‘Work’ and ‘rest’ were our next two theme words in Nicaragua. We worked hard in the village of La Chuscada constructing a school building to bless the local children. It is a good feeling to be worn out at the end of a day’s work.
Our ‘rest’ day involved a two-hour bus ride to join a celebration. The people of San Marcos de Las Pilas decorated the town, killed a cow for a feast, and rolled out the red carpet for about a hundred visitors.
Amigos for Christ, various mission teams, and the citizens of the village had worked a year to dig a well and extend water lines to each home. We got to witness tears of joy and hear praises to God as ‘running water’ was turned on for the first time.
God worked six days in creation then rested on the seventh, setting a pattern for us to follow. Later, He included a day of rest in the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.
But Man made the Sabbath more about rules than rest. Jesus often got into trouble for refusing to follow religion’s traditions. When challenged, He plainly shared God’s intent: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
Jesus presents Himself as the Answer to questions about ‘work’ and ‘rest.’ “Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.’” (John 6:28-29) What a great truth!
In His teaching about the Sabbath, Jesus also pointed to Himself. Timothy Keller wrote: “When Jesus says, ‘I am the Lord of the Sabbath,’ Jesus means He is the Sabbath. He is the source of the deep rest we need. The one-day-a-week rest we take is just a taste of the deep divine rest we need, and Jesus is its source. Jesus says, in effect, ‘As the Lord of the Sabbath, I can give you rest.’”
God wants us to find our total existence in His Son. In Christ, we find the good works God has created us to do and in Christ, we find the rest we so desperately need. No wonder Jesus says, “Come to Me.”
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Quote from ‘Jesus the King’ by Timothy Keller, ©2011 by Redeemer City to City and Timothy Keller, p. 44