Yes, Jesus and his apostles observed the Sabbath, Holy Days, and avoided unclean meats.
They were Jews, living under the terms of God's Covenant with the children of Israel. They were also circumcised and never wore clothing made out of blended materials. They observed Temple protocols. They tithed, never entered the Holy of Holies, and presented the appropriate offerings demanded by Torah. They observed the appropriate protocols for bodily discharges, skin diseases, and mildew. They came to Jerusalem and the Temple to observe the three pilgrimage festivals. They didn't round off the corners on their beards or have any tattoos. They also didn't eat rare meat or consume any fat.
The argument that Christians should observe parts of the Law because Christ and his apostles observed them is like saying Americans should abide by the terms of Magna Carta or the Articles of Confederation. No, American citizens are expected to abide by the terms of the United States Constitution - the successor to those other documents and the current standard. Likewise, we would think it absolutely absurd for a group of Americans to observe all laws related to taxation, while simultaneously refusing to obey any traffic laws. We simply don't get to pick and choose which laws we will obey and which ones we'll ignore!
Protestants and Catholics also cherry pick Torah. So, because they do it - it's ok for me to do likewise? Jesus Christ identified Two Great Commandments (Love God and love each other). He said that those two commandments comprehended the whole of Torah and constituted the foundation of God's Law. In other words, in this instance, Christ did the picking. Lonnie didn't pick. The Pope didn't pick. Martin Luther or John Calvin didn't pick!
Moreover, as was noted in previous posts here, Torah was addressed to the children of Israel - NOT to the world at large! In the most recent post over at As Bereans Did, we read: "Some people say, "Look what the Lord says to us," as they turn to Leviticus. Well, I have some bad news for you. The Lord didn't say that to us. He said that to ancient Israel." Jesus Christ said that he came to fulfill Torah and the Prophets. In other words, THEY POINT TO HIM! That is their value for us. ABD went on to note: "The Old Testament was not written to us; it was written for us. Big difference."
In the Gospel of John, we are told that Jesus went to Jerusalem during the celebration of the Feast of the Dedication (Feast of Lights, Hanukkah). Does that mean we (Christians) are expected to observe it? Didn't Christ say that we are supposed to follow his example? "That's not what he was talking about!" the Legalists will snap back. "EXACTLY," is my response.
Christ came to this earth to fulfill God's Law for Jews and Gentiles. He did. He fulfilled it perfectly - as NO other human has EVER been able to duplicate. Moreover, his righteousness/innocence was the perfect cure for our sinfulness/guilt before God. Likewise, his original disciples were ALL Jews - born under the terms of the Old Covenant (Torah). Hence, we would expect to find them observing the commandments of Torah - ALL OF THEM, and we do! Even so, it does NOT follow that we (Gentile Christians) should be doing likewise in 2026! Indeed, a good many things have happened since then: Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven; the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the ekklesia; the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (which I don't believe was happenstance), and the reformation of Judaism.
Thus, we have seen that the argument that Christ and his disciples were Torah observant Jews is completely irrelevant to the notion of a Christian's obligation to that legislation! That's worth repeating - let it sink in: The fact that Christ and his disciples were Torah observant Jews is completely irrelevant to the notion of a Christian's obligation to that legislation!
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