Introduction

Good morning, friends. We are gathered here today to talk about something we all know. Something we all live by. The Sabbath.

We all know the Sabbath, don't we? It's that day of rest. That day of peace. That day of worship. But today, we're going to look at the Sabbath in a new light.

We're going to see the Sabbath through the eyes of Jesus.

Now, Shelly Miller once said, "When we trust God by taking our hands off our work, what we give up through Sabbath ultimately benefits those around us." So let’s talk about this Holy day in more detail today.

Jesus, the Sabbath's Sovereign

When we think about the Sabbath, we often think about rest. We think about a day off from work, a day to relax and recharge. But when Jesus talks about the Sabbath, He talks about it in a different way. He talks about it as a day that He is in charge of. He is the one who sets the rules for the Sabbath. He is the one who decides what is and isn't allowed on the Sabbath. He is the one who has the final say on what the Sabbath means and how it should be observed.

A radical idea: It's not the way we usually think about the Sabbath. We usually think about the Sabbath as a day that's set apart, a day that's different from all the other days. But Jesus is saying that the Sabbath is not just a day that's set apart. It's a day that He is in charge of. It's His day.

This idea of Jesus being in charge of the Sabbath: It changes everything. It changes how we think about the Sabbath. It changes how we observe the Sabbath. It changes how we relate to Jesus. It changes our whole understanding of what the Sabbath is and what it means.

What does it change?

Our understanding of the Sabbath: If Jesus is in charge of the Sabbath, then the Sabbath is not just a day of rest. It's a day of worship. It's a day to honor Jesus. It's a day to acknowledge His lordship. It's a day to submit to His authority. It's a day to recognize that He is the one who is in control, not us. This is a big shift in our thinking. It's not easy to make this shift. It's not easy to let go of our own ideas and our own desires and our own plans for the Sabbath. But if we want to truly understand the Sabbath, if we want to truly honor the Sabbath, then we need to make this shift. We need to let Jesus be in charge of the Sabbath.

How we observe the Sabbath: If Jesus is in charge of the Sabbath, then we can't just do whatever we want on the Sabbath. We can't just use the Sabbath as a day to catch up on our sleep or our chores or our hobbies. We need to use the Sabbath as a day to honor Jesus. We need to use the Sabbath as a day to worship Him. We need to use the Sabbath as a day to submit to His authority. This means that we need to be intentional about how we spend our Sabbath. We need to plan our Sabbath activities with Jesus in mind. We need to ask ourselves, "What would Jesus want me to do on the Sabbath? How can I honor Him on the Sabbath? How can I submit to His authority on the Sabbath?"

Our relationship with Jesus: If Jesus is in charge of the Sabbath, then the Sabbath is not just a day of rest. It's a day of relationship. It's a day to spend time with Jesus. It's a day to get to know Him better. It's a day to deepen our relationship with Him. This means that the Sabbath is not just a day to rest from our physical work. It's also a day to rest in Jesus. It's a day to rest in His presence. It's a day to rest in His love. It's a day to rest in His grace.

Our understanding of Jesus: If Jesus is in charge of the Sabbath, then He is not just a teacher or a prophet or a miracle worker. He is a king. He is a lord. He is a sovereign. This means that Jesus is not just someone we follow or admire or learn from. He is someone we submit to. He is someone we obey. He is someone we worship.

Master of the Holy Day

As we continue our contemplation, we turn our attention to the idea of Jesus as the Master of the Holy Day ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO