Life on the Pasture

There’s an interesting irony on the day after Jesus was crucified. The chief priests and Pharisees who were so concerned about the Law and often accused Jesus of working on the Sabbath go to Pilate on the Sabbath because they had some work they needed to do. They told the governor, “We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’  So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. (Matthew 27:63-66, NIV)

On the other hand, there was Joseph of Arimathea who also went to Pilate, but on Friday in order that he might bury Jesus’ body. He took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. (Luke 23:53–56, NIV)

One would think that the women preparing the spices would think to themselves, “This is a very special circumstance. God will understand if we don’t completely follow the Sabbath this one time.” But followers of the Lord are more interested in following His will completely, even when it doesn’t seem to be practical.

I could easily make an application as to why it’s important for us to heed the “Safer at Home” order, but that’s not my intent. Rather, I simply want us to think about the whole point of the Sabbath: Rest.

If anyone needed true rest on that day after Good Friday – physical, emotional, and spiritual rest – it would be the followers of Jesus. And isn’t it interesting that in the timing of all of our Lord Jesus’ s work for our salvation, the day after His crucifixion was a day set aside to put everything away and rest.

How are you doing with that in the midst of all that is going on? It’s hard to put away the news, as well as our fears and anxieties, and come to our Lord for rest. But Jesus promises, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV)

And remember what happened for Jesus’ followers after they took the day of rest? Easter! The world now looked totally different to them because Jesus was with them again, just as He is with you and me.

– Pastor Schmidt

Photo by Grant Whitty on Unsplash