Written by When we first moved to England in 1990, I wasn’t prepared for the culture shock that lasted throughout that first year.
Some of it had to do with food—eating beans on toast for breakfast was…(ahem) interesting—while sometimes it was the language differences that shocked me. I had no idea that the word fanny must never be used in polite conversation (or any conversation for that matter). Certainly, one must never shout, “Come on’ ladies, let’s tighten our fannies” in a packed fitness class…
Trust me when I tell you that an American accent was barely enough to forgive that social faux pas.
Although I shocked the students in my village aerobics class, I, too, experienced upset as I navigated the differences of English culture.
For example, it took several stops at different locked-up stores to figure out that shops weren’t open on Sundays. Admittedly, there was a time when stores weren’t open on Sunday in the States either, but by the late 1980s, I was used to popping into a grocery store to pick up whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it…Sunday or not.
I wondered when England would finally “get with the times.”
Well, that day came in August 1994 despite pushback from a group called Keep Sunday Special, which opposed Sunday trading in England and Wales. Although this was a secular civil organization, the Church of England naturally supported this campaign. After all, the idea of sabbath originated from God Himself.
Although it’s no surprise that—unlike me—the Church resisted the prospect of competing with Marks and Spencer on a Sunday, I’m sad that many of us in the church have not embraced the principle that a day of rest (sabbath) is a worthwhile, even essential practice. Although I clearly have not always thought this way, I’ve had a change of heart.
I propose that it’s time we Make Sunday Special Again.
Let’s have a look at why…
Let me begin by pointing out that although Sunday is traditionally assumed to be the day of rest for many Christians, there isn’t a requirement that a day of rest be on Sunday or any day. Perhaps that’s where the confusion comes in.
What is the truth?
Biblical Precedent
(Here you go: A 20 page master’s paper condensed to a few paragraphs…👇🏻)
It might surprise you to know that there is no mention of the Sabbath in the creation story. (That word doesn’t appear until the book of Exodus.) Instead we see reference to God ceasing (resting) from work on the seventh day.
“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Gen 2:2-3)
In Jewish tradition, seven signifies wholeness, completion, or perfection. God’s work is perfectly completed on the seventh day.
The seventh day sets the context for what life in the garden (of Eden) was supposed to be like. The descriptions of the first six days all end with, “And then there was evening, and there was morning—the (first, second, etc.) day,” (see Genesis 1:1-31) but this is not the case for the seventh day. There is no mention that “there was evening and morning,” perhaps indicating that the seventh day is endless, one never coming to a close.
Thus the sun was not destined to set on God’s Sabbath. As such, ‘Sabbath’ could be described as the condition characterizing life in Eden prior to the fall. The seventh day was life lived under God’s blessing and in fellowship with Him and each other. Eternal Sabbath for Adam and Eve meant they lived a life that was solely dependent on God. After the fall, humanity was expelled from the garden, no longer able to experience a never-ending Sabbath.
Despite the absence of an eternal Sabbath day, God later instituted a weekly Sabbath to remind his people of Eden and simultaneously show them the way back to life with God.
It is important to note that the seventh day is blessed and made holy (Gen 2:3). Thus, the end of God’s creative work brought about a new type of time—blessed and set aside. Presumably, this was so the creation could now be. Fruitfulness, dominion and relationship are all the “activities” of being.
In other words, rest is not inactivity.
Beyond Genesis, the Sabbath is a BIG Deal
In Exodus 31:12-17, the Sabbath is called both a sign and a covenant. “…This will be a sign…that you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy…”(31:13). In verse 14, the Sabbath is called holy to Israel and to God (31:15). Finally, in verse 16 it is called a “lasting covenant” and a perpetual sign for the generations to come (31:17).
Specifically, the Sabbath reminded the people that they were meant to know God personally and be His holy people.
Because God understands humans’ propensity to forget, He structured Israel’s life so that the important things would come to mind on a regular basis—one of the purposes of instituting a weekly sabbath.
