We have now officially entered the Pentecost season. Pentecost Sunday emphasized how the Holy Spirit poured out specials gifts on His church to grow the church. We, although cracked, clay jars, use the powerful gifts of God’s word and sacraments to grow God’s church—the Spirit’s means to bring people into God’s kingdom of grace.
Today, we hear how Jesus came in grace as our “Sabbath LORD.” Remember, God instructed His Old Testament believers to “keep the Sabbath Day holy.” According to Israel’s Ceremonial Law that meant they could do no “work” on the seventh day to honor the God who “rested” after six days of creating. But the Sabbath Day foreshadowed the spiritual, eternal rest Christ would bring through His saving work—as the epistle to the Hebrews teaches as well as St. Paul in Colossians 2:16-17.
Truly, Jesus has set us free from having to save ourselves by keeping any law of God. In principle we “keep the Sabbath Day holy” every time we come to worship, confess our sins and receive with believing hearts Jesus’ forgiveness as proclaimed in the gospel.
In fact, any time we turn to Jesus’ gospel, whether at a worship service with fellow believers or in private study, we hear His promise: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).