-center on the priorities of life. You can seek and find peace in Jesus Christ.

55 activities you can do on the Sabbath

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Beyond abstaining from work, everyone keeps the Sabbath differently. Focus on what you can do on the Sabbath to rest and reconnect.

Some families have their own preferences for what they enjoy. Common activities can fall into the following categories:

• Time with God (praying and reading His word)
• Time with family (games, activities, leisure, conversation, going to church events together)
• Time resting (taking naps, sitting outside, meditating on Scripture, not thinking about work )
• Time in nature (hiking, swimming, picnicking, etc.)
• Time serving others (community service, helping a neighbor, outreach events)

All these things help us rest, reconnect with God and loved ones, and remember how God cares for us.

Here are 55 practical ways you can start celebrating the Sabbath:

1. Go to church
2. Pray
3. Study the Bible
4. Dedicate a whole Sabbath to serving others
5. Listen to Christian music
6. Go on a walk with friends
7. Go to the park and reflect on God’s creation
8. Play a Bible board game or trivia game with your family
9. Prepare food on Friday and have a special picnic the following Saturday
10. Write a letter to tell someone how important they are to you
11. Leave kind notes for your neighbors — tell them how much Jesus loves them
12. Play a Bible crossword game
13. Put together a puzzle
14. Color in a coloring book to de-stress
15. Go swimming
16. Paint or draw a picture for someone you love
17. Deliver some homemade treats to your neighbors
18. Crochet or knit a blanket and donate it to people in need
19. Make a prayer journal
20. Take time to learn about the plants in your yard, or find various ways to admire God’s creation
21. Write and play your own songs to praise God
22. Fly a kite
23. Pick fresh fruit
24. Do something nice for a family member
25. Do something nice for a stranger
26. Take a nap
27. Go bird-watching
28. Watch a nature documentary
29. Watch a Bible documentary
30. Listen to a sermon or Bible podcast
31. Talk out loud to God
32. Study old Sabbath school lessons
33. Brainstorm Bible study topic ideas
34. Write down your testimony
35. Write down your favorite Bible verses
36. Take a short camping trip in a peaceful location
37. Join a small group at your church
38. Go to volunteer events at your church
39. Write down a prayer list
40. Do a seasonal activity (build a snowman, collect fall leaves, etc.)
41. Invite friends to an evangelistic meeting or Bible study
42. Visit your elderly neighbors
43. Learn a new musical instrument
44. Make a Bible timeline
45. Explore Bible history
46. Read a Christian book
47. Watch a Christian film
48. Have a Bible scavenger hunt in your yard
49. Donate food
50. Serve the homeless in your community
51. Play with pets
52. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while
53. Draw pictures to go along with Bible verses to help you better visualize them
54. Memorize Scripture
55. Read a devotional

In the end, you know you’re keeping the Sabbath right when you feel closer to Jesus. And the awesome news is, Jesus looks forward to spending time with you too!

If you want to learn more about the Sabbath, check out these Bible study guides

Visit an Adventist church near you and learn first-hand what it means to keep the Sabbath.

1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sabbath [↵]
2. https://bibleask.org/rules-pharisees-made-sabbath-observance/ [↵]
3. “The Last Day of Prophecy” by Amazing Facts [↵]
4. Ibid [↵] 

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For Seventh-day Adventists, sharing a Sabbath meal with friends and family is one of the most special and memorable parts of the Sabbath.

That’s why we want to share with you all about Sabbath meals and why they’re such a valued tradition in the Seventh-day Adventist church. We’ll answer questions like:

• What makes a Sabbath meal special, or different from other meals?
• Are there any Sabbath meal traditions?
• What does Sabbath meal preparation look like?

So let’s sit around the proverbial table and learn everything there is to know about Sabbath meals.

What makes a Sabbath meal special?

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Take a moment to remember some of your happiest memories: when you were at a special event, or with people that meant a lot to you, or a time when you were able to relax after a hard week.

In those memories, was food involved?

Chances are, your answer is “yes!”

And it’s no surprise, since sharing food is one of the best ways to build and cultivate relationships with other people.

