YESHUA: KING OF THE SABBATH
OLD CITY WALL: JERUSALEM
The Sabbath, or Shabbat, is one of the most beautiful gifts given by God to humanity. From the beginning, it was set apart as holy, a day of rest and reflection to draw closer to the Creator. The Sabbath is more than a commandment; it’s an eternal instruction—a declaration of identity and purpose. It reminds us of who we are as God’s children and who we are not. In Yeshua, the King of the Sabbath, we find its ultimate fulfillment, wrapped in the peace He left for us.
The Sabbath: A Gift from Creation
The origins of the Sabbath are found in Genesis 2:2-3:
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 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."
From creation, God modeled rest and sanctified this day. In Hebrew, the Sabbath commandment in the Ten Words or Statements (Aseret HaDibrot, often called the Ten Commandments) is not merely a law but a loving declaration. It’s as though God is saying, “You are My child, and this is what sets you apart. You honor this day because you see its value.”
This truth echoes in Exodus 20:8-11, where we are reminded to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The Sabbath is a forever instruction for Israel and all who choose to walk in the covenant. I like to compare it to wearing a wedding ring. It is a sign of being grafted in, of saying “yes”:
“It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:17).
Yeshua and the Fulfillment of the Sabbath
When Yeshua declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8), He was not abolishing its significance but revealing its truest intention. The Sabbath was made for humanity, not humanity for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). In Yeshua, we see the heart of the Sabbath: a day to rest in God’s provision, to find peace in His presence, and to experience restoration.
Yeshua’s ministry reflected the Sabbath’s essence. He healed on the Sabbath, demonstrating that it is a day of liberation and renewal. In Luke 13:10-17, when Yeshua heals a disabled woman on the Sabbath, He reminds His critics of its purpose:
“Should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
Through these acts, Yeshua emphasized that the Sabbath is not a burden but a blessing—a day to experience the wholeness and peace that only God can give.
Peace in Yeshua: Rest in His Wings
Yeshua left us with a profound gift:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
This peace is tied to the Sabbath, a day when we step out of the chaos of the world and into the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:4). It’s a day to trust fully in His provision, to cease striving, and to rest in the identity He has spoken over us: “You are My child.”
Unlike the nations around them, Israel’s days began at sundown—a striking and deeply symbolic practice rooted in trust. The day didn’t start with work but with rest, as if the Sabbath principle was the foundation of every day. This rhythm was a constant reminder that life begins not with human effort but with trust in God’s provision. Each evening, as the sun set, they laid down their burdens and prayed, entrusting their lives and labor into God’s hands.
As they rested, they trusted that God would be at work. The morning light wasn’t just the start of a new day—it was a moment to see what God had accomplished during their rest. This perspective mirrored the creation story in Genesis, where each day is described as beginning with evening, followed by morning:
“And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day” (Genesis 1:5).
The Sabbath observed on the seventh day, was an extension of this daily rhythm—a sacred culmination reminding them that everything begins and ends with God. It was a day to cease striving and rest in His sovereignty, declaring their trust that He would sustain them.
The Sabbath Rest in the Tomb
This rhythm of rest takes on profound significance in the context of Yeshua’s death and resurrection. When Yeshua was laid in the tomb, it was the Sabbath when His disciples were forced to rest. Imagine their anguish and frustration, wanting desperately to do something, anything, to respond to the devastating events of His crucifixion. Yet, they had no choice but to stop, wait, and let God accomplish everything.
The Sabbath rest during Yeshua’s time in the tomb is a powerful symbol of what the Sabbath truly represents: trusting in God’s work when there is nothing we can do ourselves. Just as the disciples had to rest and trust God to bring forth resurrection, so too are we invited to rest in the finished work of Yeshua.
This moment echoes the prayer of Psalm 4—a surrender to God’s work while we rest:
“Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness... In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:1, 8).
When Yeshua rose on the first day of the week, salvation was accomplished not through the disciples’ labor but through God’s power. The Sabbath reminds us that our striving can never achieve what God alone can do.
A Shadow of the Eternal Sabbath
The Sabbath also points us toward the ultimate rest we will experience in Yeshua’s kingdom. The writer of Hebrews speaks of this:
“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” (Hebrews 4:9-10).
In Yeshua, we find fulfillment in this rest. He invites us to come to Him, weary and burdened, to experience the peace that only He can provide:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Living the Sabbath Today
Honoring the Sabbath is more than an action; it reflects who we are. We don’t observe the Sabbath out of obligation but out of love and recognition of its value. It’s a day to pause, to celebrate, and to rest in God’s faithfulness.
As we enter into the Sabbath, we declare: “This is who we are. We are children of the King.” We rest on this day of the week, setting ourselves apart from the patterns of the world. We rest in the shadow of His wings, trusting in His peace and provision.
Yeshua, our King of the Sabbath, embodies the beauty and purpose of this day. Let us honor it with joy, knowing that we find true rest, peace, and identity in Him.
