WHY DID JESUS ENTER THE SYNAGOGUE ON SATURDAY, THE "SABBATH"?
Before I begin explaining why Jesus entered the Synagogue, it is good for us to understand briefly the meaning of a Synagogue.
A Synagogue is a house of worship and a community center for Jewish people, primarily used for prayer. The name Synagogue comes from the Greek word συναγωγή (synagoge), meaning "assembly" or "gathering"; it is a translation of the Hebrew term בית כנסת (beit knesset), which means "house of assembly."
Jewish people also use the Yiddish word "shul" (=school) to refer to a synagogue.
Having understood the meaning of a Synagogue, it should not surprise us that Jewish people are the ones who use these synagogues, entering them on the Seventh day, the "Sabbath," to pray or study ("school") as the word is pronounced in Yiddish.
Therefore, it was not something strange or surprising when we read that the Lord Jesus entered the synagogues to teach the Jews about the Kingdom of Heaven. Luke 4:16–17 says: "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day (Saturday) he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to procla
When Seventh-day Adventists read this verse, they immediately claim that Jesus kept the Sabbath because he entered the Synagogue on the seventh day of the week—Saturday. This claim has no strength whatsoever; it is a weak argument. Entering a synagogue on Saturday does not make someone a Seventh-day Adventist.
I can compare this claim about entering the synagogue to the claim made by Muslims that Jesus entered the synagogue, making him a Muslim. Muslims argue that a synagogue is a mosque, so entering a synagogue makes you a Muslim, while Adventists argue that Jesus entered the synagogue on Saturday, so Jesus is an Adventist. Both claims are weak.
The early Christians did not use synagogues for their worship services, which is why our Lord Jesus Christ said, for example, after cleansing the man full of leprosy: "Do not tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them" (Luke 5:14). These words indicate that when Jesus performed this miracle, he was not in a synagogue, which is why he instructed him to go and present himself to the priest as Moses commanded.
This is a period focused more on faith—a period that continues to this day. It is a time to rest from the physical works of wickedness: turning away from sin and living by trusting in Christ. It is a life of faith.
It is written: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)—meaning, I will give you 'Sabbath.' This is also the meaning of the scripture that says: "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:8). The Sabbath is found in Him, not in a specific day.
It is a life of surrendering into the hands of God, who handles everything in our lives. Our job is simply to believe that He will act; and He surely does. That is the rest! That is the peace! That is the comfort! That is the true Sabbath!
Shalom,
Dr. Max Shimba, servant of Jesus Christ, our Supreme God and Savior.
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