The seventh-day Sabbath holds a central place in our relationship with God, serving as a weekly devotion to Him and a barometer of our spiritual connection. Jesus, as Lord of the Sabbath, demonstrated its true intent through His actions, as recorded in the gospels. He kept the Sabbath, as seen in Luke 4:16, where it was His custom to attend synagogue on that day. Similarly, the Apostle Paul observed the Sabbath, regularly teaching in synagogues on the Sabbath day, as noted in Acts 17:1-2. The early church also followed this practice, gathering on the Sabbath for worship and instruction, as evidenced in Acts 13:42-44 and 16:13. Thus, the Sabbath remains a vital sign of God's people, identifying their commitment to Him through faithful observance.

In examining the practices of Jesus and the apostles regarding the Sabbath, it is evident that they consistently observed this day. Paul, in his ministry, repeatedly chose the Sabbath for worship and preaching, as seen when he arrived in Antioch in Pisidia, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and preached the gospel. When Gentiles requested further teaching, Paul waited until the next Sabbath to address them, passing over any opportunity to suggest a different day for worship. On that following Sabbath, nearly the whole city gathered to hear the word of God. In Philippi, Paul and Silas also adhered to the Sabbath, going out on that day to a riverside place of prayer where they spoke to those gathered, leading to the conversion and baptism of Lydia and her household. It was their custom to seek a place of worship on the Sabbath. In Corinth, Paul worked during the week as a tentmaker but reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, persuading both Jews and Greeks. Even after turning his focus solely to Gentiles, he continued this practice for a year and six months, preaching to them every Sabbath. Paul's custom of keeping the Sabbath is further confirmed by records of him observing it on numerous occasions, reasoning from the Scriptures on those days. Jesus Himself set the precedent for this observance, as it was His custom to go into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Paul followed this example and instructed others to imitate him as he imitated Christ, demonstrating a clear continuity in Sabbath observance among Jesus and His apostles.

Jesus Christ, as our example in all spiritual matters, demonstrated obedience to God's commandments, including the observance of the Sabbath. The apostles, following His lead, also kept the Sabbath, reflecting the way of life He taught. As the Head of His church, Jesus emphasized walking as He walked, and this includes honoring the Sabbath as a day of worship and rest according to God's instructions. When He returns, He will recognize those who have built a relationship with Him through obedience to His commands, which encompass keeping the Sabbath as part of a life rooted in love for God and others.

Nowhere in the Bible is the Sabbath annulled by a command or example of Jesus Christ or the apostles. In the gospels, the controversy surrounding the Sabbath always centers on how, not whether, to keep it. Jesus never declares that it no longer matters or that we are exempt from observing it. He very obviously kept the Sabbath, as evidenced by the Jews' attacks, which focused on His manner of observance rather than accusing Him of neglecting it. He answers any notion that He kept it merely for tradition by stating that the Sabbath was made for man, not just for Jews, and that He is Lord of it. As our example, we are to walk as He walked, keeping the same days He did. Jesus' attitude toward the Sabbath shows that, far from annulling it, He magnified it. He restores the Sabbath to its original God-given intent, liberalizing it only in contrast to the Pharisees' perverted, bondage-producing approach. Through His actions, such as healing on the Sabbath, He demonstrates that it is a day for doing good, emphasizing that failing to do good when the opportunity arises implies evil. His redemptive mission ties directly to the Sabbath's concepts of blessing, deliverance, liberty, and redemption, as seen when He identifies His purpose as setting people free from bondage on a Sabbath day. In various encounters, Jesus reinforces the Sabbath as a day of mercy and loving service. When His disciples plucked grain on the Sabbath to satisfy hunger, He justifies their actions by highlighting that the Sabbath is meant to ensure life, not deprive it, and that mercy overrides strict ritual in unusual circumstances. His healings on the Sabbath further reveal its liberating intent, showing that works of salvation are appropriate on this day. Through these examples, Jesus establishes clear patterns of attending services, fellowshipping, teaching truth, and performing acts of kindness that bring liberty, joy, and peace to others on the Sabbath.

