Actually, he did change the law that defines sin. Matthew 5:28
Or, put more precisely, he clarified it. Same with the Sabbath. Below is an excerpt from one of my favorite teaching sites about the sabbath today:
Explore the biblical idea of sabbath and rest, and see how Jesus talked about the heart behind God's Sabbath laws, reflecting a God who wants to dwell with his people.
How Did Jesus Keep the Sabbath Holy?
We see the clearest picture of God’s presence on Earth in the life of Jesus. Jesus was God come to live among his people. And Jesus had a lot to say about the Sabbath and the true rest that God intends for humanity.
In his Gospel, Matthew includes a series of connected stories where Jesus is confronted by Israel’s religious leaders and teachers. On one Sabbath day, the leaders object to Jesus’ friends picking corn as they’re walking through a field (
Matt. 12:1-2). They also object to Jesus healing a man’s shriveled hand (
Matt. 12:9-14
Matthew 12:9-14), saying that Jesus is ignoring the command to keep the Sabbath found in the Hebrew Scriptures (
Exod. 20:5;
Deut. 5:15
Jesus responds with an argument that clarifies the true definition of the Sabbath, asserting his role as the promised Messiah and pointing to his divinity (
Matt. 12:3-8). Jesus understood the heart of the Sabbath—what God’s original command was pointing to. To understand Jesus’ point, we have to look at the context in which Matthew placed these stories.
Sabbath in the New Testament
Matthew records these Sabbath controversies immediately after quoting Jesus’ words about rest.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(
Matthew 11:28-29)
All this talk of rest right before a passage that deals with Sabbath? This is no mistake. The people have become weary and burdened by the heavy weight of observing the Sabbath, following the letter of the law while missing God’s intent behind the command.
Jesus wants to clarify the meaning of Sabbath for them. The people are in need of rest—to stop hard work (shabbat) and be present with God (nuakh). And Jesus is here to usher in the full promise. He is God’s rest, and the people can come to him and find the true seventh-day rest that God intended.
Jesus reminds the people of God’s original intention for the Sabbath: unity with God, creation, and each other. Jesus teaches that the Sabbath points to him, the one Israel’s prophets promised would come to mercifully restore the rhythm of all creation.
When followers of Jesus observe the Sabbath, we live as if this restoration has already taken place. We take a break from the broken rhythms of hustle and hardship to set aside a time to honor Jesus’ rule, enjoy his presence, and extend rest to the world around us. When we trust God’s invitation to come to him and truly rest, we become places where his presence can dwell.
Observing the Sabbath for Modern Christians
So what does this practice look like for modern Jesus followers? Does it mean attending a weekly church service, turning off work emails, or volunteering in your community? Does it matter what day you observe the Sabbath? Sabbath could certainly include those activities, but the whole of the biblical story seems to emphasize the purpose of the Sabbath rather than specific rules for observing it.
As followers of Jesus, God does not expect us to live by Israel’s laws. However, the wisdom of these laws remains, and the law of the Sabbath is rich with significance for us today. Sabbath is not a commandment we are bound to; it’s a promise we’re invited to enjoy.
Sabbath rest is an invitation to practice for eternity in God’s presence. It is an act of regular and intentional trust of God’s rule on Earth. We shabbat in order to nuakh—when we stop working, we can truly rest in God’s presence. When we practice this purposeful pause, we make room for God to take up residence in our individual lives and communities. And when we do this, we take part in the new creation story, setting the stage for God to make his dwelling place once again on Earth.