THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work (Ex 20:8-10; Deut 5:12-15).

The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath (Mk 2:27-28).

I. The Sabbath Day
The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD" (Ex 31:15).

In speaking of the sabbath, Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it" (Ex 20:11).

Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day" (Deut 5:15).

God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant (Ex 31:16). The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.

God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed" (Ex 31:17; cf. 23:12). The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money (Ex 31:17; 23:12).

The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. He even gave an unheard of before understanding of this law: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath" (Mk 2:27). Yet Jesus never failed to respect the holiness of this day (Mk 1:21; Jn 9:16). With compassion, He declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing (Mk 3:4).

The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God (Mt 12:5). "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath" (Mk 2:28).

II. The Lord's Day
This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Ps 118:24).

The day of the Resurrection: the new creation
Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week"(Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1;Jn 20:1). Because it is the "first day," Christ’s Resurrection day recalls the first day of creation when God brought light into the darkness and separated the light from the darkness (Gen 1:1-5). Because it is the "first day" following the sabbath (Mk 16:1; Mt 28:1), it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ for all who repent and believe in Him. Added to this is the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church on the “first day” of the week, the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

Therefore, when Christians gather on Sunday, they are first and foremost celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then they are commemorating the new creation they have become because of Jesus Christ along with the giving and receiving of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday - fulfillment of the sabbath
Though the Law commanded keeping the sabbath, the disciples moved the Christian day of worship and rest to Sunday. This appears to be affirmed by scripture and clearly affirmed by church history. From the disciples onward, most Christian’s have followed their lead and keep Sunday as their sabbath day rather than Saturday.

According to the New Testament, there are numerous references to the sabbath in the Gospels. However, following Christ’s ascension, the only references to the sabbath are found in Acts, Colossians, and Hebrews. The sabbath is mentioned eight times in the book of Acts. The first mention of the sabbath in Acts is Acts 1:12, and it is used to measure the distance the disciples traveled from Mount Olivet (Christ’s Ascension) back to Jerusalem. The next references appear in Acts 13 (four times), in relation to Paul’s first missionary journey and his practice of going to a synagogue on the sabbath to evangelize Jews. The sabbath is mentioned in Acts 15:21 in relation to new Gentile believers and the fact that they can hear the Law on any sabbath since it is read in every synagogue each week. Acts 16:13 and Acts 18:4 are the final two references to the sabbath in Acts, and both speak of occasions when Paul was using the gathering of Jews on the sabbath to evangelize them. No where in Acts is the Church enjoined to gather or worship on the sabbath, and nowhere is it inferred that keeping the Jewish sabbath was the standard practice of the Church.

Beyond Acts, the sabbeth is mentioned by the apostle Paul in Colossians 2:16 where he is defending the Christian’s freedom in regard to keeping the sabbath. Paul’s exhortation there has to do with not allowing anyone to push you or shame you into keeping the Jewish sabbath. It therefore seems wise to prohibit Sunday worshipers from condemning those who choose to keep the sabbath instead of joining the Church for Sunday worship.

The last New Testament reference to the sabbath is found in Hebrews 4:9 where the writer of Hebrews is comparing the sabbath rest to the new life in Christ that Christians enter through repentance, faith, and a sanctified life. This final reference has nothing to do with which day to keep, but rather how the essence of the sabbath rest is made real in the Christian’s life.

Finally, though both sabbath and Sunday worship honors God, they are distinctly different in relation to Christ. Sabbath worship prefigured some aspects of Christ and His work, and it prepared the worshipers for the coming of Christ, the Messiah. Sunday worship exalts the living Christ (Eucharist) and celebrates the work of Christ on our behalf. Under the Law, the sabbath worshiper could draw near to God because a lamb was sacrificed for sin. Under grace, the sabbath and Sunday worshiper can draw near to God because the Lamb of God was sacrificed, once for all time, for sin. These are the reasons why Sunday is known by Christians everywhere as the Lord’s Day.

Therefore, an honest dealing with this subject acknowledges that switching the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday breaks the third commandment just as stealing breaks the seventh. In that same spirit of honesty, it is true that some Christians find this switch indefensible. Yet Sunday worship has been the sincere practice of the Church (both East and West) since the time of the disciples. It also appears this switch is supported by the writings of the New Testament, not because it is indisputably explained and defended, but because it is not specifically condemned.

The Sunday Obligation
Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer.... Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the dismissal.... This day is given to you for prayer and rest. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25).

This gathering of believers is the corporate opportunity to celebrate the glory of God and the gracious work of Jesus Christ. It is the repeated occasion for teaching Christ’s saving and sanctifying doctrines, and to encourage the faithful to the daily practice of love and good deeds. It is the place where a gathering of Christians can cry out to God in prayer as from one heart and mind. And it is the place were God’s people can find comfort and help in their time of need.

Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday worship, prayers, Eucharist, and teaching is a testimony to the unbelieving world of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. Going from the Sunday gathering to live godly lives the whole week through is a testimony to God’s holiness and worthiness to be praised, adored, and obeyed.

A day of grace and rest from work
Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done" (Gen 2:2), human life has a rhythm of work and rest. Keeping the Lord's Day provides an occasion of rest from the affairs and labors of life so Christians can focus on the glory and goodness of God and cultivate their spiritual and familial lives.

Therefore, it is right to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship and devotion owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.

Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse us from the obligation of Sunday rest. However, the faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits that harm or diminish the fuller intent of the day.

Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives. And of course, Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.

Sanctifying Sundays requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day. In spite of economic constraints, Christian employers are to maintain a similar obligation toward their employees.

There are some who are required to work on Sundays (medical, police, fire, etc.). If this is your situation, live and work each Sunday as the day of our deliverance from the power of sin and death, and as the time for gathering together the "assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" (Heb 12:22-23).