In Genesis 2:3, God rested after He finished the work of creation. He did not rest because He was tired or weary — God is perfect and limitless. By intentionally resting, God by His very action, declared that day to be holy. This provided an example of work patterns for His image bearers (that’s you and I). Later in Exodus, we see that the Mosaic Law established the Sabbath as a day of worship. Much later, Jesus says “the Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27), and this is pivotal.
When Jesus reconciled us to God on the cross, His grace was sufficient to cover a multitude of sins and breaking of the Mosaic commands, including the tradition of keeping the Sabbath. Colossians 2:16 makes it very clear that there is no ritual or symbolic place for the Sabbath in the new covenant. Think of the Sabbath as a nice-to-do but not a have-to-do. The church began worshipping on the first day of the week to commemorate the resurrection of Christ (see Acts 20:7). Now let’s go deeper than even that. Consider reading Hebrews 4:3-7 which distinguishes between physical rest and redemptive rest given to us by Christ’s fulfillment of The Law. When God first created everything — the sky, the cosmos, the earth and water, creatures and Man — He called it good and very good. After he finished His creation work He rested and savored His work including the constant flow of water that would keep all the foliage lush, the air was the purest of clean, the soil was rich, colors were vibrant and the brilliance of God permeated in everything. This was the environment God rested in. Then The Fall happened. Original Sin permeated all of creation. Floods and drought and famine became a reality in the world… such is the condition of the hearts of mankind… righteousness lacking. Then The Christ came and imputed His righteousness onto us who are sinners… righteousness provided. Now Jesus Christ is seated at the right-hand of God The Father Almighty and at the appointed time, He will come back to judge the living and the dead and rescue His Bride (us, the church, His Body) to enjoy the fullness of His Glory in praise forever and ever… righteousness reigning.
By redeeming us, and tearing down The Law by fulfilling it for us, Jesus brought us back to God’s original design for The Sabbath — true rest. The kind of rest that does not hold us captive to rigid obligations or efforts without grace. The kind of rest that allows us to enjoy God, enjoy His creation from a place that savors His Goodness. And that rest will be made perfect in all its splendor in Heaven.
Questions to ask yourself:
- In your opinion, why is it that Christians do not have an eternal mindset?
- Will you give yourself permission to truly rest once a week?
- What are some of the ways you practice Sabbath rest in your heart and enjoy God’s Goodness?
Prayer Prompt:
Ask God to help you find areas in your life where you can make room to get to a place of Sabbath rest in your heart.