That’s why a large part of what makes a Sabbath meal special is that it’s on the Sabbath, a day when we have time to spend with others while enjoying the world God made for us.

During the week, we’re often so busy that we aren’t able to eat together with our families, friends, or fellow church members. However, because Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest, we can be intentional about sitting down to share a special meal with other people.

This time also means that we can connect with people we don’t usually see during the week. Extended family, friends, church members, or church visitors are just some of the people we might see across the table from us at a Sabbath meal.

Sabbath meals are probably more essential now than they have ever been. In our technology-driven and distraction-laden society, sometimes we forget to slow down and truly spend time with each other: parents with children, couples with each other, and friends and family in general.

Truly, Sabbath meals are where we can reconnect with each other and with our Savior.

In the Bible, we can see examples of Jesus sharing meals with others in order to connect with them as well.

Sabbath meals in the Bible

Jesus sharing meals with others is a common theme in the Gospels.

Sometimes the meals were simple like picking heads of grain in the fields with His disciples (Matthew 12:1-8). Other times they were extravagant, in the homes of wealthy members of society (Matthew 9:10-13). And other times, they were examples of Jesus’ love, mercy, and acceptance, and in turn, a way to share the gospel and Jesus’ gift of salvation (Mark 16:1; Luke 19:9-10).

Simple or extravagant, Jesus often connected with people over meals to share His mission on this earth with them.

One example was the Last Supper, right near the end of Jesus’ life and earthly ministry. During this Sabbath meal, Jesus exhibits one of the key features of sharing a meal with others: servant leadership.

Jesus takes the time to wash His disciples’ feet and show how we need to serve each other in the same way (John 13:12-15).

To Jesus, sharing a meal isn’t just about eating food in the presence of other people. It’s also about serving one another and letting that deepen your relationships.

Sharing a Sabbath meal together is also about remembering that God is our provider. The feeding of the 5,000 in the Bible is a good example of this.

When the disciples wanted to send the multitudes home because they were hungry, Jesus showed the disciples that He can provide for all. He blessed a small child’s contribution of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and fed 5,000+ people with it (Matthew 14:13-21).

We can use Jesus’ practice of service and His ability to provide for us as a model for our own Sabbath meals as a way to show love to others and to show God that we trust Him. Of course, the way that we do that changes from family to family.

So let’s talk about some of the traditions Adventists might follow to make Sabbath meals special.

What are some Sabbath meal traditions?

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The fun thing about Sabbath meal traditions is that they are different for everyone. The Adventist Church is a global community, so one Sabbath meal might look totally different from another.

Some people eat similar things every week. Some families may have a type of soup and bread every Friday night, and some type of pasta at Sabbath lunch.

For others, they might try something new or exciting every week.

Sometimes, people prefer these meals to be formal, at a nicely-set table to make things extra special. Others might choose to keep things casual, modest, or low-key, even packing a picnic to eat outside in God’s nature.

While these traditions vary from family to family, there are some traditions that are common for many Adventists when it comes to eating together on Sabbath. Generally, Sabbath meals:

• Tend to be grander than other meals during the week
• Include a wider circle of people than the weekday meals, such as:
  • Friends
  • Extended family
  • Visitors from church
  • New neighbors
  • A family who just moved to the area
• Give guests an opportunity to get to know a new group of people without the pressure or formality of a church service

Along with this theme, many Adventist Churches host Sabbath meals for the purpose of fellowship. Church members can bring dishes to share, making it an eclectic feast. These meals are called potlucks, or “fellowship dinner.”

Whatever Sabbath meal traditions people might choose to keep, the important parts remain: good food, quality time with people we love, and a reminder that God sustains and takes care of us.

Now that we know what kinds of traditions are common for Sabbath meals, let’s take a look at Sabbath meal preparation.

How Adventists prepare for a Sabbath meal

Meal prep for Sabbath can also vary from family to family.

We keep the way we approach Sabbath preparation focused on Jesus rather than following strict human-made guidelines for food preparation on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8).