Jesus clearly understood that He was to keep the Sabbath, and He did so diligently. The Sabbath was made for mankind, not just for a specific group, and He observed it as part of His obedience to God's purpose. His actions demonstrated that the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people, showing that He, the Creator, is their God. Jesus magnified the Sabbath's importance, correcting misunderstandings and emphasizing its intent to be a liberating delight rather than a burden. He taught that the focus of Sabbath observance is not on the amount of energy expended, but on the purpose and intent behind the actions performed on this holy day. In confronting superficial judgments, He urged a righteous approach to Sabbath-keeping, applying principles of justice, compassion, and faithfulness to ensure that the day serves God's will and fosters right relationships with Him and others.

The Sabbath holds profound significance, as exemplified by Jesus Christ and His apostles. Jesus, as God in the flesh, looked to the Old Testament for guidance on how to live His life, including the keeping of the Sabbath. He set an example for all who follow Him as disciples, demonstrating that the Sabbath is to be observed as instructed in the Old Testament. In Luke 4:16, it is clear that Jesus kept the Sabbath as His custom, not merely because He was a Jew, but because the word of God directed Him to do so. He fellowshipped with His fellow Israelites on this day, reading and expounding Scriptures to them. As the Head of the church, His example in all things, including Sabbath-keeping, is to be followed by His disciples. The Old Testament contains the truth regarding which day God desires us to keep, and Jesus honored this command, showing its enduring importance. There is no indication that He considered the Old Testament instructions on the Sabbath to be less significant or subject to change, affirming the stability of God's laws.

The Sabbath, as a pivotal point of the Ten Commandments, is a day devoted totally to God, serving as a regulator and barometer of our relationship with Him. Jesus, as the Creator of the Sabbath, is Lord of the Sabbath and kept it during His time as a man, showing us the intent of this commandment through numerous accounts in the gospels. He gave His church an example of how the whole Christian way of life is to be lived, demonstrating proper Sabbath observance. Following Christ's example, the apostle Paul also kept the Sabbath, preaching to both Jews and Gentiles on this day, affirming that the Sabbath is for everyone. The early church likewise observed the Sabbath, gathering with Jews on the seventh day, not Sunday. Immediately following Christ's death, God showed through events that Sunday is not the Sabbath, reinforcing the significance of the seventh day as the true day of rest and worship.

The Seventh-day Adventists, along with the Israelites, adhere to the strict observance of Saturday as the day of worship, deriving their belief from the Old Testament, which is confirmed by the New Testament. The Adventists, as Christians, accept both Testaments as inspired records and find that the Redeemer, during His mortal life, never kept any other day than Saturday. The Gospels plainly evince this fact, and in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Apocalypse, there is no vestige of an act canceling the Saturday arrangement. Thus, the life and practice of the Redeemer and His apostles endorse the teaching of the Sacred Word for nearly a century of the Christian era.

The New Testament refers to the Sabbath sixty-one times, with the four Gospels mentioning it fifty-one times as Saturday, the day Jesus Christ invariably chose to teach in the synagogues and perform miracles. He referred to Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath, as noted by Matthew and Luke, and throughout His life, He consistently kept and utilized Saturday without ever hinting at a desire to change it. After His death, His apostles and personal friends scrupulously observed the Sabbath, as evidenced by Luke 23:56, where they rested on the Sabbath day according to the commandment while His body was in the tomb. Their actions prove beyond contradiction that they recognized only Saturday as the Sabbath up to the day of Christ's death. In the Acts of the Apostles, covering the next thirty years, the Sabbath is mentioned eight times, always as Saturday, with references such as Acts 13:14, 27, 42, 44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:2; and 18:4, where Paul reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath. Thus, there is no indication in the New Testament of any interference by the Saviour or His Apostles with the original Sabbath, but rather an entire acquiescence and active participation in keeping Saturday as the designated day.

Jesus kept the true Sabbath, the seventh day, as He was the Maker and Lord of that day. He observed the correct day as His custom, attending religious services in the synagogue alongside the Jewish people, who also kept the same day. The calendar record confirms that the Saturday of today is the exact same seventh day Jesus kept, demonstrating that time has not been lost. The early apostles and the true Church of God continued to observe this same Sabbath, maintaining its continuity through every century from Christ until now. Even during the Middle Ages, when the true Church had to flee to the wilderness beyond Roman jurisdiction, they upheld the Sabbath, with many Christians martyred for keeping this day. This steadfast adherence proves that the Sabbath, as kept by Jesus and the early apostles, remains intact as the true seventh day, which we call Saturday.