The Sabbath was supposed to replicate the life-sustaining conditions in Eden. Also, because the Sabbath was a sign of the entire covenant—a picture of the entire relationship that Israel had with God—to desecrate the Sabbath was,in essence, to dishonor the entire covenant that God made with Israel.
Thus, people who broke the Sabbath were condemned to death.
So until Jesus came onto the scene, the Sabbath was a big deal.
“For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.” (Exodus 35:2)
Perhaps you’re wondering what Old Testament Sabbath law has to do with followers of Jesus. After all, didn’t Jesus push back against the Sabbath?
The answer is, “not quite.”
Do you remember the stories of Jesus being accused by the Pharisees of breaking the Sabbath law by plucking and eating the grain? (See Matt 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; and Luke 6:1-5.) Jesus responded by claiming that just as David and the priests were above the law in certain respects, He also was not subject to the law but Lord over it.
To be ‘Lord’ over a God-given institution like the Sabbath was a statement of Jesus’ ultimate authority. By placing this story (and message) right after Jesus’ call to the weary to find rest in Him (Matt 11:28-30), Jesus was removing the Sabbath from the previous legal framework so that God’s people could realize the rest they were always intended to enjoy.
That rest could be found in Him.
The implication is that Jesus’ authority is greater than the Mosaic Law and that He is the one who will finally bring the blessings of the Sabbath to Israel. He is the fulfillment of the sanctified seventh day.
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28)
Author of Christ in the Sabbath, Rich Robinson notes that rest and obedience cannot be separated: “Entering into God’s rest requires obedience that springs from faith, just as it did for Israel.”
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. (Heb 4:9-11)
However, the redemption Jesus brought to humanity with regard to our Sabbath rest is not yet complete. Hebrews encourages believers to be diligent in their faith so as to enter God’s rest, into which we have not yet fully entered (Heb 4:6-11).
The future fulfillment of the Sabbath will be realized when God creates the new heavens and new earth, and Eden is restored.
What This Means for Us
While Christians are no longer under obligation to observe the Law of Moses, which included observing the Sabbath, God’s principles for Sabbath rest are still applicable today. When we enter God’s rest, it’s an expression of our trust in Him and an expression of gratitude for His provision and protection.
- The Sabbath is a time to set aside ordinary life to appreciate God’s creation and experience God’s peace.
- It is a time to be set apart and to be holy. While the rest of the world is either hustling or idling the day away, Jesus’ followers enter into active (focused) rest.
- In addition, the Sabbath calls us to trust in God’s provision and worship Him.
- Observing the Sabbath provides an opportunity to rejoice in God’s blessings and in the redemptive future to come. In other words, observation of the Sabbath allows humanity to enter into a blessed and set aside time to just “be.”
Putting it into Practice
Because God does not specify how and when to practice the Sabbath, it is helpful to reflect on the purpose of the original Sabbath to figure out how you might like to incorporate the essence of Sabbath principles into your life.
A lot of people like to set apart Sunday as a day to incorporate Sabbath practices since they attend worship services on that day and worship is part of honoring God. However, there is no mandate to sabbath on Sundays. Pick a day that works for you.
If it feels too overwhelming to set apart a full 24 hours to sabbath, try incorporating a few practices which encourage you to enter into active rest.
This could mean you commit to stepping away from professional work projects, social media and television to spend time in nature or with friends instead. There isn’t one way to sabbath; the point is to commit to the activities of sabbath (even if it is a nap) as an expression of your faith in Jesus to give you the rest you need.
Below are a few ideas to get you started:
- Read or do a puzzle
- Journal
- Make a special meal
- Eat around a table that’s set with your best dishes
- Go to church and linger afterwards to fellowship with others
- Pray
- Socialize. Invite someone for lunch, coffee or dinner.
- Spend time in nature
- Take a long bath
- Invite a friend over for games
- Drink tea/coffee in bed
- Nap
- Eat cake
Take Your First Step
So many people love the promise in Matthew 11:28 which says “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest,” yet fail to take the steps toward Jesus.
Jesus says, come.
We need to take that first step.
What step will you take this week? I’d love to hear from you. 👇🏻
