In Matthew 11:28-30 read Jesus’ invitation to rest. How does the Sabbath fit in with what Jesus is telling us here.

Jesus is offering physical rest to all those we are laboring.  In addition to physical rest Jesus is is also offering emotional, and psychological, and even spiritual rest. Jesus want’s to offer a comprehensive rest. This passage fits in with the Sabbath because the Sabbath is also a call to rest. We work seven days during the week and we rest on the seventh-day. In a spiritual sense Jesus is also calling us to rest from our attempts at saving ourselves. As we learned that Sabbath is symbolic of redemption and creation, we must rest from trying to run our own lives and from trying to save ourselves. Hebrews 4:6 says this "It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in because of their disobedience." We must not harden our hearts to the call of rest that Jesus is offering all of us today.

What burdens are you carrying that you need to have rest from, and how can you learn to give them to Him? How can your Sabbath worship experience help you truly learn to rest in Him?

Sometimes the only way that we will give our burdens to Jesus is if we get tired enough. If we try things our way enough and find that it is not working we my finally give things over to Jesus. The real question is do we trust Jesus with our burdens. We must learn to trust Jesus. Each Sabbath we should take time to reflect on what God has done for us. It may also be beneficial to take time to physically rest on the Sabbath.

Prayer: Father thank you for your Sabbath. Help us to rest in Jesus. In Jesus name amen.

Read Exodus 31:13. What do you understand this to mean? How is it relevant for us today? What does it mean to have God sanctify us? How can we experience this process in our own lives?

There is so much symbolism contained in the Sabbath which pertains to God’s people. The sabbath is a day that was set apart in in the midst of six other days and made holy and dedicated to God. In the same way that the Sabbath is set apart and made holy God also sets us apart and makes holy. Each time we worship on the day that God has made holy we declare that he is the God who is even able to do this for us. To be sanctified means that receive more of the righteous character of God which transforms us more day by day in the the image of Jesus Christ. We receive this gift first accepting Christ into our lives and then living for him according to his word.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. What is Paul saying, here and how can we relate this text to the themes of Creation and redemption and the Sabbath? How can our Sabbath worship help us focus on these themes?

Paul here is saying that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Just as God bent down an formed Adam in creation , he exercises that same creative power in redemption. God does not just want to change us on the outside but he was to transform our hearts, and minds. As we worship on the Sabbath we should spend time reflecting on these important themes.

Prayer: Thank you Father so much for the things that you have done for us. Help us to be sanctified by your words of truth. Thank you in Jesus name amen.