Series: The Gospel: It's Not...
Message: About the Sabbath
Preacher: Mark Johnson
Daily Walk: Mark Johnson
Refresh: Open with prayer. Read or listen to Psalm 93.
Read: Mark 2:27; Romans 13:10 (Message). Note 1-3 insights/questions that arise from the paraphrase.
Reflect: "It is finished." (John 19:30, NKJV)
With those three simple words, the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan drew toward a close and the Judean Sabbath hours drew close. Jesus had been "lifted up from the earth" and had "drawn all" to Himself. (See John 12:32) He had "finished the work" which His Father had "given Him to do." He had "glorified" His Father "on the earth" and had "manifested" His Father's "name to the men whom" His Father "had given Him out of the world." (John 17:4-6, NKJV) He had finished His work, and it was time to rest.
He had finished His work once before and then rested on the Sabbath.
"Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended his work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done." (Genesis 2:2, 3, NKJV) As He celebrated His finished work with this first Sabbath day's rest, God created for His creatures what Richard Nies has called "a planned intimacy in time and space."
At the time of Creation the Universe was already embroiled in a civil war. Questions had been raised by God's creatures about His goodness, His motives for creating and His methods of governing the Universe. There were no simple answers, and God could not (would not) force His creatures to believe and obey without evidence. To prove His righteousness and justice God would have to demonstrate His character through a long and painful process. Many of His creatures would not believe Him; all of His creatures would be tempted to doubt and forget Him. And so, in the beginning, He created the Sabbath, a time of planned intimacy in which His creatures were invited to draw close to Him, and see that He was good.
No wonder His enemy wanted to have Him killed.
Recalibrate:
Respond: Pray for a closer walk with our Creator and a clearer vision of His character.
Research: What is the definition for “Sabbath?”