Rest now rest later
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. — Hebrews 4:9
What do your Sundays look like? How do you plan to spend each first day of the week? Do you think about making it a little like life will be like after the return of Jesus?
When the author of Hebrews thinks about Sabbath rest he thinks about the coming culmination of Christ's kingdom — the return of Jesus. Sabbath is not primarily looking back to the 4th commandment but looking forward to the author of the commandment.
What will this heaven — culminated kingdom — look like? It will be the full enjoyment of the restored rest-peace between God and men and between men and men. This restoration is accomplished through the atoning work of Jesus. It is Christ-centered.
Now returning to your Sundays. Are they days you set aside to worship God through the blood bought rest-peace of Christ? Are they days you reserve for fellowhip with other Christians with whom you are reconciled? Are they days you set aside to cultivate a healthy anxiousness for the return of Jesus? Are your Sundays a taste of heaven — appetizers to the wedding feast of the Lamb?
If not, how could you lead your family into fuller enjoyment of the rest that God has provided for you in Christ?
