Soyeong
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- Mar 10, 2015
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It is straightforward that Jesus said that because he expected that His followers would be continuing to keep the Sabbath holy in obedience to God's command and in accordance with the example that he set for them to follow. It is straightforward that If he expected that his followers would no longer be keeping the Sabbath holy, then he there wouldn't have been any reason for them to be concerned with whether their flight happened on the Sabbath. It is straightforward that if he expected that his followers would no longer be keeping the Sabbath after his resurrection, but that some would be confused and continue to keep it any way, then he would have clearly made a statement to stop keeping it instead of clearly stating that he came not to abolish the law and warning against relaxing or teaching others to relax the least part of it (Matthew 5:17-19). The fact that only one Gospel records something does not make it weak.In the Olivet discourse, Jesus said in Matthew 24:20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
Should we keep the Jewish Sabbath?
Not according to Matthew Poole:
The winter would naturally retard their motion, through the cold and moisture of it. The sabbath would be a moral hinderance, in regard of the superstitious opinion they had of the sabbath, that they might not upon that day defend themselves, nor flee from their enemies beyond the length of a sabbath day’s journey, which was but two miles: our Saviour hints to them that their flight must be farther. When our Saviour spake this the Jewish sabbath was the day of holy rest, and he knew that although by his resurrection he should sanctify a new sabbath, yet the Jews would not for a time understand that the old sabbath was abolished. Here is therefore no establishment of the old sabbath to be observed after his resurrection; the praying that their flight might not be upon the sabbath day respected only either their remora [i.e. delay] to their flight which the sabbath would give them, (in case they should keep it as a holy rest), or the addition of trouble it would make in their spirits, when they considered that was the day in which they were wont to go to the house of prayer, keeping it a day of holy rest unto God.
Parallel account, Mark 13:18 Pray that this will not take place in winter.
Mark did not mention Sabbath.
Parallel account, Luke 21:36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
Luke did not mention winter or Sabbath.
The evidence to support keeping the Jewish Sabbath is not that strong.
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