How does a Christian keep the Sabbath Holy?

Actually, the early church met on the first day of the week...Acts 20. The first day of the week was also the day Jesus rested from His work in the re-creation.
If someone wants to observe the Sabbath they are free to do so. No one should judge them for it. In like manner, if one chooses to observe another day or every day, neither should they be judged. There is great freedom in Christ.

I think they met often, not necessarily only on the first day of the week. And even still, there is no biblical mention of the sanctity transferring from the 7th to the 1st day of the week.

I agree there is great freedom in Christ. Let everyone be fully persuaded in his own mind.

You are correct that there is no passage in scripture that formally moves anything from 7th to 1st day emphasis. But Paul wrote a good bit about judging concerning people's observance of feast days and worship. Each should be convinced in their own minds.

Rest and recreation are closely related to each other. Jesus' healing people was him recreating their health.

I see it as meaning more than just set apart. Holy is sacred or inviolable, say as to your oath of swearing into office or even your contract with the company might be, but religious in nature, which is different from the same thing when civic in nature, or contractually binding in business.

Remembering the Sabbath day...what does that mean? Are we talking about a particular day or are we talking about what is significant in God resting that day?

Exactly! In reference the 'the' sabbath day, scripture refers to "the" seventh day, where all other subsequent 'seventh days' are actually the 14th, 21st. etc., etc., etc... I mean, is there distinction between "remembering" the sabbath day and keeping it holy and 'observing' the sabbath day by working 6 days and resting the seventh?

All good questions. I personally believe it pictures the rest we have in Christ. So much of the law was rigidly followed as a means of earning God's favor rather than as acts of love and devotion.

"The law brought awareness of sin" and one of the sins revealed was a failure to rest in God's mercy and lovingkindness to provide for all of creation.

They misunderstand the prophetic nature of the law.

Everything in the law was ultimately a shadow for a future fulfillment. A fulfillment in Jesus, the sacrificial atonement, the church, the law written on our hearts, etc. The law was merely the blueprint.

Not sure what you mean by the link to chapter 23 of Leviticus?

The trick to solving the problem is knowing that Jesus was crucified on the Preparation day. That is, a preparation for a Sabbath day.

The first day of Unleavened Bread you can prepare and cook a meal. There is no preparation day for the first day of U.B.

On a Sabbath day, you cannot prepare and cook a meal, that is why the Preparation day exists.

The only preparation someone in Israel does for the first day of U.B, is get rid of all leavened bread.

That may be true but a Sabbath day is different to the first day of Unleavened Bread. Both are holy days as our Easter Friday and Christmas day are.

We are not allowed to work on Easter Friday or Christmas day, much the same as the sabbath day.

Easter Friday, Christmas day, the Sabbath, and the first day of U.B, are wildly different types of days from one another.

Leviticus does not state that U.B is a Sabbath day.

There are annual Sabbaths (John 19:31 refers to the 1st day of Feast of Unleavened Bread as a HIGH SABBATH).

John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Scriptures instructing us that the 15th day of the first month is first day of Feast of Unleavened Bread and is a holy convocation and no work is to be done. All of these are found in Leviticus, Exodus and Numbers. Three times we are told.

This is what we are seeing on Christ's passion, that at sundown the new day begins. Christ crucified on the 14th (a Wednesday) and at sundown on that Wednesday begins the 15th, the first day of Feast of Unleavened Bread. This day in this year is not the weekly Sabbath. The Jews know the Torah, and observe the Torah, and wanted Christ taken down before the sun sets because

#1) the High Sabbath was upon them, and

#2) Deu_21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Gal_3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:


Lev 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.
Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.


Exo 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Exo 12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Exo 12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

Num 28:16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.
Num 28:17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
Num 28:18 In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:

Weekly Sabbath = Leviticus 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

Lev 26:1 You shall make no idols to yourselves; and you shall not set up for yourselves graven images, or a memorial pillar. And you shall not set up any image of stone in your land in order to bow down to it. For I am Jehovah your God.
Lev 26:2 You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary. I am Jehovah.
Lev 26:3 If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them,
Lev 26:4 then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
Lev 26:5 And your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time. And you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
Lev 26:6 And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down and none shall make you afraid. And I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
Lev 26:7 And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
Lev 26:8 And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight. And your enemies shall fall by the sword in front of you.
Lev 26:9 For I will have respect to you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you.
Lev 26:10 And you shall eat of the old provision, and clear away the old because of the new.
Lev 26:11 And I will set My tabernacle among you. And My soul shall not abhor you.
Lev 26:12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be My people.
Lev 26:13 I am Jehovah your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from being their bondmen. And I have broken the bonds of your yoke, and made you go upright.

Rev 22:14 Blessed are they who do His commandments, that their authority will be over the Tree of Life, and they may enter in by the gates into the city.

Levitical law passed at the cross. Obedience still brings blessings and disobedience brings discipline. But unless you are still offering sacrifice, no need to follow Levitical law.

My point was Paul teaches no one day is above another. We are not under the law so why put upon yourself a yolk that is impossible to bear.

This is PURE BALONEY. Once we take the focus off "Sunday" and put it on "the first day of the week", everything falls in to place. The first day of the week is "the Lord's Day".