WHEN Christ came to earth more than eighteen hundred years ago, there were statutes enforcing false sabbath keeping, and he deliberately violated them. Healing the sick on the Sabbath day was regarded by the Pharisees as “work” and therefore a breach of the sabbath (Luke 13:10-16, and John 5:5-18); and many of the people were afraid of these false-sabbath statutes and would suffer their racking pains until the going down of the sun, after which they would crowd about the Lord of the Sabbath for his healing touch. Mark 1:21, 32, 33.
But Jesus was not afraid to violate these wicked statutes even though he knew that an effort would be made to kill him if he did. Mark 3:1-6. He violated statutes which enforced false sabbath keeping in order to teach the people to hallow the true Sabbath which had been hidden by these traditional enactments. Jesus Christ is the great model Sabbath keeper. His followers are to-day commanded to “follow his steps.” This is what Seventh-day Adventists are doing. They violate statutes which enforce a false sabbath. They do it in order to teach the world that Sunday is not the Sabbath and that the seventh day is. The Seventh-day Adventists now in jail at Dayton, Tenn., are there for doing that which their Lord did. “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” John 15:20.