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Adventists don’t generally consider setting up the Sabbath meal as “work” because we consider work as things that are obligatory or vocation-related, not something done willingly and enjoyably to promote togetherness. So, for Seventh-day Adventists, serving a meal on the Sabbath isn’t a sin and isn’t wrong.

However, preparing for the Sabbath ahead of time means that the Sabbath day can be truly restful for everyone, so we often try to make food on Friday during the day, and leave the finishing touches for right before the meal.

Some ideas for Sabbath preparation include cooking ahead of time, freezing, and reheating on the Sabbath. Some might also use a slow cooker recipe to make things more effortless, and to be hot and ready at just the right time. These help keep us focused on God and keep our Sabbaths stress free!

Whenever that’s not possible—because sometimes life is busy and preparing ahead of time is difficult—Sabbath meals can also be simple and still be nourishing, and involve everyone’s help for cooking and cleanup.

Sabbath meals help us enjoy the blessings of Sabbath

However you enjoy your Sabbath meals—whether that’s preparing ahead of time and reheating food, joining with a church family at their home, eating the same thing every week, or eating something new every week—the best things about Sabbath meals are slowing down, spending time with people we love, and remembering how God sustains and takes care of us.

You can start your own Sabbath meal traditions today!

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Sabbath School is the Bible study component of the church program at most Seventh-day Adventist Churches. It’s a time of Bible study on a specific topic or lesson. Instead of listening to a preacher, people interact with one another, making it a great opportunity for building friendships.

Your Adventist friend or relative may have mentioned Sabbath School. Or perhaps you saw a sign for it outside a local Adventist Church.

Curious? Let’s walk through the experience together. By the end, you’ll have everything you need to know to try it out for yourself.

We’ll cover:

• What Sabbath School is all about
• What happens during a Sabbath School class
• The Sabbath School options a church might have for different age groups
• How to find a Sabbath School near you

What is Sabbath School?

Sabbath School is like a small group Bible study that takes place on Sabbath mornings (Saturday) in addition to the main service at an Adventist Church. It’s the equivalent of Sunday school for other Christians, and it’s offered for all ages: from babies to elder adulthood.

Both church members and guests are welcome to take part, learn, and grow in their faith during this time.

So what does Sabbath School entail?

It has three main purposes:

1. Bible study
2. Connection
3. Mission

Bible Study

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The Adventist church’s motto for Sabbath School is “the church at study.” During this time we dig into the Bible, sharing insights and grappling with challenging topics. The focus is not on having all the answers, but turning to God and seeking the answers in His Word as the Holy Spirit guides us.

In this way, we grow in our faith journeys as we share with others and learn from them.

When you attend for the first time, you may want to just observe and listen, and that’s totally fine! But if you want to speak up, your questions and thoughts will enrich the Bible study time. Hearing the experiences and testimonies of others shows us how God is still working in people’s lives today.

Connection

The Bible says a lot about the importance of community. We need one another. And Sabbath School’s second purpose is to build that sense of community. It’s a great time to interact, get to know one another, and offer encouragement. Being open and honest is key.

Unlike the main church service time, Sabbath School lets all participants share what’s on their hearts. We don’t just sit and listen to one person speak.

Small groups make this possible. Depending on the church, attendance can be 5-10 people or 20-40 people. Churches in larger areas sometimes split classes to make sure they stay small enough for discussion.

The atmosphere in Sabbath School is much more relaxed so people feel comfortable expressing their thoughts.

Mission

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Churches often use the Sabbath School time to highlight local and global mission projects. In some classes, participants may even band together and reach out to their community.

For example, they might decide to visit people who are sick or volunteer at a soup kitchen on Sabbath afternoon. Or they might pool money together to sponsor a child. There are all kinds of possibilities.

In short, Sabbath School allows us to come together, dig into God’s Word, and serve our world and community. It follows the model of the early Christian church, which gathered in small groups for Bible study and fellowship:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42; also verses Acts 2:46–47, ESV).

Jesus Himself taught His disciples in small groups (Matthew 24:3; Mark 9:28), and He promised this:

“For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20, ESV).  

What happens during Sabbath School?

