Jesus’
lordship over the Sabbath has a bearing on the church age in which we have
lived since Pentecost.
More
importantly, though, holy
days, holy foods, and holy places have no legal or sacramental power for
the believer in Christ. They were foreshadowings of the King himself. He is the
sacrificed lamb, the redemptive tabernacle, the great high priest, and, the believer’s Sabbath.
In
Hebrews
chapter four, we are reminded that Israel's entrance into the promised land
did not fulfill the rest God promised his people. That meant another
rest (Sabbath) remained to be fulfilled by Jesus and it is directly related
to the forgiveness of sins.
Faith
now looks beyond the Law Book to the Law Giver and finds him willing and able
to give forgiveness rest. It does not change the identity of sin. It changes the
identity of the sin-bearer. He himself fulfilled the righteousness and the
penalty of God’s Law for each who would yield to him in faith. Freed from the impossible
task of bearing the sin-penalty, the believer declares war on his old ways in
an atmosphere of grace and develops new ways in Jesus’ resurrection strength.
At the same time he becomes
a joyful doer of good works out of gratitude. Life becomes a perpetual
Sabbath of rest in redemption, and ministry
to the glory of God.
Jesus
described this rest/serve Sabbath succinctly in Matthew
11:28-29 and in so doing described his heartbeat both for this age and the age to come. If you would live in the future reign of such a King, you must surrender to him now in a world that hates him.
SERIES
INDEX: The Mysterious Footprint of Godliness
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