Jesus was thoroughly Jewish, and He kept God’s commandments for the Jewish people, including the Sabbath. He attended synagogue on the Sabbath in keeping with the way it was observed in His time. Yet He became involved in disputes with other Jewish groups about what was and was not permitted on the Sabbath. The fourth commandment stipulated that no work should be done on the Sabbath (Ex. 20-8-11; Deut. 5:12-15), but the Bible does not specify exactly what that “work” includes.

Jesus used the Sabbath as an occasion for teaching not only with His words but also with His actions. Those who came to observe and criticize Him found that they were not able to defeat Him in arguments.

The themes of healing and the Sabbath came together in Luke 6:1-11. There is more to the Sabbath than Jesus’ opponents understood. Only Jesus truly understood what the Sabbath was all about, and He left us an enduring lesson.