What is rest? According to Merriam Webster Dictionary
rest
noun (1)\ˈrest \
Definition of rest
(Entry 1 of 4)
1: REPOSE, SLEEPspecifically : a bodily state characterized by minimal functional and metabolic activities
2a: freedom from activity or labor
b: a state of motionlessness or inactivity
c: the repose of death
3: a place for resting or lodging
4: peace of mind or spirit
5a(1): a rhythmic silence in music
(2): a character representing such a silence
b: a brief pause in reading
6: something used for support
Did you know that God The Father also rested on the seventh day after recreating the world. In Genesis 2:2, it tells us that even God rested. So what exactly does rest mean to God. (NLT)
2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested[a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
In John 5:17, Jesus was speaking to the Jewish leaders and let them know that his Father is always working, so he is also working on the Sabbath. (NLT)
16 So the Jewish leaders began harassing[c] Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. 17 But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”
OK wait, God said he rested on the seventh day but Jesus said that God is always working. That might sound confusing to anyone, unless you understand what God means by rest. One thing the Lord has let me realize is; you have to get to the root of things to finally understand them. Starting with the word seventh which means: sacred full one, complete, to be satisfied, to be satiated. Then we look at the word rest in Genesis 2:2 and that rest means to cease, desist, put to an end.
According to Genesis 2:2 we can see that God; based on the Strong’s definitions, God was satisfied with his work and everything was good. There was no point in working more on recreating the earth to full functionality because it was already completed by the seventh day. Now that does not mean that God didn’t do other things. It just means that that particular “project” was done.
When we understand what God is saying, we can then understand what Jesus meant in John 5:17. If we continue to read the book of Genesis, we will see that God visited Adam and Eve and spoke with them daily. So, God was always doing something.
God wants us to rest also. We can see from old testament scriptures that even though the Israelite’s had a day that was Holy, they still had difficulty attaining God’s rest. The good news is God sent his son Christ Jesus so we can attain true rest. In Matthew 11:28-30(NLT).
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Jesus wants us to enter God’s rest in our own lives. Rest in Matthew 11:28 means: cease movement, cease labor in order to recover and collect strength. To refresh, keep quiet, calm and patient expectation. How can you get all of this from a day? The answer is you CAN’T get true rest from a day. This rest only comes from a relationship with God through trusting in him, in all things. I know there are many religions out there that make you think that this rest comes from a day, but it doesn’t. The Jewish leaders misunderstood. They thought that a day can make you holy and give you rest. That why scriptures says in Mark 2:27,28(NLT).
27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”
Jesus is telling us in the previous 2 scriptures that rest and holiness only comes through him and not a day. Don’t get me wrong, the day is still classified as a holy day, but the day can not make us holy.
We see that holiness and rest comes through Christ Jesus, but how?
See part 2
