And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27,28 ESV)
Jesus’ Life and Rest
When I was a teenager, I often lawyered my parents about what they should allow me to DO on the Lord’s Day. Big surprise, eh?
It seemed to me back then, that our church’s and family’s Sunday rules were meant to STOP me from doing things I wanted to do. I chafed against them.
But eventually, I understood such things more closely to what Jesus actually taught.
The Lord’s Day was commanded because our bodies need rest. The Lord’s Day was created because it is GOOD to rest. The Lord’s Day continues because it is a part of His Lordship.
Throughout His life, Jesus worshipped on the Lord’s Day, even though He Himself was God. Throughout His life, Jesus enjoyed the Lord’s Day, because it is enjoyable. Throughout His life, Jesus kept the Lord’s Day because He loved to obey.
For us, too, copying Jesus’ life, we get to regularly rest. Not just out of obligation. Not just out of habit. Not just out of calendar-following.
But because HE did it, we get to. Because HE loved it, we can try to. Because HE obeyed, we learn to.
He worked all the way through His life, right up to His death on the cross. He rested along the way, too. Especially through the resurrection!
Work and rest. Strive and rest. Labor and rest. Try and rest. Just like Jesus did.