Lord of the Sabbath.

 

Thursday, November 30, 2023


Psalm 72

2 Kings 24:10-25:7

Mark 2:18-3:6


Observance: Andrew, apostle and martyr


Lord of the Sabbath.


The Sabbath is a gift from God to all people. A gift from our Creator, for us to use to better enjoy our existence. It was designed for us to help us, for us to make use of, to take advantage of in order to be more truly human in the presence of God.


Six days shall we work – but on the seventh, we are to rest. When God gave Moses the instruction to observe a day of rest, He gave two reasons. The first is because God made the heavens and the earth in six days, but on the seventh, God rested. (Exodus 20:11) We are made in the image of God, and God made us in such a way that we find benefit in “unplugging” from the daily grind. Look at what a beautiful universe God has made! Down tools and have a look at it. Enjoy your existence in the presence of such a beautifully creative God. Go on, take the whole day off!


The second reason is because God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 5:15) Slavery, that is, constant labour, is bad for the human condition. There is a season for work, and also a season for rest. God designed us to work productively, which means time off for restoration.


Most of all, the Sabbath is a foretaste of the next life. In our post-Easter era, our day of holy rest is Sunday, which is also the Lord’s Day, the day we set aside every week to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. It is a day to reflect on how wonderful it is to just sit and be with God. It is a day for prayer, Bible reading, and meditation. It is a day for holy gossip, to turn to our Christian brothers and sisters and ask “what have you read in God’s Word that fed your soul recently?” It is a day to minister to each other, to celebrate the feast, both the feast at the Lord’s Table, as well as feasting with our fellow Christians. The Bridegroom is with us – it is a day for celebration.


Jesus is the Lord of this day. Jesus knows our condition better than anyone, and knows how good this day is for us. He made us, died for us, rose again so that we may live forever, and now sits at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. The Sabbath is His day, and He loves us, and the Sabbath is one of the many ways Jesus shows His love for us. Every day should be lived in the spirit of the Sabbath – but when it comes at the end of this week, how wonderful it will be!

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