Sabbath School usually begins in the mid-morning hours, anywhere from 9am to 11am depending on the church, and it runs for about an hour and 20 minutes. Most of this time is for Bible study. But at many churches, it starts with other activities, such as song service, a mission report, and prayer.

Let’s go through the full experience.

Sabbath School begins

Most churches begin Sabbath School with a preliminary program with everyone gathered together. But occasionally, the main worship service occurs first, if the pastor has multiple churches to preach at each Sabbath.

And in some larger churches, there are two different church services so they can accommodate all their members. Then there’s time for Sabbath School in between. That way no matter which church service you attend, Sabbath School can still be easily included in your morning schedule.

But for this example, we’re going to walk in the door at 9:30 a.m.—a common Sabbath School start time.

We’ll make our way to the sanctuary—the main auditorium of the church—where the preliminary program is taking place. People typically meet here first.

As we enter, we can already hear the sound of singing. A couple more songs are sung before the coordinator for the morning (known as the Sabbath School superintendent) stands up to welcome everyone and pray. This individual announces that a mission report will be shared next.

The mission report can happen in a couple different ways.

The Adventist Mission department produces a monthly “Mission Spotlight” video, which highlights the church’s mission work in a certain region of the world. The video is 5 to 10 minutes long.

On other Sabbaths, someone might read the assigned mission story for the week from the Youth and Adult Mission booklet.

Afterward, the superintendent makes some announcements, shares a Bible passage, or reads a spiritual thought before dismissing everyone to their classes.

Small group time

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The most important part of Sabbath School takes place when small groups gather to dig into God’s Word.

It’s close to 10 a.m. now, which means that the groups will have about 45 to 50 minutes together.

Some adult classes meet in the sanctuary area, while others have separate rooms. We make our way to a circle of chairs and sit down with a group of about 10 people.

Whoever is leading the Sabbath School class will greet everyone, maybe chit-chat a bit, and ask whether anyone has prayer requests. These few minutes of conversation help break the ice and connect the participants.

Then the teacher prays, asking for the Holy Spirit to lead, and we dive into the week’s lesson.

What do we study?

The class might study a certain topic or book of the Bible, or even read through the Bible together. But in many Adventist churches, the teacher will lead a discussion through the Sabbath School lesson study guide.

Let’s learn about that next.

What are the Sabbath School lesson study guides?

The Adventist Church produces the official Adult Bible Study Guide for use during Sabbath School. It is often referred to as “the lesson” or “the quarterly,” which comes from the word quarter because it’s intended for one-quarter of the year (3 months or 13 weeks). During that quarter, each week’s lesson digs into various aspects of a chosen topic or book of the Bible.

For example, one whole lesson quarterly might focus on the book of Matthew. Another might be on the topic of the Body of Christ, family relationships, the fruits of the Spirit, etc..

The Sabbath School lesson quarterly has one page for each day. The page provides Bible verses for the individual to look up and questions to answer along with some explanation.

Many classes go day by day through the previous week’s lesson and discuss what they learned.

But don’t worry—even if you weren’t able to study the lesson for the week, you’ll still be able to follow along and enjoy the discussion.

What should I bring to Sabbath School?

All you need to bring is yourself and a willingness to learn—really, it’s that simple. But some also like to bring their Bibles and a copy of the quarterly.

The Sabbath School lesson quarterly is usually handed out the Sabbath before the beginning of the new quarter. (Quarters begin in January, April, July, and October).

If you weren’t around to receive one, chances are that there are extras lying around on a table in the church’s entryway. And if not, you can access the Sabbath School lesson online or on a Sabbath School app on your smartphone.

Sabbath School offering

During the Bible study, the teacher may pause the lesson to pass around a couple of envelopes for the Sabbath School offering. An “offering” is a voluntary gift of money to help support various causes in the church. This offering is collected in all the classes, including the ones for children.

You may notice that there are two envelopes. One is for Sabbath School expenses, such as the purchase of Bible study guides.

The other envelope is for the mission offering and goes to support a region of the world church that has been selected for the quarter (the same region that the “Mission Spotlight” highlighted).

