By Tom Damour · July 27, 2026
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Chapter 1 — God Teaches Through Time
Leviticus 23 is often read as a list of ancient holidays, but in reality, it functions more like a road map. It traces how God forms a people, shapes their identity, and anchors them in His story. The appointed times are not random observances. They are patterns that reveal how God is working out His plan of salvation for his human creation.
These appointed times, also known as the Holy Days to modern Christians, are not a second attempt for salvation. God saves first through Jesus Christ, then teaches His people how to live as those who belong to Him.
With this in mind we will now look into the story line of salvation as God lays it out through His appointed times.
It All Begins with the Sabbath
The Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) is placed inside the wider sequence of appointed times. The placement is important: God forms His people through repeated patterns.
Two principles help keep the chapter clear.
1. The appointed times are not a system of earning salvation. God rescues first, then guides His people as they learn to obey him.
2. Fulfillment does not erase meaning. When Christ fulfills a pattern, He brings its purpose into focus. Let’s take a look at Matthew 5:17.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
When Jesus says He did not come to destroy but to fulfill, the Greek wording used in this verse clarifies what many have misunderstood.
The word translated “fulfill” in Matthew 5:17 is the Greek verb: πληρόω (plēróō)
It means: to fill (as in filling something up); to make full / bring to full measure; to complete / bring to its intended goal; to carry out fully (especially of words, Scripture, prophecy).
What Does Abolish Mean?
In this context, plēróō is not “abolish” or “discard.” It means Jesus came to bring the Law and the Prophets to their full intended meaning and completion — by obeying them perfectly, confirming what they truly teach, and bringing their prophetic trajectory to its goal.
With that said, Jesus was reminding his followers that the Sabbath was meant to be a blessing.
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:26-27)
By stating that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath, he was making it clear that he, not the religious authorities, created the Sabbath. Further, he had the authority to provide the guidelines as to how it was to be observed. He did this by what he did on the Sabbath. He did not do away with the Sabbath but demonstrated how to observe it by what he did on that day.
Examples of Healing on the Sabbath
Man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue (Mark 1:21–28; Luke 4:31–37); Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29–31; Luke 4:38–39; Matthew 8:14–15); withered hand (Matthew 12:9–13; Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11); bent/crippled woman (Luke 13:10–17); man with dropsy (Luke 14:1–6); paralytic at Bethesda (John 5:1–18); man born blind (John 9:1–14).
Jesus healed on the Sabbath to reestablish something that had been lost. Namely, that showing mercy to the sick is NOT outside the command “to keep the Sabbath holy.”
NOTE: the word holy in Hebrew is kadosh, which signifies being set apart. In other words, by demonstrating mercy to the sick was a way to set apart the Sabbath.
Of course, it is also incumbent on believers to show mercy and kindness every day, but to do so on the Sabbath had an additional meaning which we will discover later.
Jesus restores the Sabbath’s intent. He treats it as a day for mercy and renewal, not restriction. The book of Hebrews expands the theme further, describing Sabbath as a preview of the final rest God promises his people. We will expand on this theme later.
The weekly Sabbath is the first appointed time or Holy Day appearing in Genesis before Israel or Sinai. It teaches rest, trust, and identity rooted in God’s work, not human effort (Genesis 2:1–3). It is important to note that the Sabbath was created by God before the establishment of the Covenant He made with Israel.
“Thus, the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” (Genesis 2:1-2)
Later, it would become the covenant sign for ancient Israel. However, as we will see, its core message stays the same: God builds rest into creation, and His people are to live within the gift of rest from weekly activities.
Religious authorities of Jesus’ day had made the Sabbath a burden. Instead of worshiping God on that “appointed time” it became a time to measure how righteous one was or was not.
Key Themes
The Sabbath began as a gift for the human race, not just the Jewish people. It was given before it was commanded. (Genesis 2:1-2)
Weekly rest from working reminds us of the fact the world does not depend on our constant effort. The world continues with or without us working.
Jesus centers Sabbath on mercy. He protects people from burdensome interpretations.
1 John 5:3 — “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not burdensome.”
Sabbath points forward. Weekly rest anticipates God’s future restoration.
Implications for the Church
Rest becomes a quiet act of trust in a restless culture.
Communities shaped by grace (undeserved and unearned forgiveness) will learn to treat others with gentleness.
Weekly patterns prepare believers to live with hope toward God’s promised rest.
Questions & Answers
Q: How should Leviticus 23 be read — as a list of ancient holidays, or as something more?
A: As a road map. It traces how God forms a people, shapes their identity, and anchors them in His story. The appointed times are patterns that reveal how God works out His plan of salvation. They are not a second attempt for salvation: God saves first through Jesus Christ, then teaches His people how to live as those who belong to Him.
Q: What two principles help keep the chapter clear?
A: First, the appointed times are not a system of earning salvation — God rescues first, then guides His people as they learn to obey Him. Second, fulfillment does not erase meaning — when Christ fulfills a pattern, He brings its purpose into focus.
Q: What does the Greek word plēróō — “fulfill” — in Matthew 5:17 actually mean?
A: To fill (as in filling something up); to make full, or bring to full measure; to complete, or bring to its intended goal; to carry out fully. It is not “abolish” or “discard”: Jesus came to bring the Law and the Prophets to their full intended meaning and completion, by obeying them perfectly, confirming what they truly teach, and bringing their prophetic trajectory to its goal.
Q: What did Jesus’ healings on the Sabbath demonstrate?
A: That showing mercy to the sick is not outside the command “to keep the Sabbath holy.” Jesus restored the Sabbath’s intent: a day for mercy and renewal, not restriction. As Lord of the Sabbath, He did not do away with it — He demonstrated how to observe it by what He did on that day. The Hebrew word for holy, kadosh, means set apart, and showing mercy was a way to set the Sabbath apart.
Q: Did the Sabbath begin with Israel at Sinai, or earlier?
A: Earlier. The weekly Sabbath is the first appointed time, appearing in Genesis 2:1–3 before Israel or Sinai. It was a gift for the human race — given before it was commanded — and only later became the covenant sign for ancient Israel. Its core message stays the same: God builds rest into creation, and His people are to live within that gift of rest.
Summary Test
Answer each question, then open “Check your answers” to see how you did.
1. Leviticus 23 works less like a list of holidays and more like…
a) A road map of how God forms a people and works out His plan of salvation
b) A second attempt at salvation
c) A calendar for farmers
2. True or false: the appointed times are a system for earning salvation.
a) True
b) False
3. The Greek word plēróō — “fulfill” — in Matthew 5:17 means…
a) Abolish or discard
b) Fill up, complete, bring to its intended goal
c) Ignore
4. Jesus’ healings on the Sabbath showed that the Sabbath is a day for…
a) Restriction only
b) Mercy and renewal
c) Doing nothing whatsoever
5. The weekly Sabbath first appears…
a) At Sinai
b) In Genesis 2, before Israel existed
c) After the Exodus
Check your answers
1. A road map of how God forms a people and works out His plan of salvation — A road map: God forms a people, shapes their identity, anchors them in His story.
2. False — God rescues first, then guides His people as they learn to obey Him.
3. Fill up, complete, bring to its intended goal — Jesus came to bring the Law and Prophets to their full intended meaning.
4. Mercy and renewal — He restored the Sabbath’s intent — mercy sets the day apart (kadosh, set apart).
5. In Genesis 2, before Israel existed — Genesis 2:1–3 — a gift for the human race before it was a covenant sign for Israel.
End of Part 1.
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