June 25th, 2025
by Jacob Hess
by Jacob Hess
The Need for Rest
We need rest. Yet, rest is not easy for any of us. In fact, it might be more difficult to rest today than at any other point in history. Increased job insecurity, added to advancements in technology and a change in cultural values, have made work one of the primary idols of our day. Under all these external causes is an inner drive that keeps us pressing us on to do more and be better. As a pastor for almost a decade, I’ve felt that drive. Have you?
In a culture where we are told you must define your identity on your own, many turn to work to find meaning and purpose. So too, us pastors and ministry leaders. But overwork doesn’t quiet that inner drive to prove ourselves worthy. Instead, we see an increase in anxiety and depression, overeating, and broken families. Whether they know it or not, people are calling out for gospel rest! But how can we lead the world into rest if we are not resting ourselves? The US has a rest problem. So does the church. What should we do about it? Recapture the gift of the Sabbath.
The Gift of the Sabbath
One of the main contention points between Jesus and the Pharisees was the proper way to practice the Sabbath. Jesus never says the Sabbath should be done away with. Instead, He points back to its meaning and purpose, which can be found at two points in Scripture. In both cases we see that the Sabbath is a gift.
God commands Sabbath observance in Exodus 20:9-11: “You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.” In connecting the Sabbath to creation, God reveals that the practice of Sabbath is about entering into the reality of our creatureliness. Sabbath observance was always meant to help the people of God stop and remember that they are not in control. It’s a humbling thing to stop working. It requires us to let go and trust that though we aren’t working, God still is.
God commands the Sabbath again in Deuteronomy, but this time He connects the reason for Sabbath observance to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, saying: “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Due 5:15) Here we see that the Sabbath was commanded not only to remind the Israelites of their dependence on God, but also to remind them of their redemption. The Sabbath was given not as a means to earn grace, but as a response to the grace God had already given.
I must confess that it is hard to rest as a pastor. There are always more people to council, more sermons to write, more meetings to attend. With all that there is to do, it can almost feel wrong to rest, but I have seen the power of the practice of Sabbath at work in my life and ministry too often to neglect it. Personally, Sabbath has become an essential practice to enter into the grace of God in creation and redemption. I am more than a pastor. You are more than your job title. We are beloved children of God. The gift of the Sabbath helps me remember that. If we were a people who deeply and routinely entered into this gift together, what an example of the gospel we would be to our busy neighbors!
The Fulfillment of the Sabbath
As He says in Matthew 5:17, Jesus truly does fulfill the law, including the law of the Sabbath. In His perfect life, Jesus gave to the Father the humble obedience that we were always meant for and in His death, He took our sin upon Himself, taking God’s just punishment in our place. Jesus cried out as He died: “It is finished!” This was the cry of a victor winning salvation on our behalf. We can be satisfied with our work, and stop working, because Jesus has completed the deeper work of our salvation. To truly enter into the rest of the Sabbath you must see that Jesus is your rest. So please church, for one day let’s shut down our phones, turn off our notifications, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy our Savior. It just might be one of the greatest gifts we could give to a world in need of rest.
We need rest. Yet, rest is not easy for any of us. In fact, it might be more difficult to rest today than at any other point in history. Increased job insecurity, added to advancements in technology and a change in cultural values, have made work one of the primary idols of our day. Under all these external causes is an inner drive that keeps us pressing us on to do more and be better. As a pastor for almost a decade, I’ve felt that drive. Have you?
In a culture where we are told you must define your identity on your own, many turn to work to find meaning and purpose. So too, us pastors and ministry leaders. But overwork doesn’t quiet that inner drive to prove ourselves worthy. Instead, we see an increase in anxiety and depression, overeating, and broken families. Whether they know it or not, people are calling out for gospel rest! But how can we lead the world into rest if we are not resting ourselves? The US has a rest problem. So does the church. What should we do about it? Recapture the gift of the Sabbath.
The Gift of the Sabbath
One of the main contention points between Jesus and the Pharisees was the proper way to practice the Sabbath. Jesus never says the Sabbath should be done away with. Instead, He points back to its meaning and purpose, which can be found at two points in Scripture. In both cases we see that the Sabbath is a gift.
God commands Sabbath observance in Exodus 20:9-11: “You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.” In connecting the Sabbath to creation, God reveals that the practice of Sabbath is about entering into the reality of our creatureliness. Sabbath observance was always meant to help the people of God stop and remember that they are not in control. It’s a humbling thing to stop working. It requires us to let go and trust that though we aren’t working, God still is.
God commands the Sabbath again in Deuteronomy, but this time He connects the reason for Sabbath observance to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, saying: “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.” (Due 5:15) Here we see that the Sabbath was commanded not only to remind the Israelites of their dependence on God, but also to remind them of their redemption. The Sabbath was given not as a means to earn grace, but as a response to the grace God had already given.
I must confess that it is hard to rest as a pastor. There are always more people to council, more sermons to write, more meetings to attend. With all that there is to do, it can almost feel wrong to rest, but I have seen the power of the practice of Sabbath at work in my life and ministry too often to neglect it. Personally, Sabbath has become an essential practice to enter into the grace of God in creation and redemption. I am more than a pastor. You are more than your job title. We are beloved children of God. The gift of the Sabbath helps me remember that. If we were a people who deeply and routinely entered into this gift together, what an example of the gospel we would be to our busy neighbors!
The Fulfillment of the Sabbath
As He says in Matthew 5:17, Jesus truly does fulfill the law, including the law of the Sabbath. In His perfect life, Jesus gave to the Father the humble obedience that we were always meant for and in His death, He took our sin upon Himself, taking God’s just punishment in our place. Jesus cried out as He died: “It is finished!” This was the cry of a victor winning salvation on our behalf. We can be satisfied with our work, and stop working, because Jesus has completed the deeper work of our salvation. To truly enter into the rest of the Sabbath you must see that Jesus is your rest. So please church, for one day let’s shut down our phones, turn off our notifications, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy our Savior. It just might be one of the greatest gifts we could give to a world in need of rest.
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