But no pressure—you are not required to give.

Giving an offering is up to you and what God places on your heart (Exodus 35:22); it is different from tithe (Malachi 3:10), which involves returning ten percent of our income to God.

What is the 13th Sabbath offering?

The 13th Sabbath offering is a term for a special collection of money on the last Sabbath of the quarter—the 13th Sabbath. On that day, churches worldwide support a specific mission project chosen by the Adventist Mission department of the General Conference.

Aside from the collection of the offering, the children’s classes may put on a special program during the preliminaries. They may present a song or skit that relates to the region of the world where the mission project is located.

Sabbath School is over for the morning

Often you’ll hear some sort of signal at the end of Sabbath School around 10:50 a.m. The main church service will soon begin.

Our teacher makes some closing remarks before wrapping up with prayer. We spend a few moments chatting with people as we gather our belongings and head to find a seat for the main service.

We’ve finished our adult Sabbath School experience, but you may be wondering about the classes for children.

Let’s look at the different options in a typical church.

What are the Sabbath School options for different age groups?

Most Adventist churches have Sabbath School classes for both adults and children. These classes are divided by age or stage of life to provide appropriate content and opportunity for fellowship. There are three main categories: children, youth/young adults, and adults.

But larger churches break these categories up even more.

Occasionally, there are more specific classes for adults: a class for women, a class for college students, or a class for people who are wanting to prepare for baptism.

The children’s classes are also further divided as follows:

• Cradle Roll or Beginners (birth–age 2)
• Kindergarten (ages 3–4)
• Primary (ages 5–9)
• Junior (ages 10–12)
• Earliteen (ages 13–14)
• Teen/Youth (ages 15–18)

So what happens in the children’s classes?

The Adventist Church provides Bible-based materials for each one. Teachers may choose to use these as the basic outline for their classes.

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The Beginners class is the most interactive of all. Usually, the classroom will have decorations and props to match a theme, such as heaven or Creation. Throughout the program, the teacher reads short scripts, interspersed with songs and activities for the children to do.

The class will also have a storytime, using visual aids to catch the children’s attention. Traditionally, many Adventist children’s Sabbath School classes used felt boards—boards on which cloth cut-outs of characters and objects could be placed to tell a story.

The Kindergarten and Primary classes also use play and objects to interact with the children, though by this age, they can understand and participate much more. The teacher might give them pictures to color or crafts to make, too.

As the students become older, the classes shift from hands-on activities to conversing and engaging on a deeper level. The focus is applying the Bible’s principles and stories to the lives of the children and young people in each age group.

For each class—from the smallest children to teenagers—the Adventist Church has produced take-home materials that include age-appropriate Bible stories and character-building lessons.

How to find a Sabbath School near you

Now that you know more about Sabbath School, all that’s left for you to do is experience one in person! The Adventist Church’s website has a useful tool that allows you to find a church in your area. Once you find one, check its website or Facebook page for service times.

You can also bring Sabbath School to your home. Download the Sabbath School lesson at the Adult Bible Study Guide website. This way, you can follow along with what churches across the world are studying. You may even be able to catch the livestream of your local church’s services.

Many online programs follow the same study guide too, providing insight and discussion on the week’s lesson. Here are some of the most popular:

• Hope Sabbath School
• Sabbath School Study Hour by Amazing Facts
• 3ABN Sabbath School Panel 

No matter where you are, you can enjoy the blessings of exploring God’s Word!

Sabbath School is for everyone

Sabbath School provides a setting for people of all ages to connect, study the Bible, and fulfill the mission of the worldwide church.

Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash

The Bible study guides help unify people across the globe as they delve into the same lesson.

And the structure of Sabbath School allows people to get to know Jesus and each other better as they come with their questions and thoughts. During this time, friendships can bloom and spiritual growth can happen.

Whether you’re a teen or a young mother or a retiree, there’s a place for you!

That’s what it’s all about:

Joining with others to dig into biblical truths that are relevant to our lives and the mission of sharing Jesus Christ.

Ready to check things out for yourself?

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